Cherry dairy is still site for ag center
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 1, 2014 1:46 PM
The former Cherry Hospital dairy property remains Wayne County's top choice as the site for its proposed $12 million regional agriculture center.
The property acquisition was the topic of a Tuesday afternoon closed session of a subcommittee of the county commissioners' Agriculture Advisory Committee.
Commissioner Bill Pate, committee chairman, said he is confident that an agreement can be reached with the state for the property, which is located across Old Smithfield Road from O'Berry Center.
"The (state) Department of Agriculture is excited about the project," Pate said.
Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler has endorsed the project as well. Also, local legislators support the county's request that the state convey the property to the county as the site for the center.
The state's Open Meeting Law allows closed-door meetings to discuss property acquisition.
The county last October put up $2 million and now is working to find other funding, both public and private, for the project.
This past June, Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive and Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill filed a bill seeking a $3 million state appropriation for the project.
The bill passed its first reading and was referred to the Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee, where it remained when the session ended in August.
The $3 million would be used to help pay for the design, to develop schematic drawings and plans and for construction.
The county would retain ownership and responsibility for future operational costs of the facility.
Pate said he has spoken with staffers in U.S. Rep. George Holding's office who gave him a list of places to write grants seeking funding for the project.
Pate said the financially stymied economy will make the search for money more difficult.
The county has hired HH Architecture of Raleigh to design the center. The contract cost is being negotiated.
The 56,565-square-foot, two-story center would house the Cooperative Extension Service, Cherry Farm administration, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Wayne County Soil and Water.
It would include classrooms and an auditorium that could accommodate up to 378 people in banquet-style seating or 528 in auditorium-style seating.