Industrial park gets new name and road may follow

An industrial park at Seneca that is a joint venture by city and county governments has a new name.  What could follow is an entrance road that the county’s economic development recruiter believes is a must to open 100-plus acres for potential development.  At a meeting Friday, officials of Oconee Economic Alliance announced that what had been called the Pro Pex property and the Seneca Rail Site is now Seneca Rail Park.  Richard Blackwell told the alliance board of directors that a former textile plant building on the property has been filled with tenants by the city of Seneca.  Now attention is turning to 111 acres there owned by Oconee County.  An engineering assessment determined it will take $710 thousand dollars to build, sign and landscape the road.  Blackwell announced the approval of a grant from the “Site Readiness Fund” of the South Carolina Power Team and Santee Cooper.  It’s a grant requiring a 50% match, but Blackwell has identified three potential matching sources.  Oconee’s State “C” Fund Committee approved $70 thousand dollars; the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative Board approved $100 thousand dollars; and, provided Oconee County Council approves, Blackwell has his eyes on $185 thousand dollars of Oconee County funds generated from reimbursements from site certification thru the state Department of Commerce and with the monies from tree harvesting at the county Information and Technology Park on highway 11.  Blackwell says he will take the funding proposal to a June meeting of the county Planning and Economic Development Committee.