Moulder: park not ideal for economic offices

Oconee’s Information and Technology Park on highway 11 may be ideal for education facilities and new industry, but not for offices for the Economic Alliance.  Scott Moulder, county administrator, told the council’s budget committee that he and staff can’t justify the county getting a $2.5 million benefit—the amlunt estimated that it would take to build officers at the park for the county’s arm of economic development.  Moulder held out the possibility that the park might be suited for an auditorium for meetings, but the offices that the Economic Alliance rents on 123 Seneca By-Pass are situated to give prospects a good feeling because the busy by-pass is a sign that things are happening in the county.  Moulder suggested the highway 11 is too quiet of an area, at least for now.  District Four’s Joel Thrift says he doesn’t want the Economic Alliance staff to have to move to an area they don’t want to be in.  Still, Thrift said, monthly rent on the alliance’s current office is $1,200 dollars.  But Moulder says that doesn’t amount to much compared to $2.5 million.