SITE Program
SITE Program supports North Carolina communities with industrial site identification, assessments, development, and shell building construction to attract businesses, enable expansion, and create jobs.
Funder: North Carolina Department of Commerce
Due Dates: February, April, June, August, October, and December (Golden LEAF Board review meetings)
Funding Amounts: Limited SITE Program funding
Summary: Golden LEAF supports North Carolina communities with industrial site identification, due diligence, development, and shell building construction to advance job creation.
Key Information: Shell buildings require publicly owned sites; Development projects must complete due diligence demonstrating site suitability.
Description
The SITE Program is a Golden LEAF Foundation initiative promoted through the North Carolina Department of Commerce. It helps communities prepare industrial sites and shell buildings to attract new businesses and support expansion by existing businesses. Support covers identifying potential sites, assessing their suitability, extending public utilities, preparing sites for development, and constructing industrial shell buildings.
Communities may enter at any of four phases: Identification, Due Diligence, Development, or Shell Building. A site can progress through these phases over time. Golden LEAF accepts applications from organizations in all North Carolina counties, while prioritizing persistently economically distressed counties and economically distressed, rural, and tobacco-dependent communities. The program is intended to complement other North Carolina site-readiness and development programs.
