NC S169

Appropriates $3,000,000 from the General Fund to Wayne County for the 2015-2016 fiscal year to design and construct a new Wayne Regional Research and Education Agricultural Center.

The facility will serve as a central location for agricultural services in Central and Eastern North Carolina, housing the NC Cooperative Extension Service, Farm Service Agency, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and other agriculture-related entities.

The proposed 60,000-square-foot "Green Facility" is estimated to cost $11.5 million total, with Wayne County retaining ownership and responsibility for future operational costs.

The center will provide agricultural education, research opportunities, and support for agribusiness development in a region generating over $2 billion in farm receipts across six surrounding counties.

Becomes effective July 1, 2015.