NC S810

Creates the North Carolina Workgroup on Economic Development for Distressed Communities consisting of 11 members appointed by legislative leadership and the Secretary of Commerce to study and recommend economic development strategies for distressed communities by March 1, 2017.

Requires nonprofit corporations contracted by the Department of Commerce to provide annual reports including jobs anticipated, developed performance metrics by county and development tier, detailed marketing plans, and progress measurement criteria.

Mandates that the Department of Commerce place at least one employee from the Rural Economic Development Division Main Street and Rural Planning Center in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone office to assist communities with economic development strategic planning, downtown revitalization, and technical support.

Requires the Workgroup to examine economic development programs from other states and entities, evaluate their effectiveness, and create a measurement plan with goals and action steps to reduce economic distress in North Carolina.