Brunswick County Megasite Receives $6.275M Grant for Site Improvements to Attract New Jobs

MEDIA RELEASE

BOLIVIA, N.C. – One of North Carolina’s top megasites for industrial development will soon receive millions in state grant funds for on-site enhancements to aid future business recruitment and job opportunities. 

Brunswick Business and Industry Development (BID) will receive $6.275 million in grant funding from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) for improvements to the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park (MAIRP) Megasite located in the northern part of Brunswick County.

The funds will be used for pre-identified projects to make MAIRP more site ready for prospective industrial businesses looking to establish or relocate their services in Brunswick County and the Cape Fear Region. No match of County funds is required to receive the grant. 

“Economic development is one of the key focus areas for the Board of Commissioners,” Brunswick County Chairman Mike Forte said. “The MAIRP Megasite is an important piece in our long-term strategy to bring viable industries with good-paying jobs to Brunswick County. We appreciate the work our partners put in to receive this grant, and we are especially happy that it does not require a match of taxpayer dollars to get it.” 

MAIRP is one of two megasites located in the County and represented by Brunswick Business and Industry Development (BID), which submitted the grant application through the EDPNC’s Megasite Readiness and Selectsite Readiness programs. Brunswick BID identified improvements such as site clearing, rail bed construction, and mitigation credits for wetland protection efforts as part of its grant application.

“Brunswick BID is very proud to support the County and the MAIRP Megasite, and we are grateful to receive this state grant,” said Bill Early, Brunswick BID Executive Director. “I also want to extend our appreciation to our partners at CSX who helped us identify enhancements that would make the site more competitive both for the grant application and future economic development opportunities. We look forward to seeing these improvements come to fruition at the site.”

The EDPNC announced the grant award on Sept. 28, 2026. The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners formally gave Brunswick BID permission to start the identified improvements during its regular meeting on Oct. 5.

The MAIRP Megasite spans 1,100 acres and sits just 12 miles from Wilmington International Airport and 18 miles from the Port of Wilmington. The megasite is also connected to the port via a CSX main rail line that runs adjacent to the north side of the park. Part of the grant funds will be used to clear and grade land inside the property where railroad lines will later be built to give the industrial lots direct access to the adjacent rail service. 

Work is currently under way to construct an industrial access road into the park. Projects for a water line extension and construction of a water tank on site are also scheduled to begin. Utility services, including electricity, gas, water, and wastewater, are also readily available at the site or can be provided according to development schedules. 

These factors and more make the park one of the prime areas for large-scale development on the East Coast. Learn more about the MAIRP Megasite and other economic development initiatives through Brunswick BID at brunswickbid.com. 

-30-

Media Inquiries

Members of the media may reach out to the following contacts for inquiries.

Stay Informed

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.