County leaders are banking on a new 30,000- to 40,000-square-foot shell building to attract new business to the area.

The county will build a new building in the industrial park off U.S. 70 East to replace the former shell building that is home to West Pharmaceutical Services. If all goes well, construction could begin in early summer.

“Electrolux, Hillco, Masterbrand -- they decided to move here because of the shell building,” Mark Pope, Lenoir County economic development director, said.

Pope said businesses looking for a place to move want a building that’s ready. “They don’t have time to build a new facility,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of clients want buildings. We lose clients when we don’t have buildings.”

Even though Lenoir County’s last shell building sat empty for six years, it attracted the attention of many companies that would not have visited here otherwise, Pope said. Shell buildings typically sit empty for an average of six to eight years.

West Pharmaceutical moved into that building after an explosion destroyed its former plant. The company paid $2.2 million for the facility, about the price of its construction.

The new shell will be expandable to 80,000 square feet, and will be complete with sewer and power lines. Water lines will not be laid until the county knows which company will occupy the building, and what its water needs will be.

At that time, the building would be completed by adding offices, loading docks and other features needed by specific companies.

The county has not yet advertised for bids on the building.

One site under consideration is near Smithfield Packing, and contains 10.5 acres. The price would be $18,500 an acre, or about $185,000. Pope expects building costs will be about $1.2 to $1.3 million.

“We’re looking at other sites, too,” Pope said. “We want to pick out the best site and there may be another one.”

The North Carolina Eastern Region has offered financing for the project, with interest rates at about 3.5 percent, or half the prime rate. The final rate will be determined when financing documents are signed.

The county will look to the city for a partnership in the building, which will be within an area annexed by Kinston.

“Maybe they can provide utilities, water hookup,” Pope said. “This will be a team effort with the community, the Committee of 100. We’ll probably pursue some other grant funding. The community is behind it. There’s a lot of enthusiasm. We need this right now. The key is that most companies are looking for existing buildings now.”

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