Actions taken at the July 26 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners

During its July 26 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners:

• Voted unanimously to lease and then sell the county’s 65-acre Skyland property, which includes a 405,108 square-foot building, to Canadian-based auto-parts manufacturer Linamar. The county purchased the property for $7 million in June; Linamar has agreed to pay the county $8 million for the lease and subsequent purchase.

• Voted unanimously to offer Linamar $10 million in economic incentive grants on the condition that the company invests $125 million in to its Skyland facility and creates at least 400 full-time jobs, with the average wage totaling $39,000 per year – about $5,000 more than the county’s current annual average. Those grants would be subject to recapture, however, if the company doesn’t fulfill its employment and investment obligations by December 31, 2020.

We’ll have a more detailed report in the August 3 issue of Xpress.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.