Evans County, by way of the Economic Development Authority, is slated to consider a $22,900 study and development plan in anticipation of the Hyundai metaplant coming to Bryan County. The new plant will be roughly thirty miles from the City of Claxton.
County Commissioners in Evans County plan hold a special-called meeting on December 1 to discuss the possibility of commissioning a Growth Management Plan, according to the agenda released this week.
The contract calls for a partnership with the Economic Development Authority of Claxton & Evans County and the Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research (CBAER) at Georgia Southern University. A November 7 letter to EDA Director Adam Kennedy suggests that the new site location will ‘catalyze development that will influence the Claxton/Evans County area’ and new opportunities for business will arise. As such, an analysis and revision of plans for housing, new retail and customer facing service businesses, industrial development, and physical infrastructure needs is necessary, the report says.
If the $22,900 analysis and plan development is approved, CBAER would:
- conduct a literature review that highlights the strategies that have been used to manage growth in similar communities across the US
- develop a list of comparison communities that are geographically close to but not hosting new large automobile plants in the southeast.
- gather secondary data to estimate the potential for growth in Evans County based on variables such as population, employment, labor force, and establishments
- work with the Economic Development Authority of Claxton & Evans County to select local community interviews to interview, discussing the potential growth and how this may impact their operations.
- the feedback on this item will be used to inform the development of the action items and the next steps list for the community to follow
- combine the information above into a final report with next steps and action items for the EDA and the stakeholders
$11,450 would be due up front with the additional $11,450 due when the study and analysis is complete. The timeline for expected completion is 21 weeks.
You can read the full letter below.
Hyundai’s metaplant is expected to employ 8,100 people beginning in 2025. Just last week, the company announced a secondary plant in Bryan County which is expected to employ an additional 1,500 people. Numerous other economic development projects have been announced in recent weeks, including one in Bulloch County. which will work as a supplier for Bryan County’s new operations.
