I-77 megasite ready to attract a buyer

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A 1,500-acre tract of land that state officials hope will attract a major manufacturer and thousands of jobs to an area of the state hard hit by job losses is now ready for potential buyers to take a closer look.

The I-77 International Megasite, located about 20 miles north of Columbia in Fairfield County and first announced in August, is now being actively marketed. The site features more than 9 million square feet in its master plan, along with an electrical substation, a rail spur and a million-gallon water tank.

It is designed for use by a single occupant such as a large automotive supplier which could bring more than 2,000 jobs and benefit from interstate access, airports in Columbia and Charlotte and the Port of Charleston, according to news release from the S.C. I-77 Alliance, which markets the site for Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Richland and York counties.

“The International Megasite is ready to represent the next chapter in the Palmetto State’s record of building a major presence in the transportation manufacturing space, including automotive and aerospace,” S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said in a news release. “When this property is a thriving workplace, the benefits will be felt across South Carolina.”

The site is located just past Exit 34 off I-77 near Winnsboro, a town devastated by the 2017 closing of a textile company and the abandonment of a nuclear reactor project at the V.C. Summer power station in Fairfield County. A labor force of nearly 850,000 people, along with more than 20 vocational and training opportunities, are within an hour’s drive from the site, according to the release.

“Competitive incentives, a ready and willing workforce and proximity to Charlotte and Columbia — both known for their outstanding lifestyle, entertainment and educational opportunities — is going to make this a great home for a world-class manufacturer,” Rich Fletcher, president and CEO of the S.C. I-77 Alliance, said.

Infrastructure details, along with information about incentives such as state corporate tax credits, can be found at www.i77megasite.com.

“The work to attract that one mega-manufacturer for our megasite is now officially underway,” Ty Davenport, director of Fairfield County Economic Development, said. “We’re thrilled about the potential impact this industrial development will have on our community and beyond.”