BY KARISSA MILLER
Iredell County commissioners on Tuesday held a public hearing and then approved a $46,547 economic development incentive for a strategic race alliance company called VICCI Inc.
VICCI Inc. is an alliance between Riley Motorsports in Mooresville and Kellymoss Motorsports in Wisconsin that is considering investing up to $3.05 million in real property and new machinery and equipment.
The company plans to purchase a 157,000-square-foot building in Mooresville, with the full investment made by December 21, 2027.
Riley currently employs 46 people in Mooresville. Kellymoss is looking to create 11 jobs in the near future and a total of 22 new jobs. The average wage of those jobs will be in excess of $80,000 a year.
The incentive would be paid in the form of a partial property tax rebate over a five-year period.
Regional farmers market plan approved
During the pre-agenda briefing, Project Manager David Saleeby presented the schematic design and pricing for the Regional Farmers Market and expanded parking area planned for the Iredell County Fairgrounds.
Following the presentation, the board approved the “full build out” by consensus. The approved plan includes an enclosed market design of the farmers market with expanded parking (up to 775 parking spaces) and to add some additional electrical power outlets. The power outlets will be bid out as alternates.
Commissioners asked to add some more restrooms to the design. Estimates will be brought back to the board for approval.
Saleeby shared the following price summary with commissioners:
Full Build Project Estimates Summary
♦ Closed Market (with Roof Pop-Up): $5,225,898
♦ Market Site Work: $1,534,878
♦ Concessions Equipment Allowance: $144,388
♦ Parking Lot Site Work (A, B and C): $4,988,938
Total: $11,894,102
“This is preliminary pricing or estimates — the best we can do. There’s nothing we can do until bid day, but we try and get good market estimates,” Saleeby told the board.
The board plans to use the $10 million state appropriation the county received for the project. That would leave a balance of nearly $1.8 million, plus contingency (which cannot be state grant funds).
County Manager Beth Milton said that the county has $6 million in the Capital Improvement Budget to cover the balance of the cost.
Milton told the board that the farmers market space will not be a place where someone leaves items for an extended period of time. She said the county plans to use it as a “multipurpose facility,” which could include a site for early voting and other community needs.
The timeline to get the fairgrounds project out for bid is March or April of 2026, with site working beginning soon after that.
“We hope to have gravel down by 2026. As soon as the fair is over with, the farmers market site work begins and have it in by early to mid or early July — with a grand opening in 2027,” Saleeby said.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board approved a request to write off uncollected balances in the amount of $5,396.20 from the Health Department. The majority of that is the maternal health clinic.
“Once we start care, we cannot stop seeing them even if they aren’t paying us,” said Public Health Director of Finance and Administration Jessica Ridgway.
The board also approved:
♦ A request from the Finance Department for a three-year lease for the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Forest Service Department. This would provide the County with a monthly revenue of $435 for an annual revenue of $5,220.
♦ A request from Finance for approval of a Budget Amendment in amount of $221,915 to appropriate E911 Reconsideration funds to replace a voice logging recorder and cover the cost of recorder maintenance as approved by the NC 911 Board.