THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 18, 1994 TAG: 9410180308
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WANCHESE LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Top Fin seafood company wants to lease another lot at North Carolina's Seafood Industrial Park and Harbor Welding Inc. wants to construct two additional buildings at the state-owned facility on Roanoke Island, Seafood Park Director Rodney W. Perry said Monday.
Eight of the N.C. Seafood Park Authority's 11 members met Monday at the $8.1 million Wanchese waterfront site.
The group unanimously approved plans for Top Fin to lease a second lot. Top Fin has been operating out of the Seafood Park for almost a year. If the Council of State accepts the Seafood Park's recommendations to lease the additional land next month, Top Fin will rent an additional 100- by 250-foot lot by December. The additional land will give the seafood-distributing company a total of 400 feet of waterfront dock space.
The additional lease will provide the park authority about $6,500 more rent annually.
Currently, the 13-year-old seafood park is about 40 percent full.
``Plans call for additional boat slips and docks at Top Fin now,'' Perry said. ``In the future, Top Fin may expand its retail seafood market and, maybe, even build a restaurant.''
Harbor Welding is one of the Seafood Park's oldest tenants. This winter, Perry said, business owners hope to construct two additionalbuildings on their leased lot. The 20- by 80-foot and 16- by 30-foot structures will not provide any additional income to the state authority.
In other business Monday, the Seafood Park Authority:
Authorized its director to ask the N.C. Commerce Department for at least $85,000 to repair and extend a bulkhead at the park's waterfront ship lift. Coastal Ready Mix wants to lease that land for about $24,000 a year. But the business cannot begin operating until the park improves the site. ``If we get the money, it could take up to a year to get these repairs done,'' Perry said. ``Coastal Ready Mix is ready to move in as soon as we're finished. It would be necessary to make these repairs to make this property leasable to almost anyone. I plan to talk to the Commerce Department this week.''
Initiated a new policy under which perspective tenants must pay one month's lease in advance before the Seafood Park Authority even discusses their leasing application. ``All we're trying to do is get some earnest money,'' Perry said. ``If they move into the park, that deposit will go toward their first month's rent. We're just trying to get a prior commitment from people.''
Announced that North Carolina Power plans to publish about 1,000 brochures promoting the state's Seafood Industrial Park. The power company, which installed electricity at the state-owned facility, will pay for printing to help attract businesses to the site. The park authority will finance mailing. by CNB