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The project would be one of the largest in county history, with an investment of about $750 million.
Flagler County is on the radar of an undisclosed manufacturing company, which has plans for an economic development project that could bring a of total 1,200 jobs and $750 million investment to the community.
County Administrator Heidi Petito announced the project to the media during an interview on March 27, saying Flagler County is one of three finalists.
It’s one of four economic development projects currently considering Flagler County or Palm Coast. The other three are as follows:
Project Magellan, with a $500 million investment, none of it residential, west of U.S. 1, yielding about $20 million of annual tax revenue to the community;
Belvedere Terminals is proposing a $75 million terminal to store 300,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel at Peavy Grade and the railroad tracks, yielding about $800,000 in property taxes to the community;
A sports complex, which would be a public-private partnership between Synergy and the county, in northwest Palm Coast, yielding approximately $500,000 in sales tax revenue to the community.
The news about Project X-Ray is preliminary.
State law allows companies to keep their identities confidential during the early stages of development, allowing them to avoid revealing plans to potential competitors.
The location of Project X-Ray would be just south of Finn Way, on Flagler Executive Airport Property. Petito described it as “advanced manufacturing,” and “clean.”
The company is meeting the Florida Department of Commerce as well as with Space Florida, a group that promotes “sustainable aerospace commerce,” and boasts a $5.9 billion economic impact since 2007.
The company is based outside of Florida, and is also considering Jacksonville and Seminole County, Petito said. The final decision will be made at the end of April.
The project would be in two phases:
Phase 1 would be 660,000 square feet of manufacturing, adding 600 jobs and $350 million in investment;
Phase 2 would be 800,000 more square feet of manufacturing two years later, adding another 600 jobs, at a $400 million investment.
Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston sees even the possibility of landing Project X-Ray is a good sign.
"Investors are choosing Flagler County — our community — to invest here," she said.
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