Commissioners, Toyota officials to discuss proposed wind tunnel project at meeting Monday

By Mark Wineka

Salisbury Post

Economic development officials have labeled it "Project Kaze."

"Kaze," pronounced KAH-say, is the Japanese word for "wind" and refers to the potential location of a motorsports-related wind tunnel in Rowan County.

A few more bits of information have emerged about the wind tunnel project in advance of Monday's meeting of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.

Randy Harrell, executive director of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, asked in an e-mail Tuesday that "Project Kaze" be placed on the commissioners' agenda.

In the e-mail, Harrell said he will be joined at Monday's meeting by company officials and a consultant.

Harrell will make introductions, followed by a PowerPoint presentation from the company detailing specifics behind the project.

"The company is considering Rowan County as a location to build a new facility," Harrell said in his e-mail. "The anticipated capital investment of the project is $63 million-plus. The company will initially create 29 jobs with annual salaries ranging from $52,000 to $230,000, with a corresponding payroll of $2.2 million annually."

Harrell said the average salary per job will be $75,000.

"As you can see," Harrell said, "it exceeds the average hourly wage in Rowan County."

Harrell said the consultant will be providing information to commissioners in advance — probably in an electronic mailing late Friday.

After Monday's presentation, Harrell will be asking commissioners to set a public hearing for Sept. 4 to approve an investment grant (incentives package).

The wind tunnel company apparently is interested in a parcel of land that's part of the 89-acre tract recently purchased by Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

TRD plans to break ground on a $28 million, 33,000-square-foot chassis engineering facility on its Peach Orchard Road site. The facility could be operational by mid to late 2008. It will employ about 40 people, most of whom already work for TRD.

TRD officials have said they plan to keep about half of the Peach Orchard Road property and sell off the remaining acreage to other companies, possibly racing related.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263, or mwineka@salisburypost.com.