Aurora Mayor Clifton E. Williams, Jr., announced some major steps in the town’s revitalization efforts, following a public announcement by State Representative Keith Kidwell at a community town hall meeting Dec. 6 in Washington.
During the town’s regularly scheduled Council meeting, Williams relayed that Kidwell had secured $2.5 million for a satellite campus of Beaufort County Community College, which will be located in the new Aurora Industrial Park. In addition, he said that Kidwell has worked with Nutrien, a phosphate mining corporation with operations in Aurora, to champion support for several initiatives, including making 26 acres available for the industrial park and additional acreage for affordable housing to support and draw new Nutrien employees to the area.
“Nutrien has stepped up to the plate,” Kidwell said in an interview following his town hall announcement. “We’ve been working with them for about a year on several projects down in Aurora. One of those is the expansion and building of the Aurora industrial park.”
Williams also noted that Nutrien has pledged its support to Beaufort County Community College, and to the local Aurora community, including its schools, and to spend more funds locally to support the town’s economic development.
“This will bring commerce and help our town grow,” Williams said.
In addition to the Nutrien announcement, Williams shared that he is working with Kidwell and the North Carolina Department of Fish and Wildlife for possible improvements to the town’s boat ramp, including raising the area four feet, dredging, and development of an overnight boat dock, restrooms, showers, and gas pumps to draw visitors to the waterfront and downtown.
“I’ve been working for seven years to put this community on a path to make this happen. This is the beginning,” an emotional Williams said. “This is what we’ve been working for.”
Submitted by Sharon Holland, Communications (Volunteer), Town of Aurora