I just cant figure out how this CSX thread keeps going back to coal ash which is totally irrelevant to this! There's always some who have something to say even when they aren't really saying anything at all. Just like all the band wagoner's that jumped on the say no to CSX wagon. Most really never had anything to do with it, it didn't directly affect them but hey here's something to protest and been seen. Those who were greedy and made such a stink and caused Four Oaks to loose CSX didn't care about growth in the county. It could have brought jobs, new schools and so much more. Soooo wonder how they will feel when I use my 14 acres for a hog farm or put in a trailer park right next to them. My first step is putting up a privacy fence with an array of colors on their side since with all their kindness and "farming" they do at midnight shining lights into my house when my kids have to be at school at 7 am!!!
I was looking at this a little more. The venue for my older son's wedding was similar to the Farm, but a nicer location. The venue was rented for three days. The first day was for the set up of the tables inside, the tents connecting, the tabled in the tents, the decorations, etc. The caterers set up the day of the wedding as was the seating and the arbor they used for the service. The following day was used for removal of the decorations and cleaning in preparation for the next use. There were apartments on site for the groomsmen and bridal party should they wish to use it for either of the nights as the party did go well into the night. The venue for the younger son was more urban and did not have the reception on site so it was only rented for two days. The day before to set up and the day of the wedding. The staff cleaned up after the ceremony and boxed the decorations for the newlyweds. Using that as a base somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 weddings would be expected as a maximum in a year. If only the $26,000.00 figure were used and all of the money were applied to workers in the county, which is not realistic but gives a basis, we have the venue bringing in $3,120,000 per year if they just do weddings. Dividing that by 200 (hundreds) we have a per person income of only $15,600.00, which is hardly a living wage. If we cut the number to only 100 the wage is more livable at $31,200.00 but leaves nothing for cost of goods, etc. for the suppliers and venue. The reality is this would probably make a good income for the owner if he maintains a level of use, but that is about it. The rest of the work force would rely on other sources of income as the primary support for them and their families.
You still have to pay for the food, sales taxes, property taxes, mortgages/loans, etc. Most florists don't grow their own flowers, so they need to pay for them. Photographers need to pay for their equipment (usually $3-10k in loans). In reality, maybe at most, half that money goes directly to the workers.
IMO, it was short-sighted to let that opportunity go by. NIMBY syndrome rears it's ugly head. I'm sure another community will be more than happy to snap up the jobs and revenue. JoCo will regret it, mark my words.
Not to mention the wedding dress, which is usually a significant line item on the cost sheet. Not many are made entirely in the area with materials produced here and even if they were it would not be by one person and they would not do all of the dresses.
https://www.wral.com/downsized-csx-cargo-hub-on-track-in-rocky-mount/17662027/ STATE NEWS Downsized CSX cargo hub on track in Rocky Mount Tags: CSX Posted 12:34 p.m. today Updated 19 minutes ago RALEIGH, N.C. — CSX Corp. is back on track with plans to build a North Carolina rail cargo hub near the Virginia state line two years after the freight railroad company announced plans and seven months after reassessing them. CSX and North Carolina officials outlined a project Thursday near Rocky Mount that would handle less than half the cargo volume than had been announced in 2016. CSX said it will invest less than previously announced, while more state money will go into site development and road construction. The latest round of state figures show Edgecombe County has the second highest unemployment rate in the state, at 7 percent. It's neighbors, Nash, Halifax and Wilson counties, are not far behind, but the Carolina Connector could change that. State and local boosters said the facility is poised to create as many as 1,300 jobs in the area as the Department of Transportation invests $118 million to develop the property and build roads. Trains have been an economic engine for Rocky Mount since the pre-Civil War days and, given its prime spot on the Eastern Seaboard, it's worthy of a "railroad intermodal" site. "I don't care what they call it, it's trains and trucks and ports interacting with each other. That's what's going to happen at the new facility," said Norris Tolson, president of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership. The Edgecombe County hub will transfer cargo containers from trucks to trains for further transport. Last November, it appeared the project would be derailed because CSX was reassessing its business model and it was unclear how Rocky Mount would fit into the company's strategy. Gov. Roy Cooper said the state kept the wheels turning. "We continued to talk to CSX during this interim time, convincing them that this indermodel hub was important to their company and to the economy of our state," Cooper said. "We've been preaching the fact that, sicne we're close to I-96 and U.S. 64, that it is a really good location to deliver goods to the ultimate customer," Tolson said. The hub was originally targeted for Johnston County, but landowner opposition led to picking the current site.
Wasn't that the rail head that was suppose to go in the Selma area but they fought it to keep some place that plays music?
yes, they switched from Selma to Rocky Mount in 2016-17, then it was put on hold for the past 2 years. now it is downsized from original plans.
