Since 2001, North Carolina has offered an official Certified Sites program to provide a statewide inventory of industrial sites that have undergone a rigorous prequalification process to ensure they are “shovel ready” for immediate development and meet a consistent set of standards.
A Certified Site reduces the risks associated with development by providing detailed information about a site, including price and availability, utilities, access, environmental concerns and potential development costs. Sites are periodically re-certified to ensure accurate, reliable data.
Here is a list of current Certified Sites in North Carolina:
To obtain the Certified Sites designation, communities must undergo a stringent review process that demonstrates they’ve addressed 31 prerequisites, including:
All documentation for the Steering Committee to review must be submitted three weeks prior to the meeting of the Steering Committee. The Certified Sites Steering Committee generally meets on the fourth Wednesday of every other month of the year, starting in February. Below is a calendar of meetings for 2021:
Wednesday, February 24 (February 3 for documentation)
Wednesday, April 28 (April 7 for documentation)
Wednesday, June 23 (June 2 for documentation)
Wednesday, August 25 (August 4 for documentation)
Wednesday, October 27 (October 6 for documentation)
Wednesday, December 22 (December 1 for documentation)
Click here for a complete copy of the N.C. Certified Sites Program guidelines.
Visit our Available Sites & Data page under All Filters and then Property Assets to search North Carolina’s current inventory of Certified Sites.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Certified Sites Program can be found by contacting the Certified Sites Program Coordinator.
For more information about the Certified Sites Program, contact:
Will Best
Certified Sites Program Coordinator
North Carolina Department of Commerce
(984) 365-0298
