OPPORTUNITIES: Jobs, Investments, Volunteering

Edenton and Chowan County are the exception:  The downtown is alive, jobs are available; and housing and living cost are below state and national averages.

Developers are looking to bring a Senior Living Community to town, as well as an additional grocery store and there is demand for new or renovated single-family housing.

Local businesses are expanding: Regulator Marine has significantly added production area, as has Jimbo’s Jumbos (peanut processing) and Colony Tire has a new large facility under construction.  Daedalus Boats, a high tech manufacturer of an 80′ catamaran is developing cutting edge eco-friendly technologies for cruising the globe in a factory they occupied recently in the Partnership’s Industrial Park near the 7,000′ runway airport.

To meet the growing needs of Edenton and Chowan County, the Partnership is helping recruit employees, investors in commercial or residential properties and volunteers interested in supporting schools, hospital and the numerous historical sites that make Edenton a special place to live with a lifestyle not found in other places.

Opportunity Zone

A recent UNC posting reports the new “… Opportunity Zone (OZ) program was created as a part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.  An overview of the program previously posted on the CED blog can be found here. On May 18, 2018 the US Secretary of Treasury certified 252 census tracts in North Carolina as OZs.  The designation of OZs allows investors to gain tax benefits through investment in business activities – including real estate – in the certified zones.

Qualified Opportunity Zone Tracts

To be eligible for OZ designation, a census tract must be a low-income tract under the New Markets Tax Credit criteria or through the Contiguous Tract rule created by the OZ program.  The Contiguous Tract rule allows for non-low-income census tracts to be designated as an OZ as long as the tract’s median family income “does not exceed 125 percent of the low-income community with which the tract is contiguous”

Many census tracts outside of the downtown area in Chowan County qualify.  The Partnership’s Executive Director can provide additional information, but here is a rough map of the area included:

INVESTMENT Opportunities

Looking for office, retail, factory or warehouse space? Contact the Partnership’s Executive Director, info@edenton.net or (252) 482-2007, and we’ll provide information about our Industrial Parks, as well as privately-owned properties within Chowan County.

They range from office space, retail space on Braod Street (our Main Street), to very large warehouse buildings, heavy industrial river frontage or parcels with highway, airport or waterway access.  Large areas for development exist within the new federal tax law’s Opportunity Zone within Chowan County.

Developers interested in pocket-neighborhood development, senior living facilities, apartments or condominium will find our Executive Director has the information or will put you in touch with the right folks.

Local realtors also know of great opportunities around the county.

JOB Opportunities

These Chowan County employers are looking for good employees:

Albemarle Boats: The Carolina Classic

College of Albemarle

Colony Tire

Daedalus Yachts

Edenton Chowan Schools

Jimbo’s Jumbos Peanuts

Olam Edible Nuts

Regulator Marine

Steven Towing (tugs & barges)

ECU Health – Chowan Hospital

Waff Contracting, Inc.

Employers seeking good employees, click the sign-up button to open an account or add a new job listing on the College of the Albemarle’s web site. Job seekers can review jobs available here.

VOLUNTEERING Opportunities

A great way to become fully engaged in Edenton is to volunteer with local churches, the hospital, library, schools or with the many historical and civic organizations.  Not to mention that every now and then, a little help is needed with the Lemonade stand.
Contact these folks to learn more about their opportunities.

Barker House Welcome Center – open 7 days a week, volunteers, supported by a small paid staff, greet visitors and answer questions about the home of Penelope Barker, leader of the first political action by women, the Town Trolley, the Historic Chowan County Jail and (the most recently added site) the Oldest House in North Carolina (open only for academic research).

The Cupola House & Gardens – open on weekends and special occasions, volunteers do everything without paid staff support ranging from weeding the gardens, a big job, to researching the structure and previous residents of this 1758 colonial structure, restored to its original condition, colors and materials.

Historic Edenton State Historic Sites – This NC State-operated group of Edenton sites has paid staff supported by volunteers greeting visitors at the Iredell House, the 1767 Historic Courthouse (the oldest in-use courthouse in America), the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse (one of the last remaining screwpile lighthouses) and supports the operations of the Town Trolley Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

ECU Health- Chowan Hospital at Edenton – Volunteers fill a variety of roles, from interacting with patients to helping families find their way around the hospital. Some volunteers use their skills and training to assist with administrative work or serve as lab assistants or nursing aides.

Edenton-Chowan Schools – Volunteers undergo a background check and then work in a variety of areas within the county’s school system.   From Book Buddies (a reading program) to helping with coaching, and many more, all talents are needed.

Chowan Arts Council – Locally known as CAC, welcomes volunteers willing to assist the CAC in day-to-day operations.  You do not have to be an artist, just a lover of art. Stop in or give us a call at 252-482-8005. Volunteers are the heart of our existence!

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