Conover to consider manufacturing center contract

Conover will look to approve a lease agreement and contract tonight related to the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC).

Conover City Council will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight to consider approval of a lease agreement between the city and Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), in addition to a contract with MSC.

MSC is currently located on CVCC’s East Campus. Employing about 36 full- and part-time workers, MSC works with companies around the world to develop and improve their products.  

The city has planned to build MSC a new home at Conover Station for several years, and now, city officials say they are ready to approve paperwork.

According to city officials, Conover will build a 30,000-square-foot building that they will lease to CVCC. The college will provide the space for the solutions center.

The city is financing the project mostly through about $2.5 million in grants from the U.S. and N.C. departments of commerce. The lowest bid for the building is about $2.7 million, according to the city.  

If the city approves the lease agreements and contracts, the U.S. Department of Commerce will also have to sign off before construction can begin.