Caldwell County repurposes former corporate building as emergency operations complex, says no local funds used

Caldwell County is converting a former corporate facility at 240 Pleasant Hill Road into a government and emergency operations complex, county manager Shane Fox told the Board of Commissioners at the April 27 meeting, saying the purchase and renovation are funded with state appropriations and no local tax dollars have been used.

"No local money will go into this building. No local money has gone into this building to this point," Fox said, outlining the county’s Nov. 25, 2025 acquisition of the 36,252-square-foot structure and associated 20.5 acres. Fox estimated the combined purchase and renovation cost at roughly $6 million, about $187 per square foot, with the purchase price recorded at $4.78 million.

Fox described a multi-department plan: upstairs space for central administration (HR, finance and county administration) and public-safety offices for emergency management and the fire marshal; downstairs for IT, the 911 communications center and state agency partners, including the Western regional office of North Carolina Emergency Management. Fox said state agencies already began moving in and that work to relocate 911 equipment has a longer lead time.

The county acquired the building with funds appropriated in the 2021 state budget. Fox and commissioners emphasized that those appropriated state funds are covering the purchase and renovations to date and that staff will seek additional state 911 funds to offset local tax impacts as remaining work proceeds.

The facility will include secured areas for 911 operations and a graded helipad, Fox said, and was selected after a cost estimate for a new standalone facility rose to about $50 million. The renovated building, Fox said, offers a more efficient footprint and the chance to co-locate county and state emergency functions without issuing local debt for the acquisition.

County leaders told the board they expect most departments to move into the new complex by June 1, 2026, while the 911 move will take additional time because of technical and equipment lead times. The board highlighted the presence of the state Western Emergency Management office as a local asset for responding to regional disasters.

Speakers quoted in this article are Shane Fox, county manager, and commissioners present at the April 27 meeting.