Harnett County will direct its $500,000 award toward the Byrd Industrial Sites in Lillington. The project focuses on an 83-acre tract, where engineering work and road grading will create essential access for rail-reliant manufacturers. According to economic development director Stephen Barrington, the investment positions the county within a highly competitive segment of the market for industrial prospects.

Simultaneously, Greensboro received an identical $500,000 grant to ready 132 acres at the Reedy Fork Industrial Site near Summit Avenue. The funds will cover clearing and grading across five tracts, intended to provide prospective employers with greater site certainty. NCRR president Carl Warren noted that providing resources before specific projects arrive is a strategic necessity for local economic competitiveness.

The North Carolina Railroad Company has also launched the next application cycle for the program as of September 8, 2026. Interested organizations have until October 2, 2026, to submit proposals for site development projects that leverage the state's 317-mile rail corridor.