HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Morrisville faces the same challenge dogging successful communities across America: housing its essential workers. With high median home prices, municipal leaders are taking creative approaches to ensure essential workers can afford to live where they serve. Town Center development will include some smaller residential units to keep costs down, and future phases will target residents earning potentially 60 to 80 percent of the area median income. The town is also launching a rental assistance program for municipal employees, county workers, and schoolteachers. The housing strategy is directly connected to workforce development. Wake Technical Community College operates a campus in Morrisville, while relationships with nearby colleges and universities create job pathways. Local high schools including Panther Creek, Green Hope, and Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies maintain active business partnerships, and Morrisville High school is scheduled to open in 2027. “We’re trying to introduce students to different companies by having professionals speak at schools,” Mayor Cawley said.The town council regularly attends graduation ceremonies, reinforcing relationships that help retain young talent in the community. INNOVATION HUB TAKES SHAPE Morrisville’s economic development strategy targets five sectors: biotechnology, business and financial services, advanced manufacturing, clean technology, and information technology. Three major recent announcements demonstrate how this focused approach is working. Forge Battery is the biggest prize, with a $165 million initial investment expanding to $240 million after securing $100 million in federal funding from the Department of Energy.The Colorado-based company will manufacture lithium-ion battery cells for defense, aerospace, and specialty electric vehicle markets at a Morrisville Gigafactory capable of producing three 126 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10
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