By Matt Talhelm, WRAL reporter

Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — Fuquay-Varina is putting taxpayer dollars toward helping homegrown businesses expand as the town’s population explodes.

The town approved a $250,000 economic development incentive to help a local businessman build a family entertainment center on a 6-acre lot on the corner of Judd Parkway.

Bryden McCormick, a dentist, is working on a $10 million project to build a family entertainment center with a bowling alley, laser tag and arcade along N.C. Highway 55 in Fuquay-Varina.

“It felt like the right thing to do – invest in the community, keep that money here in southern Wake County,” he said.

McCormick said that the project incentive helped him decide on building the center in Fuquay-Varina instead of Holly Springs. The funds are taxpayer dollars paid out to the project developer.

Developers are eligible for the bonus if they:

• Invest $10 million in new construction at the project site before Dec. 31, 2023
• Create a minimum of 100 new full or part-time jobs before Jan. 1, 2025

Since its economic development incentive program in 2015, the town has offered $900,000 to homegrown businesses. Those funds have gone to Bob Baker Company, a manufacturer, Aviator Brewing, a brewery and The Q, a mixed-use project.

“When we do these incentives, we’re looking at what the taxpayers, the citizens can enjoy in our town and be able to return them a benefit,” according to Mayor Pro-Tempore Blake Massengill.

He said he sees the tax incentives and publish-private partnerships is the “future” of economic development.

“If you want to invest in us, we want to invest in you,” he said.