The North Country has its first EB-5 regional center, a move that could bring new, foreign investment to the North Country, including about 200 new jobs around Campton.
The new Invest New Hampshire Regional Center in Campton is the first to cover Grafton, Coos and Carroll Counties.
Under thefederal EB-5 immigration programforeigners who invest $500,000 in an approved business will receive a green card allowing them and their families to live in the United States.
The projects are required to provide a specified number of jobs.
The first project for the Campton-based center will a $14 million upgrade of the Owl’s Nest Resort & Golf Club in Campton, says Kelly Wieser, the manager of the Center, which was approved Monday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The plan calls for $10.5 million of that $14 million to come from 21 EB-5 investors.
“It is going to create a lot of new jobs in the area, somewhere in the range of 212 or more.”
Wieser said wide-scale improvements will include upgrading the current golf course, building a new one, adding a welcome center and infrastructure updates.
Once the Owl’s Nest project is funded and underway the center can consider requests from other North Country businesses.
Wieser said she’s had a representative in China for two years seeking investors, pending the approval of the center.
Wieser’s father, Tom Mullen, is an owner of the Owl’s Nest.