Mount Airy officials voted Thursday night to sell property in a city industrial park to a company wanting to construct an office building where 30 jobs potentially could result.

An entity known as Terra Nova Legacy, a limited-liability company, recently made a direct offer to buy a 4.13-acre lot in Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park, located at the southwestern end of the city off U.S. 601.

The company is seeking to build a 4,000-square-foot office, customer service and retail facility on the property that is near the interchange of that highway and Interstate 74, close to Sheetz. Plans call for the structure to house an online/retail sales business operating primarily in the metal and steel building industry, according to documents provided to city officials.

It initially is to employ five to 10 people, with growth anticipated in the near future expected to raise that to 20 to 30 employees.

Terra Nova Legacy officials say there is also a potential for light manufacturing to be implemented down the road at the facility.

“I would describe it as a modern industrial building,” city Community Development Director Martin Collins said regarding what’s planned — based on conceptual drawings for the project — when briefing the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners on the proposed sale at a meeting Thursday.

The company offered to buy the property, which is appraised at $140,830, for $155,000.

After hearing Collins’ presentation, the commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of selling the site.

“The lot is located near the front of the industrial park,” Collins said.

Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park, which got its first occupant in 2002, became home to several plants over the years since, such as Willow Tex, Axis Dimensional Stone, Central States Manufacturing and CK Technologies. It also attracted two commercial tenants, Hall Propane and Rainbow Child Care Center.

Most recently, in May of last year, an expansion of Steel Buildings and Structures Inc. in Mount Airy was announced for another site sold in the industrial park, with a promise of more than 100 jobs.

Commissioner Shirley Brinkley asked Thursday night about the timetable for the Terra Nova Legacy facility, which Collins said hopefully will become reality within two years.

Terra Nova Legacy officials had indicated that if the company’s bid for the land was accepted, they expect to begin construction on the facility within about six months.

City Attorney Hugh Campbell said the company has requested a period of 30 days to conduct due-diligence tasks such as a title search.

“We feel that our project would be a valued and productive addition to the industrial park and look forward to working with the city of Mount Airy to fulfill our vision,” says a statement from Terra Nova Legacy.