Alamance County Seeks EMS Base Bids Before Land Swap Closes

Alamance County commissioners authorized construction bids for a new EMS ambulance base near Mebane even though the county does not yet hold title to the land where officials plan to build it.

The intended site sits near Smith Drive and the NC 119 Bypass and would come to the county through a proposed land swap with the Koury Corporation, a Greensboro developer. Under the arrangement, Koury would receive a county-owned 1.68-acre parcel on South Third Street in exchange for a 2.58-acre tract along NC 119 that the county wants for the ambulance base. As of the April 9 commissioners meeting, the South Third Street property remained in the county's name.

Assistant County Manager Brian Baker recommended authorizing the bidding process anyway, arguing that soliciting bids now would keep the project on schedule and allow the county to have a contractor ready to move once the swap is finalized. Any construction contract award would be contingent on the land deal closing before the county transfers the South Third Street parcel.

The swap has been in motion for nearly two years. Koury first proposed the exchange to secure access to a larger development footprint: the South Third Street lot would serve as an entry point for an 88-acre mixed-use project the Mebane City Council approved through rezoning in late 2024. When commissioners initially approved the land exchange, they required Koury to acquire the NC 119 parcel before the county would convey its South Third Street property, a safeguard designed to prevent the county from surrendering land without a guaranteed return.

That condition remains in place, which means the county is now soliciting bids on a site it cannot legally occupy until a private developer completes a separate transaction. If the swap collapses, the county would face the task of identifying and securing an alternative location while potentially renegotiating terms with any contractors already engaged.

The urgency stems from sustained growth pressure across eastern Alamance County. The Mebane corridor has absorbed considerable residential and commercial expansion in recent years, stretching EMS response times and increasing demand on existing stations. A permanent ambulance base near NC 119 would position crews closer to one of the county's fastest-developing areas.

By soliciting bids now rather than waiting for the land deal to close, the county is betting that Koury's acquisition timeline will align with a viable construction start, and that months saved in procurement will outweigh the exposure of building a contractor selection around property the county does not yet own.