Rock Hill to have a clone town in New Mexico

ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV) - Main Street in Rock Hill is to be duplicated down to the smallest detail - 1,480 miles away in the deserts of New Mexico.

Rock Hill City manager David Vehaun didn't even know where the town of Hobbs New Mexico was until Tuesday.

"It's pretty unusual that's for sure," said Vehaun.

Tuesday through a press release, he heard for the first time a company named Pegasus Global Holdings chose the city of Rock Hill to clone for an experiment.

Pegasus Global Holdings plans to construct a 15 square mile scientific ghost town near Hobbs New Mexico. Modeled after Rock Hill complete with highways

"If you look at the map there's Dave Lyle winding through town – There's Highway 161 on the northern portion," said Vehaun looking at a proposed map of the clone town.

Also houses and commercial buildings will be built there, the thing is no one will live there.

The whole idea is to test everything from intelligent traffic systems, wireless networks to automated washing machines and self-flushing toilets acoording to a press release from Pegasus Global Holdings.

"There's many, many cities out there that look like Rock Hill, those are going to be their clients those are the communities they're going to serve," said Vehaun.

Vehaun says it wasn't just the map that was the selling point it also was Rock Hill's wireless technology advances. For example, how the city uses wireless technology to check water meters, and electric meter boxes is much like what they will be experimenting with out in Hobbs.

Vehaun says not being told earlier Rock Hill was going to be cloned for an experiment isn't an insult it's an honor.

"We were a good fit for them," said Vehaun. "If I were to build a community Rock Hill is the one I'd base it on."

The foot print for the ghost town is based on Rock Hill, but not everything will be the same. For instance the Rock Hill Airport is on the Northwest side of town on the Clone town map the airport is on the South East part of town. Also instead of a velodrome they've put a soccer stadium in the rendering.

Pegasus Global plans to break ground on the clone town by June 30^th and the project cost will be $1 billion.

To see the press release or what the ghost town will look like go to: http://www.pegasusglobalholdings.com/press-releases/testing-and-evaluation-center-a-reality.html

Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iDVcdxzJmo.