Charlotte area "ring cities"

[Nick2]

Those photos make me want to go for a stroll there because it looks so idyllic. I don't think I've ever actually just walked around downtown Concord.

[KJHburg]

Just now, Nick2 said:

Those photos make me want to go for a stroll there because it looks so idyllic. I don't think I've ever actually just walked around downtown Concord.

It is really nice and the residential street north of downtown N Union is beautiful as are the blocks south of town on S Union.  Union St is the main drag downtown. That Cuban restaurant is great and so is Union St Bistro

[KJHburg]

Mooresville continues to boom. This is a new class A headquarters office building for Blue Harbor Bank in Morrison Plantation.   Lots of construction everywhere in town.  Langtree a few things but I don't see any of the promised hotels started. 

[rancenc]

Large development under construction in the Lake Norman area in the community of Sherrills Ford!

https://www.thevillageatsherrillsford.com/about

[Exile]

18 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Mooresville continues to boom. This is a new class A headquarters office building for Blue Harbor Bank in Morrison Plantation.   Lots of construction everywhere in town.  Langtree a few things but I don't see any of the promised hotels started. 

It's booming way past capacity, unfortunately. We originally wanted to buy a house in or near Mooresville, but the traffic up there seemed so bad (I'm not thinking of I-77) that we opted for Concord instead. Cheaper prices didn't hurt, of course; but given the traffic issues we experienced there, we wouldn't have bought in Mooresville even if the prices had been the same. And that's with I-85 construction creating bail-out traffic issues in Concord.

[Cadi40]

1 hour ago, Exile said:

It's booming way past capacity, unfortunately. We originally wanted to buy a house in or near Mooresville, but the traffic up there seemed so bad (I'm not thinking of I-77) that we opted for Concord instead. Cheaper prices didn't hurt, of course; but given the traffic issues we experienced there, we wouldn't have bought in Mooresville even if the prices had been the same. And that's with I-85 construction creating bail-out traffic issues in Concord.

Nowadays anywhere in the surrounding Charlotte counties traffic is increasing along with development and population. 

[jednc]

20 hours ago, rancenc said:

Large development under construction in the Lake Norman area in the community of Sherrills Ford!

https://www.thevillageatsherrillsford.com/about

That web site says expect development to start in Spring......2015.

[KJHburg]

^^^The Publix at Sherrills Ford is opening next week there.

In terms of Mooresville traffic one problem there (and the very attraction itself) is the Lake.  With only one bridge crossing in southern Iredell County to the west and just 2 roads going south to Meck (I-77 and NC 115) the lake makes a giant obstacle.  Concord and Cabarrus County have multiple roads into Mecklenburg.  I own property in both and my friends in Mooresville would tell you that even Kim Jong Un's rockets couldn't  blast them out of that area.    There is also somewhat of a traffic problem coming into Meck from Gaston with just 4 bridge crossings. The beauty of this entire region is that we have so many choices for places to live intown, small towns and suburbs, lake resort areas, and really small towns etc.  

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Indoor skydiving place coming soon to Concord Mills area.  Not sure why this is news as it was announced a year ago and honestly I thought the project had died but it is indeed alive again.  Next to the furniture store there fronting I-85.  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/02/12/indoor-skydiving-coming-to-charlotte-market.html?ana=e_ae_set2&s=article_du&ed=2018-02-12&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1518468636&j=79960671

[Exile]

On 2/11/2018 at 3:27 PM, KJHburg said:

... my friends in Mooresville would tell you that even Kim Jong Un's rockets couldn't  blast them out of that area. .. 

 

I get that--it's a beautiful area to live in. I would undoubtedly say the same if I were already living there.

[KJHburg]

Mooresville and the US Olympics   Mooresville is home to the bobsled maker for the US team!  Right here in Race City USA https://www.ncfieldfamily.org/nc-living/north-carolina-bobsled-maker-goes-gold/

[KJHburg]

NC announced 3 new manufacturing projects in rural areas of the state (which is  great for I want our rural areas to be strong for it makes the state's cities even stronger) including one in Albemarle. 65 jobs may not sound like a lot in Charlotte but that is big in Stanly County. 

and a sushi rice plant north of Raleigh Durham in Granville county too.

http://www.nccommerce.com/news/press-releases

Good story also about Corning which is really growing across NC all over from Hickory to Charlotte to Durham to Wilmington to Rocky Mount

https://edpnc.com/case-study-examines-corning-growing-north-carolina/

New Corning Optical HQ is rising in northwest Charlotte in Riverbend at Hwy 16 and I-485. 

 

[KJHburg]

More information on the new brewery in Lincolnton in an old mill.  Looks really good.  http://www.lakenormanpublications.com/denver_weekly/eureka-mill-could-become-first-brewery-in-lincoln-county/article_8391e280-1803-11e8-b7a3-47f9641128c2.html

[KJHburg]

Ask Siri can you say Catawba?   Read about Apple's $4 BILLION investment in Catawba county just up the road from Charlotte in Maiden.  400 jobs and counting.  And yes Siri is a North Carolinian so to speak   Read about it about half way down the page.  Their solar farm produces 14 megawatts of electricity and they also use a trash to energy plant. 

http://businessnc.com/catawba-county-delivers-promises/

[nicholas]

On 8/8/2016 at 10:37 PM, KJHburg said:

Concord is coming up with a bold plan for new downtown development.  http://www.independenttribune.com/news/urban-development-plan-could-reshape-concord/article_031f18ae-5b42-11e6-b384-cffd8df31016.html

I've only been on UP for a little while now so I've probably missed something, but I ran across this article and was wondering what its status is.  Looked like an interesting proposal at the time.

[KJHburg]

3 minutes ago, nicholas said:

I've only been on UP for a little while now so I've probably missed something, but I ran across this article and was wondering what its status is.  Looked like an interesting proposal at the time.

They have started the parking deck I know that and then I think it that frees up some other land.  No amphitheater yet or the other items. but downtown Concord is doing alot now. Hotel Concord into apartments underway now with event space, several new shops along Union St etc.   Check it out when you are up that way. 

[nicholas]

14 hours ago, KJHburg said:

They have started the parking deck I know that and then I think it that frees up some other land.  No amphitheater yet or the other items. but downtown Concord is doing alot now. Hotel Concord into apartments underway now with event space, several new shops along Union St etc.   Check it out when you are up that way. 

Sweet.  I think downtown Concord has a lot of potential and definitely has a bit of momentum now with the Hotel Concord and Locke Mill projects either underway or completed.  Unfortunately I rarely ever have an opportunity to drive through there, but I'll definitely have to make a dedicated trip to downtown soon.  I have actually driven through Concord a couple times this year, but I was only passing through on Church St en route to an appointment in Huntersville, so I didn't have a chance to check everything out.

[Exile]

Downtown Concord is very nice and getting nicer (despite an ugly library and governmental buildings), but the approach is awful, particularly Church St. and Poplar Tent/McGill. There are several little collections of old retail buildings here and there on those streets that could be redeveloped into something eclectic, depending on the surrounding neighborhoods (which I know next to nothing about--just going on sight).

Edited March 2, 2018 by Exile

[SgtCampsalot]

2 hours ago, Exile said:

Downtown Concord is very nice and getting nicer (despite an ugly library and governmental buildings), but the approach is awful, particularly Church St. and Poplar Tent/McGill. There are several little collections of old retail buildings here and there on those streets that could be redeveloped into something eclectic, depending on the surrounding neighborhoods (which I know next to nothing about--just going on sight).

Very true, though tbf you just described every single town and city in America 

[JacksonH]

On 1/20/2018 at 9:05 AM, SgtCampsalot said:

It does kinda feel like a Disney World or something

That's EXACTLY the comment I was going to make, Disney!  Downtown Kannapolis, while very charming, also has an imaginary (fake?) Disney feel to it.  As I understand it, the architecture was mean to emulate Williamsburg.  But it was built in the 1930s, not the 1700s.  I prefer to more organically developed downtowns like Concord, with architecture that matches the different decades when those buildings were erected.  But downtown Kannapolis has its own special company-town history, and should be preserved.

Another company town worth checking out, although very, very small (only a handful or so of buildings downtown) is McAdenville.  You can take a Google tour.  What I like about it are some really old historic-looking buildings and a setting with a river or stream and green space nearby,

Edited March 2, 2018 by JacksonH

[KJHburg]

New projects coming to the north Meck towns and Cabarrus County this year.  http://businesstodaync.com/construction-keeps-building-lake-norman-cabarrus/

[KJHburg]

Housing permits by county in the Charlotte metro area in 2017  look at the number 2 and 3 locales which are York County SC and Cabarrus County  (emphasis mine) 

Here's a county-by-county look at permit totals in 2017 as compiled by The Market Edge:

Cabarrus: 1,560, up 10.9% from 2016

Gaston: 1,095, up 9.9%

Iredell: 963, down 5.5%

Lincoln: 853, up 13.9%

Mecklenburg: 4,955, up 8.8%

Rowan: 377, up 34.2%

Stanly: 189, up 12.5%

Union: 1,535, up 9%

Lancaster: 957, up 8.1%

York: 2,334, up 25.2%

from subscriber only article https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/03/05/gains-in-charlotte-area-housing-permits-slow-pace.html?ana=e_mc_prem&s=newsletter&ed=2018-03-05&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1520258873&j=80319771

[KJHburg]

Winston Salem based coworking space operator opening a new coworking space in Davidson College's new hub of innovation.  https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2018/03/05/winston-salem-co-working-company-extending-its.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2018-03-05&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1520284059&j=80329941

[JacksonH]

On 2/27/2018 at 8:51 AM, KJHburg said:

More information on the new brewery in Lincolnton in an old mill.  Looks really good.  http://www.lakenormanpublications.com/denver_weekly/eureka-mill-could-become-first-brewery-in-lincoln-county/article_8391e280-1803-11e8-b7a3-47f9641128c2.html

And two people reading that article reacted that this is sad news.  I wish them well, but if people in Lincolnton are still that backwards, it may be a struggle.

[KJHburg]

Kannapolis has a great summer concert schedule and the price is right FREE come explore Cabarrus County  http://www.kannapolisnc.gov/Community/News/ID/291/Kannapolis-2018-Summer-Concerts-Events-Announced