Charlotte area "ring cities"

[Nick2]

18 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Little Norwood in Stanly County is getting a downtown tortilla factory.   Bueno! 

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/12/17/tortilla-chip-maker-plans-manufacturing-operation.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2018-12-17&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1545082749&j=85589591

That's a huge win. Norwood has a lot going for it being on the shores of lake tillery.

[rancenc]

Statesville lands a new banking headquarters in downtown.

https://www.statesville.com/news/spirit-community-bank-eyes-downtown-statesville-headquarters/article_9746afb8-2181-11e8-8893-e3bcbd4403ea.html

[KJHburg]

Mooresville manufacturer expanding adding 26 new jobs.  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/12/20/composites-company-to-expand-in-mooresville-adding.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMTWT_CH&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5c1c29859ac5640001d5ed3d&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[southernnorthcarolina]

 

My hometown of Weddington, with a population of about 11,000, doesn't qualify as a "ring city," but for geographic and political reasons, it occupies an interesting 16 square miles of turf.  

The town, in Union County,  shares a long border with Mecklenburg County.  It was incorporated, in the 1970s, for one reason only:  to prevent Charlotte from annexing it.  Of course, involuntary annexation has been ended by the General Assembly, but a few decades ago, cities could annex unincorporated adjacent areas proveided certain population density standards were met, and provided the city agreed to provide municipal services to the annexed area within a certain time.  Weddington, and some other Union County municipalities (I'm pretty sure Union County has more incorporated municipalities than any other NC county) is a "paper town" -- it charges a nominal property tax rate, and provides essentially no municipal services, which are left to the County (and, in the case of fire protection, a VFD).  

So, now that annexation by Charlotte is off the table, what's ahead for Weddington?  Well, the anti-growthers are in firm control of the town.  Save for the small Harris-Teeter anchored strip center at the intersection of Providence and NC 84, almost all of the town is zoned for large lot single family residential (schools and churches may be built in such zoning).  No more retail, no office, no multifamily, and of course no industry.  In fact, denser development is permitted in unincorporated Union County than within Weddington.  It's an odd situation.  Growth is roaring down Providence in southeastern Mecklenburg -- Waverly, Rea Farms, and more -- and comes to a screeching halt at the county line.  And to the south of Weddington, the town of Waxhaw is much more development-friendly, in terms of retail, office, multifamily, and smaller lot residential.  So, for now, Weddington remains an island, even as it is traversed by two four-lane roads, existing or to come (Providence Road and the Rea Road extension).  

What will happen at the intersection of Providence Road and the extension of Rea Road to NC 84?  It would seem to be an obvious location for retail and office space, multifamily development, and perhaps a hotel.  It's not happening, unless there's a sharp change in Weddington's politics.  What will be built there?  Four churches?

Edited December 24, 2018 by southernnorthcarolina

[videtur quam contuor]

I worked at Weddington HS and new parents moving there, nearly all from higher tax jurisdictions out of state, were happy to talk about the lower property tax. Once or twice I mentioned that their high school children would require an out of county fee to use the Rea Road library in Mecklenburg County since the Union library was so far away and weak in most ways. Their water was a well and they were amortizing the cost, without knowing it, for replacement. Same for their septic system, even if on a community well or septic. They had Volunteer fire, which cost them on their homeowner insurance. If they ever needed a police call they would find Barney Fife alive and well. Rubbish collection was also on their dime. They would drive EVERYwhere, even a short distance.  This was all part of their living costs.  After I had blank looks from people who had never lived in rural areas before, only long built up locations, I surrendered to their blithe happiness.

[Nick2]

A lot of cities would love to have a quaint, historic, organically developed downtown like Albemarle does. What once was full of nothing but shuttered windows is thriving with local businesses of all types!

 

[KJHburg]

^^^ I ate a great burger than was farm fresh raised in Stanly county downtown in a restaurant and I think it is pictured above.  Can't remember the name of it.  

Most of the downtowns of ring cities around Charlotte are thriving especially downtown Mooresville, Statesville, Concord,  Waxhaw, and Gastonia as noted before has a lot going on.  I really need to get down to Monroe downtown for it has been a long time for me.  Once I get my EZ pass sticker I will zoom down there and head downtown.    

I have been to almost every major city or town in NC and their downtowns are all very active now or getting that way.  

[southernnorthcarolina]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

 Most of the downtowns of ring cities around Charlotte are thriving especially downtown Mooresville, Statesville, Concord,  Waxhaw, and Gastonia as noted before has a lot going on.  I really need to get down to Monroe downtown for it has been a long time for me.  Once I get my EZ pass sticker I will zoom down there and head downtown.    

I have been to almost every major city or town in NC and their downtowns are all very active now or getting that way.  

 

I expect you'll be disappointed in downtown Monroe.  Not a lot happening there, other than city and county government, housed in drab buildings.  The old Courthouse, now housing various government departments, is quite nice, but that's about it.  The new Monroe bypass, while needed, won't help downtown.

The political, economic, and social center of Union County has long since departed the old county seat town.  Most of the county's rapid growth has occured closer to the Mecklenburg line -- Waxhaw, Marvin, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, and Indian Trail (now Union County's largest town in population).  

[SgtCampsalot]

24 minutes ago, southernnorthcarolina said:

I expect you'll be disappointed in downtown Monroe.  Not a lot happening there, other than city and county government, housed in drab buildings.  The old Courthouse, now housing various government departments, is quite nice, but that's about it.  The new Monroe bypass, while needed, won't help downtown.

The political, economic, and social center of Union County has long since departed the old county seat town.  Most of the county's rapid growth has occured closer to the Mecklenburg line -- Waxhaw, Marvin, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, and Indian Trail (now Union County's largest town in population).  

IMO, Monroe's stock of old, mixed use and beautiful retail buildings is in far higher supply than many other small towns that are doing objectively better economically.

As an onlooker, the issue seems to be the relative distance compared to other geographic parts of Union. Perhaps the Monroe bypass will increase interest in downtown Monroe? It's so gorgeous to me.

[cltcane]

4 hours ago, KJHburg said:

^^^ I ate a great burger than was farm fresh raised in Stanly county downtown in a restaurant and I think it is pictured above.  Can't remember the name of it. 

Off the Square?

[KJHburg]

1 minute ago, cltcane said:

Off the Square?

Bingo that was it.  and it was really good.  stopped there on the way back from Morrow Mtn 

[southernnorthcarolina]

3 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

IMO, Monroe's stock of old, mixed use and beautiful retail buildings is in far higher supply than many other small towns that are doing objectively better economically.

As an onlooker, the issue seems to be the relative distance compared to other geographic parts of Union. Perhaps the Monroe bypass will increase interest in downtown Monroe? It's so gorgeous to me.

 

It's interesting how two people can look at the same thing, and see something totally different.  I won't say you're wrong, but I will say I see Monroe differently.

If there are beautiful retail buildings in downtown Monroe, I must have missed them.  As I said before, the old courthouse is quite nice, and has been beautifully restored.  But for me, the assets of downtown Monroe pretty much end there.  There are a couple of impressive churches, and a few well-maintained or restored Victorian era houses, but the old retail section of downtown is underwhelming; downtown Lancaster (SC) is a glittering jewel by comparison.

I do not see the Monroe bypass as a net positive for downtown Monroe.  The old US 74 forced people to drive slowly, within a mile of downtown, as they made their way from Charlotte to Wilmington or Myrtle Beach; maybe they'd be tempted to check out downtown, if for no other reason than to get out of a traffic jam.  But the new bypass?  Most drivers won't even be aware of the existance of Monroe.

Here's Monroe's basic problem:  politics.  Gastonia still runs Gaston County; Rock Hill runs York County; Concord runs Cabarrus County.  But Monroe does not control Union County, either politically or economically.  The center of gravity has shifted to the Charlotte burbs, closer to the Mecklenburg line.  Politically, Monroe is a blue dot within a ruby-red county.  The County Commission is five seats, at large, and all Republican.  Monroe need not look for any favors there.  The County schools all have neighborhood attendance boundaries, and as such, Monroe High and other schools within the town have dismal numbers compared to schools in Marvin, Waxhaw, and Weddington.  And, of course, school quality is the big issue when it comes to new residential development.

I wish Monroe well, but I'm not optimistic about its future.

 

[SgtCampsalot]

2 hours ago, southernnorthcarolina said:

It's interesting how two people can look at the same thing, and see something totally different.  I won't say you're wrong, but I will say I see Monroe differently.

If there are beautiful retail buildings in downtown Monroe, I must have missed them.  As I said before, the old courthouse is quite nice, and has been beautifully restored.  But for me, the assets of downtown Monroe pretty much end there.  There are a couple of impressive churches, and a few well-maintained or restored Victorian era houses, but the old retail section of downtown is underwhelming; downtown Lancaster (SC) is a glittering jewel by comparison.

Fair enough. To me, its retail has immense potential. And the most amazing thing to me is that, unlike most other towns in the region, there is more than just the main street. It stretches in multiple directions with multiple places of interest.

Then, if you randomly pick a street on the map, you'll find a block of beautiful homes. Such amazing housing stock.

 

Edited December 28, 2018 by SgtCampsalot

[KJHburg]

^^^^  well I make a trek to downtown Monroe within the next week.  their courthouse the old one is wonderful and they had some attorney offices all around it in 1-3 story buildings but it has been a long time.  I have only been down there for court business and legal issues LOL.   

I don't believe the new Monroe Bypass will negatively impact downtown at all.    It may be behind other cities but I will check it out.  The back to downtown movement across NC especially in county as fast as growing as Union would be hard to derail by any politician.  

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

^^^^  well I make a trek to downtown Monroe within the next week.  their courthouse the old one is wonderful and they had some attorney offices all around it in 1-3 story buildings but it has been a long time.  I have only been down there for court business and legal issues LOL.   

I don't believe the new Monroe Bypass will negatively impact downtown at all.    It may be behind other cities but I will check it out.  The back to downtown movement across NC especially in county as fast as growing as Union would be hard to derail by any politician.  

My impression is that downtown Monroe has seen virtually no support or movement toward revitalization. I think the courthouse is one of the most beautiful buildings in the state (and I believe is about to be renovated), but the rest of downtown is just down. 

[SgtCampsalot]

There are so many towns that, when looked at with the lens of yesteryear, seem to have been flourishing so much in their own right mid-century as truly self-sufficient communities (saying nothing, of course, of Jim Crow, which is the omnipresent elephant ghost in the room everywhere). Hundreds just in one state. It's hard to imagine in the "big city CBD" era we have today.

But, it's no wonder Boomers developed a nostalgic view of their small towns, even though they largely remained naive to the root causes. The new style of growth made towns irrelevant, and near impossible to revitalize again without implementing a "tourism" strategy, as many upstate New York / New England towns did decades ago.

Edited December 28, 2018 by SgtCampsalot

[orulz]

Salisbury has basically the exact same population as Monroe. The area is not experiencing fantastic economic conditions nor are the schools especially well regarded, and in fact the median household income is less than that of Monroe. Even so, downtown Salisbury is nonetheless doing fairly well and seeing investment and development, mostly renovations of historic buildings but even a small amount of new construction over the past decade.

This, to me, says that if Monroe would make it a policy priority to revitalize their downtown, it would work.

[JorgiPorgi]

2 hours ago, orulz said:

Salisbury has basically the exact same population as Monroe. The area is not experiencing fantastic economic conditions nor are the schools especially well regarded, and in fact the median household income is less than that of Monroe. Even so, downtown Salisbury is nonetheless doing fairly well and seeing investment and development, mostly renovations of historic buildings but even a small amount of new construction over the past decade.

This, to me, says that if Monroe would make it a policy priority to revitalize their downtown, it would work.

Salisbury has a fantastic downtown. Shelby also has a very nice, well maintained downtown with restaurants, breweries, and live venues. One weekend I’ll get out there and take pictures. 

[SgtCampsalot]

14 hours ago, southernnorthcarolina said:

 

It's interesting how two people can look at the same thing, and see something totally different.  I won't say you're wrong, but I will say I see Monroe differently.

If there are beautiful retail buildings in downtown Monroe, I must have missed them.  As I said before, the old courthouse is quite nice, and has been beautifully restored.  But for me, the assets of downtown Monroe pretty much end there.  There are a couple of impressive churches, and a few well-maintained or restored Victorian era houses, but the old retail section of downtown is underwhelming; downtown Lancaster (SC) is a glittering jewel by comparison.

I do not see the Monroe bypass as a net positive for downtown Monroe.  The old US 74 forced people to drive slowly, within a mile of downtown, as they made their way from Charlotte to Wilmington or Myrtle Beach; maybe they'd be tempted to check out downtown, if for no other reason than to get out of a traffic jam.  But the new bypass?  Most drivers won't even be aware of the existance of Monroe.

Here's Monroe's basic problem:  politics.  Gastonia still runs Gaston County; Rock Hill runs York County; Concord runs Cabarrus County.  But Monroe does not control Union County, either politically or economically.  The center of gravity has shifted to the Charlotte burbs, closer to the Mecklenburg line.  Politically, Monroe is a blue dot within a ruby-red county.  The County Commission is five seats, at large, and all Republican.  Monroe need not look for any favors there.  The County schools all have neighborhood attendance boundaries, and as such, Monroe High and other schools within the town have dismal numbers compared to schools in Marvin, Waxhaw, and Weddington.  And, of course, school quality is the big issue when it comes to new residential development.

I wish Monroe well, but I'm not optimistic about its future.

 

That's a good point regarding suburban growth near the Meck border.

It's a shame. Focusing solely on subdivision and commercial strip center growth is a bad economic decision in the long run (25-30+ years down the line) once the updated infrastructure bill comes due. Then starts the spiral of debt-fueled repairs and growth. Union has a real gem in Monroe.

Edited December 28, 2018 by SgtCampsalot

[KJHburg]

Whether it is Macau, Miami or Monroe I always like to explore new areas.  After I took the Monroe Tollway down to Monroe walked around downtown Monroe a bit.  There are quite a few independent retailers, a few restaurants and delis, lots of attorney offices (Union County must be quite litigious LOL) just like I remembered.  Plus of course the county office buildings and one neat little CSX Seaboard train station.  The neighborhoods around downtown are not quite a strong as those around downtown Concord, Salisbury or Mooresville or Statesville.  But stuff is happening.  I did see some vacant storefronts but not the majority by any means.  Lots of potential for apartments above the retail shops and some is planned evidently.  One side of downtown is blocked by a huge CSX railyard.  There is a brewery Southern Range and farm to market restaurant Stone Table http://www.stonetablemonroe.com/

My walking tour of downtown Monroe made easier by the Monroe Bypass toll road.   The courthouse as noted above by someone is fantastic!  Their city or county Christmas tree is as big as any outside tree in Charlotte.  

Come down for a visit to downtown Monroe!  

Warning: downtown Monroe photo overload hey I was a tourist.  https://www.monroenc.org/Departments/Downtown    Explore the region and with gas at 1.89 a gallon in Indian Trail you can afford to. The old movie theater downtown looks like it will renovated as well.  

[NCMike1990]

Dang KJ! You crashed my Tapatalk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KJHburg]

8 minutes ago, NCMike1990 said:

Dang KJ! You crashed my Tapatalk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

a warning was posted LOL 

[videtur quam contuor]

Hanson Brick Company yard is on 74 in Union County, part of the largest brick making company in the U. S. Also Palmetto Brick manufactures in Union County. Lots of brick in Monroe, now and forever, and it is apparent in the downtown.

[orulz]

On 12/27/2018 at 5:50 PM, KJHburg said:

Once I get my EZ pass sticker

Don't get an EZ pass! Get the NC hardcase transponder. It's the only one in the country that works both south (Florida, Georgia, and soon South Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma) and north (All EZ pass states). Comes in pretty handy.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

I was about to ask why they didn’t issue a transponder that works in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware?