Charlotte area "ring cities"

[KJHburg]

Went out to Albemarle then to Mount Morrow State Park (a fantastic park with both the mountain, hills, Lake Tillery etc)  Downtown Albemarle has some apartments going into an old hotel and of course the Pfeiffer College  building there.  Some other new renovations but I did not catch what they were doing.    Glad to see this 2nd ring out from Charlotte city revitalizing its downtown.  (and yes it is really uptown look at the first shot)   Nice mill conversion last shot. 

Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation | Albemarle, NC

check out what they are going to do to an alleyway

Pandemic designs: revitalizing small towns - UNCGNews

[Skyybutter]

On 10/21/2021 at 1:31 PM, KJHburg said:

this Christenbury Village near Concord Mills is a little mixed use projects with retail the Lowes food, and apartments.

 

 

Christenbury Hall, the housing development, is seeing homes sell for 1mil +now. It's astonishing to me because of the small lots. But the architecture is top notch. Being in the Cox Mill HS district (#10 ranked HS in North Carolina doesn't hurt either).

Edited November 2, 2021 by Skyybutter

[rancenc]

Profile on the Catawba County seat of Conover.

https://businessnc.com/town-square-conover-makes-its-mark-in-innovation/

[rancenc]

Good things happening in Hickory these days.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/11/04/hickory-s-revitalization-efforts-continue.html

[KJHburg]

the town of Mt Holly today downtown and at the Merry Market at the city hall complex which is in a restored textile mill.  This little downtown while not as big as Belmont is full of locally based shops and restaurants  including one that my friend owns.   Last photo is the old train station.    Check out the downtown when you are over at the Whitewater center it is only across the river. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

After living in Charlotte for 15 years now and having only ever driven through Gastonia briefly on Franklin boulevard I never had much appreciation for it other than as the butt of many a joke to it’s big brother 20 miles to the east. 
 

However finding a spare half hour to kill on a warm clear early November night I happened to catch glimpse of some string lights hung across the light poles and immediately pulled off N Broad St onto Main Ave (not street) and was delighted to find an intact wonderful downtown the kind of which Charlotte has long since (mostly) torn down.
 

Blocks and blocks of low-rise brick building of varying style with some clearly much larger and substantial buildings as well. Large glass pane store fronts line nice broad sidewalks. 
 

While some are vacant, those that were open were quite busy and hopping on a random Wednesday evening around 7:00pm. It’s not hard to see how “the corner has been turned” on what was perhaps a more grim past decade or two. 
 

Signs of continuing redevelopment were all around, from a couple nice small parks, to obvious upfit and renovation of various spaces, to yet another converted Mill into apartments and what surprised me the most as I had no idea of this at all, but a brand new (opened this year) baseball stadium for the ALPB league Gastonia Honey Hunters 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_League_of_Professional_Baseball

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastonia_Honey_Hunters

https://gohoneyhunters.com
 

I really only had a few minutes so the pictures are limited and don’t even show the most interesting spots but it would be well worth a visit if you haven’t been lately (or ever). 

[KJHburg]

Downtown Kannapolis a cold Sunday night but still busy.   Kannapolis the most improved ring city of the region.   The Gem was full of people and so was the nearby restaurant Chophouse 101. 

Check out the regions first open drinking social district.   None in Charlotte yet.  

[KJHburg]

Outer outer ring cities this is the town of Star in Montgomery County east of Albemarle where my college roommate is from.   Nice new arts center in the mill his dad was manager of back in the day.

Creators of NC: Rising STARworks | (southparkmagazine.com)

small town NC rising! 

[KJHburg]

Downtown Concord today.   3 apartment buildings underway downtown and the new Cabarrus County courthouse.   New courthouse looking good! 

[JacksonH]

On 11/17/2021 at 6:02 PM, KJHburg said:

Outer outer ring cities this is the town of Star in Montgomery County east of Albemarle where my college roommate is from.   Nice new arts center in the mill his dad was manager of back in the day.

Creators of NC: Rising STARworks | (southparkmagazine.com)

small town NC rising! 

My grandparents lived in Star for a number of years.  I went there many times as a young child.  It is Mayberry in my mind.

[JacksonH]

I will point out, though, that I don't think folks in this area identify much with Charlotte.  I have cousins nearby in Troy.  When they need to go to "the city," they're more likely to go to Greensboro.  Interstate 74 runs by there and they can get up to Greensboro in about 45 minutes, whereas it takes twice as long to get to Charlotte or Raleigh.  But I must say, having driven those roads between there and Charlotte, it's a very pretty drive going through the Uwharrie Mountains.

[rancenc]

New development on the horizon for Kings Mountain.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/11/18/the-keith-corp-kings-mountain-corporate-center.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_23&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

[Windsurfer]

5 hours ago, rancenc said:

New development on the horizon for Kings Mountain.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/11/18/the-keith-corp-kings-mountain-corporate-center.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_23&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

So damn depressing for me.   That area had such potential. Between the casino and its subsequent hotels and strip malls, the subdivisions, strip malls, big boxes, mines,  there won't be anything left to enjoy around Kings and Crowders Mountains.  There's such an incredible need in this area of an outdoor area that's not threatened. If you don't believe me, just try to find parking on the weekend at the trialhead leading up Kings Mt.  Some of the newcomers to this board will never see bobcats and even bears that roamed that area. 

[KJHburg]

after a large Thanksgiving dinner around noon did a walk around downtown Kannapolis.  New townhomes are now under construction.  another apartment building going on on Main next to the new Vida apartments.  The streetscape here is so nice.   The 2nd movie theater that is being restored into an arts center is looking good.  New bowling alley place like those in Southend. 

New houses and townhomes on Avenue G  a couple of blocks south of downtown.  

Thanksgiving day tour of Kannapolis and I felt the need to walk a bit!

Next summer UP meetup will return to K-town and remember this is the first social district in the region where we can walk with adult beverages and talk. 

Lots of photos for a slow news day! 

 

[KJHburg]

Gaston County is really growing.

Some photos from Imagery an age restricted community on Mt Island Lake but with a Mt Holly address in Gaston County.  Will be 402 homes from upper 300s to upper 500s.

Also last photos are the Chronicle Mill in downtown Belmont which is being converted and an addition of new apartments.    Chronicle Mill Apartments & Commercial Space for Lease | Belmont, NC (thechroniclemill.com)

as land prices soar in Meck County more housing is coming to Gaston County for sure.    Imagery is closer in time  to uptown Charlotte than many parts of south Charlotte.  

 

 

[KJHburg]

Update on the downtown Kannapolis revitalization and redevelopment.

First renovations wrap at historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis amid downtown remake - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

""The Gem Theatre in downtown Kannapolis has been around since the 1930s. Today, city leaders celebrated its 85th birthday while also announcing the completion of the first phase of renovations at the facility.   Right Field Development LLC has reached a deal with the city for major projects on blocks four and five beyond the right-field wall of Atrium Health Ballpark. Right Field Development is a partnership between Kannapolis Cannon Ballers owner Temerity Baseball and Lansing Melbourne Group, which has been active in the downtown remake.  Right Field Development is bringing a multi-phased project to the site, which includes apartments, retail and restaurant space. It will also include condominiums, which would be the closest for-sale residential project to the center of downtown. Legg said the first piece of the Right Field Development project will break ground next month.  The other for-sale residential project there is Tri Pointe Homes' Pennant Square townhome development. It will include 120 units at the former Cannon Mills Plant 4 site between South Main Street, West F Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. The project broke ground in April and is making progress. Rob Dybec, new home advisor at Tri Pointe Homes, said today that the first phase of townhomes is expected to deliver in the second quarter of 2022.  Lansing Melbourne Group broke ground on 200 Main, another apartment project in downtown Kannapolis, in August. That follows LMG's first one there, called Vida Kannapolis, which opened earlier this year. 200 Main is expected to be completed in spring 2023.""

see my photos from Thursday in this same thread of all these projects mentioned.  

 

[rancenc]

New development in the works for the Stanly County town of Locust!

https://www.thesnaponline.com/2021/12/03/reservations-available-for-residential-condominiums-part-of-village-at-locust-town-center-development/

[rancenc]

Recent aerial view of Kings Mountain!

 

[nicholas]

Finally getting a chance to post these.  Had some time to kill a week or so ago so I walked around Concord.  It had been a while since I'd been in downtown but it looked great.  Hard to believe there are three residential projects all at once!  I think it would be cool to see that vacant gas station turned into a restaurant or something...maybe enclose the area underneath the canopy as a dining room and use the building as the kitchen.  It would also be great to see the operating gas station replaced with more apartments or retail, since that is a pretty major intersection in downtown.  And of course the What-A-Burger, which I hope stays there forever.  Thought I had pics of the courthouse, guess I'll have to dig around on my phone to find them.

Edited December 14, 2021 by nicholas

[KJHburg]

More new apartments for downtown Kannapolis in addition to the one just completed and the one under construction.  Now these apartments will have ballpark views.

Kannapolis Announces New Development Project Adjacent to Atrium Health Ballpark > City of Kannapolis | City of Kannapolis (kannapolisnc.gov)

::The project, Stadium Lofts, will be constructed on West Avenue, adjacent to Atrium Health Ballpark. Temerity Capital Partners and the Lansing Melbourne Group will purchase the block from the City of Kannapolis and will invest $8.5M in the seven-story mixed-use development on the site.  The site will include Towel City Tavern, a full-service barbeque restaurant and tavern featuring local beers brewed onsite by Cabarrus Brewing Company and a top-shelf bourbon bar with seating overlooking Atrium Health Ballpark.  The project will also be the new permanent home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers team offices, the team store, and the team ticket office. Currently, the team’s operations are in three different locations. This consolidation of operations will enable staff to be centralized and more efficient in a location closer to the ballpark.""

Edited December 15, 2021 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

3 different apartment projects under construction in downtown Concord all by the same developer and the new Cabarrus County Courthouse expansion.  Downtown is pretty vibrant with restaurants and shops .   Check out the apartment projects here  Development Portfolio - Lansing Melbourne Group (lmgroup.us)

Novi Rise, Novi Lofts, Novi Flats 

Today. 

[nicholas]

Think this is the performing arts center in Cornelius?  I feel like Cornelius has done a decent job of basically creating a downtown when there wasn't much to work with.

[rancenc]

New residential choices coming to downtown Albemarle!

https://www.thesnaponline.com/2021/12/21/upscale-apartment-complex-set-to-open-next-month-in-downtown-albemarle/

[KJHburg]

Concord releases their downtown streetscape plan for Union Street.   A new county courthouse is under construction as well as 3 apartment projects by Lansing Melbourne. 

https://concorddowntown.com/union-streetscape/

[rancenc]

11 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Concord releases their downtown streetscape plan for Union Street.   A new county courthouse is under construction as well as 3 apartment projects by Lansing Melbourne. 

https://concorddowntown.com/union-streetscape/

I didn't realize there was a new restaurant/taproom planned on Cabarrus Avenue...interesting to see what the offerings will be.