Community
Planet Fitness: Salvation for old Bi-Lo space
July 22. The old Salvation Army space in Cornelius, which was the old Bi-Lo grocery store, finally has a tenant. A 25,000 square foot Planet Fitness franchise will go into the space on West Catawba Avenue later this year. Another 15,000 square feet remains to be leased in the shopping center which once housed a […]
Despite storms, it’s officially a drought
July 20. The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group says our region is officially in the midst of a drought. We’re in Stage 1, the second of five drought stages which means voluntary water conservation by water users, in addition to operational adjustments by Duke Energy. Irrigate on Tuesdays and Saturdays between 6 pm—6am. Limit landscape […]
Evernham: Toll planners should be ‘ashamed’
July 15. (UPDATED 1:45 pm with comments from Sen. Tarte.) Opposition to the I-77 toll plan continues to gain speed. Major voices in the motorsports community are speaking out against the $650 million plan to widen I-77 with a public private partnership. As reported in BusinessToday’s July print edition, Humpy Wheeler opposes the current plan. […]
City of Kannapolis establishes in-house planning department
By Dave Yochum. The City of Kannapolis has a brand new planning department, a reflection of the growth that is expected ahead. Benchmark Planning, an outside consulting firm, had conducted the town’s planning business, including code enforcement, since the 1980s, according to Kannapolis spokesperson Annette Privette Keller. The new in-house municipal department will cost about the […]
The City of Kannapolis will give carousel a spin
July 14. The City of Kannapolis will pay $228,000 for a classic Italian carousel from a now-closed mall in Illinois. The 1989 Bertazzon Carousel has 570 lights, Brazilian oak decking, and handpainted Venetian murals. A carousel—this one holds 68 people and is handicap accessible—has been part of the Village Park master plan which dates back to 2001. […]
Cabarrus business leader plans to run for Concord City Council
Sam Leder, a former chairman of the Cabarrus Chamber of Commerce, will run for the Concord City Council seat currently held by long-time Councilman Dave Phillips who is not seeking reelection. “I want to continue to build a city that offers great work opportunities that is also a fantastic place to live for everyone,” he […]
Humpy Wheeler: Toll plan won’t work
By Dave Yochum. After nearly three dozen Lake Norman business leaders called on North Carolina legislators in the State Capitol, there’s solid business momentum behind a legislative effort to defund the 50-year, $650 million contract with a company whose roots are in Spain. From the motorsports community to community bankers, companies with hundreds of employees, not […]
Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce hosts Focus Friday
July 15. On Friday, July 17 from 8:30 to 10 a.m., North Carolina Senator Jeff Tarte and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett will speak at the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce meeting on the issue of toll lanes on I-77 at Lake Norman. The event, called Focus Friday, is intended for Commerce members but guests […]
Second-quarter net at blueharbor fell as new Statesville branch opens
July 10. Mooresville-based blueharbor bank says net income during the second quarter ended June 30 was $174,743, compared to $302,076 during the same period last year. For the first six months of this year, the bank reported net income of $353,220, compared to $545,593, for the six months ended June 30, 2014. For detailed results […]
Sofa, so good: Cornelius couch-maker will be on new Fox series
July 10. Steve Sechrest, the owner of COCOCO furniture, says his company will be on a new Fox TV reality show called “Home Free” this summer. COCOCO is the new name for the Comfortable Couch Co. in the Oak Street Mill in Cornelius. “One of the TV production company designers saw our furniture in Atlanta […]
