City of gastonia issued the following announcement on Jul. 22.
The City of Gastonia closed the 2020-21 fiscal year with a bang, accomplishing major projects that will move the City forward, support healthy communities and promote economic vitality for the region. Some of the major accomplishments this past fiscal year include the opening of a 5,000-person-capacity ballpark, transportation and street improvements, increased residential and commercial occupancy, downtown revitalization, and providing residents with reliable water, sewer and electric services.
“We are very proud to continue providing a high level of essential services to our residents and to continue investing in our city, especially in the midst of a pandemic,” said Mayor Walker E. Reid III. “We realize that this past year took a major toll on many municipalities across our state and the country as we all plan for the future.”
Reid, a Gastonia native, says solid leadership, vision and partnerships are some of the secret ingredients to the City of Gastonia’s success. While City leaders point to several projects that are on tap to transform Gastonia from a diamond in the rough to becoming a major player in the world of economic development, at the heart of its bright future is the Franklin Urban Sports & Entertainment (FUSE) District.
Let’s Light the FUSE!
On October 3, 2019, City Council, City leaders and others participated in a ceremony to break ground for the construction of the new ballpark. Eighteen months later, CaroMont Health Park is the jewel of the city, home to the Honey Hunters baseball team, and is poised to become the economic driver to “fuse” the downtown area with development around the ballpark. The idea for the ballpark germinated about 10 years ago when City leaders had the vision to turn a distressed part of west Gastonia into a dream come true. It has been a long road to success.
The City’s Economic Development Department estimates that the area will attract more than $100 million in investment around the ballpark as the catalyst for future development. Directly across the street, Durham-based Durty Bull Brewing Company will open a taproom in Gastonia. The oldest mill in Gastonia is being transformed into Trenton Mill Lofts, which features 89 loft-style apartments. The project is set to open by the end of 2021. Nearby, the renovated Coca-Cola building will debut as a mixed-use site that will include a speakeasy in the basement, apartments, and open terraces.
On Main Avenue, Kuester Development has begun construction on Center City Crossings, a six-story, 90-unit apartment building, and new businesses are popping up where storefronts once stood unoccupied. Development of a new industrial and warehouse park off I-85 and Cox Road began in October and will create thousands of jobs for the region. “It’s a really exciting time for our city,” said Kristy Crisp, director of Economic Development. “And we are working hard to make this a place where we will be proud to live, work and play.”
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of gastonia
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