Advancing Progress and Innovation
November 2009
Development Progressing at Kellswater
Grading has begun on Integra Springs and the Kellswater Corporate Center, both located at the corner of the new intersection of Kannapolis Parkway and Rogers Lake Road. The corporate center will include nearly 300,000 square feet of Class A professional and medical office space, while Integra Springs will offer 312 apartment units.
City Council Approves Economic Development Grant for Rug and Home
At their September 28 meeting, the Kannapolis City Council awarded Asheville, N.C.-based Rug and Home an economic development grant valued at $9,371.25 over the course of three years. The firm, which also has a location in Gaffney, S.C., is seeking to expand its operations and is interested in the former Target building at 3333 Cloverleaf Parkway.
“Finding uses for vacant big box stores is an interesting challenge,” said Irene Sacks, Kannapolis Director of Business & Community Affairs. “Rug and Home provides an ideal mix of back office, retail and distribution for the former Target site.”
Rug and Home will use the space for warehousing, distribution, office and retail. The firm plans to spend $750,000 retrofitting and upgrading the facility and to hire between 40 and 75 people.
"Kannapolis' strategic location in the Charlotte market is a good fit for our current store footprint," said Aanchal Agarwal, Rug and Home’s chief operating officer
“While major relocations may grab larger headlines, helping smaller companies grow and expand is a critical component of economic development,” said Ryan McDaniels, vice president of economic development for the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation. “Rug and Home will increase our property tax base while creating new employment.”
Master Plan Under Development for Center City
The City Council has commissioned the Planning Department to develop a small area plan that will establish both short- and long-term goals for the ongoing development and revitalization of the Center City area.
The primary objective of the plan is to implement land use policies that will ensure high quality development that complements the substantial private and public investment in the NC Research Campus. Key issues that will be addressed in order to accomplish this objective include Center City zoning district standards, parking, streetscaping, tree preservation, street improvements, pedestrian facilities and connectivity, architectural standards, public parks and open space, utilities and signage.
According to City Planning Director Ben Warren, “The master planning process will provide an assessment of current issues and potential opportunities for future growth, development and redevelopment in and around Kannapolis’ Center City area. The plan, once completed, will serve as a guide for future policy and land use decisions that promote the City’s core values of sustainability, diversity, livability, beautification and preservation.”
While the area within the core of the Center City area is the principal concern of the plan, peripheral properties, primarily along Loop Road, will be included to ensure cohesion and continuity throughout the area. When completed, the results of this plan will be integrated into future planning efforts that will target the Mill Village east of the railroad, the Dale Earnhardt Boulevard Corridor and the Mooresville Road Corridor.
All stakeholders – including the City, Castle & Cooke, Atlantic American Properties, downtown property and business owners, NCDOT and City residents – will have the opportunity to participate in the development process from the beginning, in order to foster an outcome that is beneficial to all.
The Planning Board will serve as the primary oversight and advisory body for this project. The plan is anticipated to be complete in summer 2010.
Research Spotlight: UNCG Study Published
An article authored by Dr. Wei Jia, co-director of the UNCG Center for Research Excellence in Bioactive Food Components, was recently published in the Journal of Proteome Research, an academic journal focused on the area of protein analysis and function, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding of biological processes.
The article reported the findings of a colorectal cancer study conducted by Dr. Jia and 10 other colleagues who performed metabolic analysis of 129 participants intended to gain insight that could be utilized to improve detection, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.
This research is of particular importance, as colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the fourth most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world. A fundamental cause for the lack of progress in the treatment of this disease stems from an insufficient understanding of its biology. It is the hope of the research team to concentrate more effort on improving the understanding of colorectal cancer biology in order to identify treatment and prevention strategies.
The Center, which is affiliated with the UNCG Department of Nutrition in the School of Human Environmental Sciences, is dedicated to studying components from food, plants and Chinese medicines for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity and cancer. It is housed in the UNC Nutrition Research Building, which it shares with programs for UNC Chapel Hill, NC Central University and NC A&T State University.