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Economic Development
Successes and Initiatives
Since July 2003
Making Business Easier in Kannapolis
Additional Economic Development
By taking strategic steps to recruit more business,
to create more jobs, to improve city services and to provide greater
amenities for families, the City of Kannapolis has maintained a
focus on economic development for close to a decade. In the last
year, Kannapolis has experienced the greatest return on their investment.
Since July 2003:
- January 6, 2005- The Kannapolis Motorsports Commission
launches with the responsibility of formalizing an economic development
strategy specifically to promote and recruit motorsports in Kannapolis.
- December 10, 2004- Castle & Cooke, Inc and
Chairman and CEO David Murdock won the bid for the former Pillowtex
Plant 1 site in downtown Kannapolis. They purchased the five million
square foot facility and 135 acres for $4.25 million in cash plus
a convertible promissory note in the principal amount of $2.125
million that will give the Pillowtex Unsecured Creditor Committee
an interest in the future redevelopment. Plans have not yet been
finalized for the reuse of Plant 1 or the 20 acre, 700,000 square
foot Plant 4 site, also located in downtown Kannapolis, the company
purchased in August 2004. Mr. Murdock and his Kannapolis based
subsidiary Castle & Cooke North American Commercial, LLC and
its subsidiary Kannapolis-based Atlantic American Properties have
substantial real estate holdings in Kannapolis including Cannon
Village, Kannapolis Country Club, numerous residential properties
and over 800 acres of undeveloped land in Cabarrus and Rowan counties.
Castle & Cooke and its affiliated companies operate in over
25 states with diverse businesses that include real estate, manufacture
of brick and ownership of public warehouses and chassis and generator
set leasing services. Castle & Cooke, through all of its holdings,
employs over 60,000 people.
- October 11, 2004- City Council approved a new
development agreement with MarkPiercePoole Properties, Inc., the
Charlotte firm the City is partnering with to develop Kannapolis
Gateway Business Park. Under the new agreement, MarkPiercePoole
will construct a second shell building in Kannapolis Gateway Business
Park in 2005. Initial plans are for a 50,000 square foot building
on approximately four acres fronting NC Hwy 73 about one and one
half miles east of Kannapolis Parkway. The building will be suited
for manufacturing or distribution operations.
- July 26, 2004- Approved the voluntarily
annexation of 65 acres west of Kannapolis for Jacob's Ridge, a
new high-end, estate sub-division with 27 lots. When Jacob's Ridge
builds out, $135,000 in property taxes and $16,000 in water revenues
are projected annually. Jacob's Ridge follows the development
of Pine Creek, an estate development of homes ranging in value
from $700,000 to several million dollars on a minimum of one-acre
lots. Seventeen lots have sold in two years. Most of the homes
are under construction if not completed. The development has attracted
business executives from throughout the Charlotte region and NFL
Carolina Panther players.
- July 7, 2004- Broke ground on Cottonwood/Arbor
Lane Investment Group's 50-acre, second phase of the NorthLite
Shopping Center. The first phase opened at I-85, exit 60 in August
2003. The shopping center is anchored by a Super Wal-Mart, Kohl's
Department Store and Sam's Club.
- June 30, 2004- NC General Assembly passed
legislation approving Kannapolis' annexation of 500 acres for
Riverpointe, a 793-home subdivision, and approximately 19.8 acres
for Renaissance Square, a multi-million dollar commercial and
office development. Both developments are along Hwy 73 at Shiloh
Church Road in western Cabarrus County. The annexation follows
the intent of an annexation agreement with the City of Concord
that was adopted January 12, 2004. The annexation agreement established
western Cabarrus County north of Hwy 73 as Kannapolis' growth
area and south of Hwy 73 as Concord's. Council expressed their
intent to voluntarily annex $20 million in new residential and
commercial development, including Riverpointe and Renaissance
Square, that is planned for the area in order to create jobs,
expand the tax base and add water and sewer customers.
- June 14, 2004- Announced Novant Health's lease
of a 57,600 square foot shell building in the city-owned Kannapolis
Gateway Business Park from MarkPiercePoole Properties, Inc. for
a consolidated service center. MarkPiercePoole Properties is a
Charlotte firm that has partnered with the City since September
of 2000 to development Kannapolis Gateway Business Park. Novant's
distribution operation will employ 45 people. The company isn't
certain how many they will hire locally or will transfer from
other locations. A private company will employ six to 10 people
in a print shop. Novant will also contract with a transportation
company. Additional services may be consolidated to Kannapolis
in the future. The City of Kannapolis has invested over $3 million
in three years for the development of Kannapolis Gateway Business
Park, including $1.7 million in HUD funds, for land purchases,
infrastructure, signage and landscaping. To support the development
of the park and to promote Kannapolis, a marketing program was
launched in January 2001 with the announcement of the park. Kannapolis
Gateway Business Park is located on Highway 73 and the Kannapolis
Parkway one mile from I-85. Ground was broken on the 85-acre park
on August 16, 2001.
- March 2004- A high-end furniture maker
bought the 111,720 square foot former Terry Products Building
for a manufacturing facility that will bring 125 jobs.
- January 12, 2004- Stanley Works received
a 75 percent property tax rebate for five years totaling $233,384
from the City of Kannapolis to expand their 625,000 square foot
distribution center, already Stanley's largest, by 300,000 square
feet and hire 120 new employees. Kannapolis was chosen over other
Stanley Works sites. Cabarrus County provided a similar incentive
for five years equaling $233,635.
- December 16, 2003- Childress Klein, one
of the leading development companies in the southeast, announced
an $11 million purchase of 275 acres of land at I-85 and the Kannapolis
Parkway for a new complex with 2.5 million square feet of flex
office, warehouse and distribution space and 400,000 square feet
for retail development. The business park is expected to bring
an investment of $140 million and create 2,800 jobs over the next
decade.
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Making Business Easier in
Kannapolis:
- June to October 2004- City Council approved several
business friendly amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance:
- Refined the Coddle Creek Thoroughfare Protection
Plan for southwest Kannapolis to better define the district and
the development requirements since it is the fastest growing area
in Kannapolis.
- Changed permitted uses in the RV (Residential
Village) zoning to allow childcare centers as a conditional use,
and in CD (Campus Development) zoning to allow restaurants with
drive-thru windows as a conditional use.
- Reduced the size of the building yard, the area
requiring landscaping between the building and parking lot, to
six feet from 12 feet for developments in I-1 or I-2 (Light/Heavy
Industrial) zoning.
- Allow a building larger than 70,000 square
feet along on interstate frontage, corrected the open space to
be eight percent of the project area, and required opaque screening
for outdoor storage in the CD or campus development zoning.
- June 28, 2004- The FY2005 Budget was adopted
with a 3.3-cent reduction in the property tax rate to $0.497 from
$0.53 cents per $100 of home value.
- April 12, 2004- Approved a Sidewalk Exemption
Policy to reduce the cost of construction for businesses.
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January 12, 2004- Lowered the industrial incentive
grant investment threshold to $3 million from $5 million.
August 2003 to the present- Researched business recruitment,
retention and marketing strategies to establish a revised economic
development plan that may include a business incubator, small
business services, and target industry plans for sectors such
as motorsports, health, and distribution.
- June 25, 2003- Opened the Development Services
Center with the goal of expediting the plan review process and
improving service.
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Additional economic development
efforts:
- June 5, 2004- The 2,400 square foot Village Park
amphitheater, the largest in Cabarrus County, opened with the
first concert of the five-concert Coca-Cola Concert Summer Concert
series.
- May 6, 2004- Celebrated the completion of a $14
million renovation of the water treatment plant to increase water
capacity and utilize new technology.
- April 12, 2004- Launched the Concord Kannapolis
Transit System, the Rider.
- October 6, 2003- Began construction on a new
7,120 square foot train station on Main Street in partnership
with the NC Department of Transportation, the Cannon Foundation
and Cabarrus County. Construction is scheduled for completion
in November 2004.
- March 20, 2003- 17-acre Walter M. Safrit Park
opened with the only lighted soccer fields in Cabarrus County,
two softball fields, a greenway and playground.
- February 2003- Completed a comprehensive land
use plan to guide future development, which is currently being
updated by City Council.
- March 5, 2002- City supported the community led
initiative to pass a referendum allowing the sale of beer and
wine and mixed beverages in Kannapolis.
- October 9 and 14, 2002- Unveiled the Dale Earnhardt
Tribute in Cannon Village that includes a statue by Arizona sculptor
Clyde Ross Morgan and a gallery featuring the work of motorsports
artist Sam Bass depicting Earnhardt's racing victories. Due to
the Tribute and Cannon Village's marketing efforts in partnerships
with local tour companies and the Cabarrus County Convention and
Visitors Bureau, the number of tourists has doubled in Kannapolis
over the last two years.
- September 2002- Approved a $22 million dollar,
multi-year infrastructure improvement plan to add and replace
water and sewer lines, add sidewalks, curb and gutter and resurface
streets throughout the city.
- November 2001-Adopted a unified development zoning
ordinance (UDO) along with the City of Concord and the towns of
Harrisburg and Mt. Pleasant to provide high-quality development
standards for commercial and industrial development, including
specific corridor standards along the City's busiest and most
visible thoroughfares.
- 2000/2001- Participated in the countywide Livable
Communities Blueprint Parks and Recreation Master Plan and established
a Kannapolis Parks and Recreation Long Range Plan to prioritize
the ongoing effort to build and renovate parks and add greenways.
- 1999- Annexed 10 square miles southwest of Kannapolis
known as Coddle Creek or Area I for industrial and residential
growth. High-end housing and four business parks are now located
in the area.
- 1998/1999- Sponsored Weaving A Shared Future
visioning process with over 500 citizen volunteers who gave more
than 1,500 hours to define a strategic plan that emphasizes economic
development, parks and recreation, transportation and street improvements,
neighborhood revitalization and history and heritage.
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