Growing Gaston: emerging from the shadow of its big-city neighbor, the states 10th most-populous county is leveraging its manufacturing past to welcome residents, add amenities and grow businesses.
Author | Blake, Kathy |
Position | REGIONAL REPORT: GASTON COUNTY |
Gaston County's deep textile heritage spins around Loray Mill. Built almost 120 years ago near downtown Gastonia, it had three times as many spindles as the county's next largest mill. The promise of a steady paycheck caught the attention of many people. "When they opened the mills, they brought people from the mountains to work them," says Mike
Sumner, vice president of Gastonia-based marketing and advertising agency The Sumner Group. "They lived their whole lives in the mill villages and shopped and went to church there."
Loray's production peaked in the 1920s, when it was the world's largest mill under one roof and employed about 3,500. It closed in 1993, but its story doesn't end there. Atlanta-based Camden Management Partners and Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.-based JBS Ventures Inc. have spent about $45 million to convert a large portion of its 600,000 square feet into 189 modern apartments and 80,000 square feet of commercial space, including an athletic club and soon-to-open microbrewery.
The Catawba River has long been seen as the divider between big-city Mecklenburg County and small-town Gaston County. But while its waters continue to flow, that distinction is disappearing. Projects such as Loray are accelerating Gaston's economy in ways that mirror its eastern neighbor. Sumner says businesses and people are discovering great value in Gaston. "People know they can get more for their housing dollar and a better quality of life here. Realtors are heavily involved with developments along the waterfront in Belmont and Mount Holly"
Bob Clay is a partner at Charlotte-based real-estate company Coldwell Banker Commercial MECA's Belmont office. He has seen Gaston grow during the 25 years that he has called it home. He says growth takes a predictable course, expanding from a region's largest city, in this case Charlotte. "So the eastern edge [of Gaston County] is the biggest growth area, near Belmont, Mount Holly and McAdenville. That's the folks who work in the towers [in downtown Charlotte] and at [Charlotte Douglas International] airport." Some of them are choosing to live near Robinwood Lane in Gastonia, where Gaston Family YMCA is building a $16 million waterfront center. Harris Teeter and Publix recently opened grocery stores nearby. Others will purchase homes, from $1 million custom creations to $250,000 low-maintenance cottages, in New York-based Northwood Investors LLC's 800-home McLean development, which is going up on about 670 acres near the confluence of the Catawba and South Fork rivers.
In downtown Belmont, which recently won two N.C. Department of Commerce North Carolina Main Street awards. Chronicle Mill stands on land once owned by Major William Chronicle, who led local militiamen--the South Fork Boys--and fought across the Carolinas before being killed in the Battle of Kings Mountain, a turning point in the American Revolution. The mill operated from 1902 to 2010, was the first to use air conditioning and, combined with other local mills, employed 60% of the city's workforce.
John and Jennifer Church purchased Chronicle for $2.50,000 in 2013 with the intention of demolishing the building and selling the land. But their plans changed. "The demo technicians have to take those mills down in layers," Jennifer says. "They're created in layers on layers to preserve the constant climate inside the mill. When they found those beautiful, arched windows, we fell in love with doing an adaptive reuse of the building. And the city was very supportive of that concept."
Chronicle's 140,000 square feet will become space for retail, offices and events as large as a .500-person dinner. Plans include a 1,200-square-foot amphitheater, ample parking and a boutique hotel. "It's probably a $22 million project, and if you add a hotel on the east end, that's another $10 to $15 million," John says. "When you attach a hotel to event and meeting space, it's a natural driver to make it a success." Construction should begin next year
The mill's history, including connections to the Stowes--one of Gaston's most prominent textile families--won't be lost in transformation. "We will honor that rich, architectural history that you see on Main Street...
To continue reading
Request your trialCOPYRIGHT GALE, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.