Thank you for this information. I had understood that area to be poised to develop a "downtown" feel: a live/work/shop/play/eat spot similar to Huntersville's Birkedale. We need more ways to come together in community here. When I look at the Hickory Tri-business area mentioned, it appears to be just an ugly conglomeration of warehouses. Can we, locals, speak into this? Can we ask for beautification? For architecture informed building? Can we keep our area beautiful with some understanding of that space needing some storefronts which serve the community? What would it take to consider the community in this build? I feel very nervous we will just turn into an industrial park space which uglifies the landscape. I only see this a bunch of uninspired warehouses for us to have to pass by on our way to 4 lane Hwy 16. Is there anything which can be done to have our voices heard?
The "downtown" development you're thinking of is BridgeWater, a development planned by development company Crosland Southeast for the side of NC-150 opposite this upcoming business park. It is plausible that both this business park and BridgeWater will be built. Unfortunately, it's also plausible that only the business park will be built, as Crosland Southeast has been putting off development of BridgeWater for nearly two decades at this point. The county is slow, but not that slow.
The best way to influence how the business park is developed is to attend the public Catawba County commissioner meetings, which take place twice a month at the Catawba County Justice Center in Newton. The public is given time for comment at the beginning of these meetings. If you happen to live over the Lincoln County line, they may be less willing to listen to you.
We agree we need more ways to come together as a community - that's part of why this paper was formed - but it will take work from all of us citizens. It is possible that the commissioners, most of whom are from Hickory or other western Catawba County areas, do not know enough about our area to know what we need. In other words, it may be that we have not because we ask not!
That is an apartment complex development, unrelated to BridgeWater. It adjoins the BidgeWater site but is not part of the project, and is solely residential.
Thank you for this information. I had understood that area to be poised to develop a "downtown" feel: a live/work/shop/play/eat spot similar to Huntersville's Birkedale. We need more ways to come together in community here. When I look at the Hickory Tri-business area mentioned, it appears to be just an ugly conglomeration of warehouses. Can we, locals, speak into this? Can we ask for beautification? For architecture informed building? Can we keep our area beautiful with some understanding of that space needing some storefronts which serve the community? What would it take to consider the community in this build? I feel very nervous we will just turn into an industrial park space which uglifies the landscape. I only see this a bunch of uninspired warehouses for us to have to pass by on our way to 4 lane Hwy 16. Is there anything which can be done to have our voices heard?
The "downtown" development you're thinking of is BridgeWater, a development planned by development company Crosland Southeast for the side of NC-150 opposite this upcoming business park. It is plausible that both this business park and BridgeWater will be built. Unfortunately, it's also plausible that only the business park will be built, as Crosland Southeast has been putting off development of BridgeWater for nearly two decades at this point. The county is slow, but not that slow.
The best way to influence how the business park is developed is to attend the public Catawba County commissioner meetings, which take place twice a month at the Catawba County Justice Center in Newton. The public is given time for comment at the beginning of these meetings. If you happen to live over the Lincoln County line, they may be less willing to listen to you.
We agree we need more ways to come together as a community - that's part of why this paper was formed - but it will take work from all of us citizens. It is possible that the commissioners, most of whom are from Hickory or other western Catawba County areas, do not know enough about our area to know what we need. In other words, it may be that we have not because we ask not!
What is currently being built on the south side of 150 behind the Food Lion shopping center? Is the Bridgewater you refer to?
That is an apartment complex development, unrelated to BridgeWater. It adjoins the BidgeWater site but is not part of the project, and is solely residential.
We had a short blurb about it not too long ago:
https://www.chroniclechronicle.com/p/apartment-development-underway-near?r=5wfajc