Major developments spur growth in western Stanly County

This article was written for our sponsor, Stanly County Economic Development.

According to census data from 2020, the Charlotte metro area grew by just under 2% in a year's span — which translates to around 44,000 people. As the city's population continues to steadily tick upwards, neighboring towns and counties are sharing in that growth.

In western Stanly County, recent announcements like the expansion of the Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company and the relocation of the American Racing Headers are spurring residential and commercial growth in the area.

"We're really gearing up for a big wave of commercial development here. Over the next 18 months, we're going to see projects with as much commercial growth as we had in the prior 10 years in terms of the number of new construction and new businesses coming in here," said Cesar Correa, city administrator for the City of Locust. "In Locust specifically, the Town Center is going to see a lot of change. We have a brewery planned, which is going to be the first step of a multi-venture project that's going to set the foundation for the Town Center to become pedestrian friendly."

According to Correa, the area around the Locust Town Center is also slated for patio homes and townhome construction, and new homes are in high demand.

In fact, residential construction as a whole has taken off in the county, particularly in the western region.

"We like to shoot for permitting at least 40 new houses per year, but for the last five years, the lowest number of houses we've done in one given year was 80. So our residential growth has been double what we would like to see in order to avoid increasing our tax rate," said Correa. "I think we're going to be hitting 80 to 100 permits for new construction homes for the next three to five years. With the growth coming out of Charlotte, we should see our population be above 5,000, which would hopefully open up other opportunities for commercial growth and development in this area."

Locust isn't the only town in Stanly County that's experiencing this level of residential growth.

Joseph Burleson, a residential developer at Whitley Realty, has been involved in the real estate development and construction industry his entire life. After his father spent his career in the business, Burleson followed in his footsteps.

According to Burleson, there are several single-family developments in the works that are being constructed with both regional and national builders, as well as local contractors working on custom builds. Current residential projects are scattered across the county and include Forest Creek, Garmon Mill Estates, Park View and The Oaks at St. Martin, among others.

In total, the new residential developments will be adding roughly one thousand properties to the housing inventory.

"The county has worked really hard on attracting businesses here on the economic development side, which is another reason why we want to make sure we're providing products for the folks who are moving here and getting jobs," said Burleson. "Charlotte has established itself as a financial center, and the business-friendly climate that we have in North Carolina is going to continue to attract people from other areas. As Charlotte continues to grow, areas like Stanly County will keep growing, too."

In Oakboro, the Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the community, bringing hundreds of jobs into the area, as well. With one of the lowest tax rates in the Piedmont, Stanly County hopes to maintain those low tax rates and attract businesses both large and small, nationally and locally.

In addition to the tax rate, the county also has a general aviation airport and a top-ranked community college. Another Stanly County educational institution, Pfeiffer University, recently expanded into downtown Albemarle with their state-of-the-art Center for Health Sciences, bringing traffic from students and professors to the historic downtown.

"We're all experiencing a Renaissance, and in downtown Albemarle, hundred-year-old buildings and hotels are being converted to condominiums and restaurants. The area is undergoing a transformation. I'm located right on the square of Albemarle, and I'm very proud of the things I'm seeing," said Charles Brown, local attorney and member of the Stanly County Economic Development Board. "For new businesses coming to Stanly County, they will find business-friendly government and policies and leadership that's focused on doing what they can to help that growth."

This article was written for our sponsor, Stanly County Economic Development.