Members of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission got a look Wednesday at
plans for what probably will be their new quarters, which they will share with the Chamber
of Commerce and the county’s tourism agency.The development commission found it good.
At the commission’s monthly
meeting, Pete Teague, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Facilities Task Force
Committee, presented updated plans, complete with architect’s renderings and
elevations, for the chamber’s business center in the 200 block of East Innes Street.
He said the task force aimed not only to create new facilities for the chamber but also to
incorporate “sister economic development organizations to get all of us under one
roof and working together the way we need to.”
He said the chamber wants “to
be a player in the redevelopment of a very important area of Salisbury.”
Teague said the current plans
include a slight shift from earlier plans in the building’s location because Downtown
Salisbury Inc. bought three buildings to preserve them. Now the chamber building will be
closer to the square, with parking behind the building.
Bill Monroe of WGM Design, an
architectural firm in Charlotte, did the plans.
The Economic Development
Commission will occupy 2,460 feet on the second floor and include a 22-by-22-foot
“war room” as well as an office for the director, three other offices, a
reception/work area and a kitchenette.
The Economic Development
Commission board voted unanimously to accept a lease of at least six years. The cost of
first two years will be $18,000 per year, including all expenses such as utilities and
janitorial services. For the remaining four years, the commission will share costs with
other occupants of the building. Teague said he estimated that cost would be about $20,000
a year.
Two agencies that support the
development commission will help pay for the move. The county will pay $9,000 a year
toward the cost of leasing and the City of Salisbury has also indicated willingness to
contribute, although the exact amount hasn’t been settled.
Development commission board
member Jim Morton asked about the amount of public space in the building. Teague said it
was clearly larger than usual, “a real showpiece lobby that says, ‘This is
Rowan.’ ”
Jake Alexander Jr., chairman of
the development board, said it’s an imperfect world and the development commission
has little use for the lobby space, which they will, nevertheless, help pay for. But the
cost per square foot is still significantly below market price, he said.
Bob Wright, Chamber of Commerce
president, told the board the project was coming together as the result of more than 31
Teague and the task force left the
development commission meeting to make a similar presentation to the Rowan County
Convention and Visitors Bureau, which also agreed to become a tenant, with a few
conditions on such issues as signs.
Wright said they hope to break
ground this fall and have the building ready for occupancy by fall 2000.
In other business, development
commission Executive Director Randy Harrell presented the board with an activities report
detailing 29 contacts he worked on during the past month. Among them, Harrell:
- Met with Skeeter Powell, a
contractor, about his interest in doing business in Rowan County.
- Met with Mickey Williams, of the
Trigon company, about his interest in property in Salisbury.
- Attended the chamber’s annual
trip to Raleigh for Small Business Day to meet with Rowan County’s state legislators.
- Met with Rob Wright of First Union
in Charlotte for an update on activities in Rowan County.
- Attended the N.C. Economic
Developers Association Conference in Atlantic Beach and ended his term as president of the
state association.
Harrell also said the Economic
Development Commission needs a logo to create an identity and will work on that. |
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