SALISBURY — County leaders are expected to look at renaming the now county-owned Salisbury Mall at the first commissioners meeting of the year.
Vice Chairman Craig Pierce has suggested “West End Plaza.”
Pierce pitched the re-naming idea to county officials in an email last week. He told the Post on Monday he hopes to see the name reflect the “public-private partnership” of the complex.
“I was just trying to put something together so it would lose its identity as being the mall,” Pierce said.
The county purchased the 300,000-square-foot structure earlier this month for $3.425 million and plans to fill vacant sections of the mall with county departments.
County officials said they will continue to honor contracts with business tenants and will be open to bringing in more commercial properties.
On Dec. 26, Pierce asked commissioners to visit the naming issue at a Jan. 6 meeting.
“With the recent purchase of the old Salisbury Mall, I suggest that we rename that property as the current name does not represent its intent or purpose,” Pierce wrote. “Keeping in mind that this is a true public-private partnership, I would want to keep the name of the property away from identifying it as strictly a government center.
“I nominate the name of West End Plaza and would like to have additional name selections before our January 6th meeting,” he wrote. “I ask that this be added to our agenda and for our commissioners to consider naming this property during that meeting.”
The county would be open to changing the name to a more governmental title, Pierce said, like “Rowan County Government Center,” if only county departments occupied the complex.
Until then, he said, he hopes to see the facility take on a broader feel.
“What we’re trying to do is come up with something that identifies the location of the facility without making it sound governmental,” Pierce said. “That’s why my suggestion was the West End Plaza.”
Contact reporter Nathan Hardin at 704-797-4246.