At a time when many towns are working hard just to retain their local businesses, Lake Norman just keeps adding more great options for our lucky area residents!  The growth since my family arrived in 2005 is truly amazing.  When I drive  relocating buyers around the Lake Norman communities I point out many of these recent additions which have added so much variety and convenience to our lifestyles. While growth definitely slowed starting in 2008 we have continued to get some exciting new restaurants and retail stores; and this trend is increasing as our Lake Norman area economy recovers.

Here are some of our latest additions:

Restaurants/Food and Beverages:

• Mooresville Ice Cream Company’s old fashioned ice cream parlor  is celebrating its grand opening at the corner of Broad and Moore Ave this Friday, May 18th. This comes on the heels of the launch of their new Front Porch Carolina Churned Ice Cream Brand featuring “Southern-inspired flavors”  including “Sassy Strawberry, Chocolate Rocker, Blackberry Crumble and Home-style Butter Pecan.” YUM!
• Michael Bay, developer/owner of Mooresville’s old Burlington Mill is planning to open “an authentic, Old World Pizzeria“ on September 25th following the traditions of Naples Italy.  The 120-seat pizzeria will be located on Main St. in the former power house building at the old Mill.  4 brick ovens, all organic…can’t wait!
• The Prickly Pear just opened in their new location next to Vinnie’s on Williamson Rd in Mooresville.  Same great food but now awesome lake view dining as well!
• La Patisserie on Brawley School Rd continues to be a hot spot since opening about a year ago.  GREAT bakery, lunches and Sunday brunch.
• My husband and I have become quite fond of Blu Star Grill which opened recently in the Harris Teeter Shopping Center at the corner of Brawley School and Williamson Rd.  Their main feature is the build your own burger which can start with Black Angus Beef, Bison, Ground Turkey, Chicken Breast or the Black-bean Burger. “Fresh, natural food is what this whole concept is about,” Bass said in a recent Mooresville Weekly article. “We all see a lot about farm-to-fork and using fresh, locally grown/made products in higher-end restaurants, so why not apply that to a fast-casual setting?”
• The Davidson Beverage Co. just opened last week at 442 S. Main Street in Davidson.  This specialty wine and craft beer store not only sells craft beers and wine but has a tasting bar, wide-screen TV, wi-fi as well.  I think this will definitely become a popular hangout very soon!
• Paddy’s Poor House just opened recently in the Shops on The Green in Cornelius.  They offer “upscale pub grub” with a goal of creating a friendly, “Cheers vibe” to attract locals and neighbors.  Owner Tim Flynn, a disabled veteran, was attracted to Lake Norman from New York by our warm weather and nice people.  There is a lot of this going around!
• Now here is a really cool idea: a restaurant/hangout for dogs and dog lovers!  Opening this summer in Cornelius on Hwy 21, Lucky Dog will not only offer many dog services including day care, a doggy park and grooming, but will have The Lucky Dog Bar, serving coffee, espresso, beer, wine and cocktails for the humans that frequent the great dog facility.
• Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opened recently in one of my favorite destinations: Birkdale Village in Huntersville. Bad Daddy’s offers something for everyone, including vegetarians, with great burgers, giant chopped salads, homemade chips.  You can even build your own burger. They offer breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 8-11am.
• Coming soon to Birkdale Village is Bonefish Grill.  More to follow as I find out more. 5/18/12 Update:  Bonefish Grill is now open! This is a restaurant chain and as its name suggests has a wide variety of wood-grilled and baked fishes as well as grilled meats, salads and soups.  The only review I have found was positive so check it out and let us know what you think!

Last week I had a potential Lake Norman homebuyer ask me if we had a Sam’s Club in the area.  Well, guess what?  it was just announced that Sam’s Club plans to locate a new store on Ervin Rd just off Hwy 150 and Morrison Plantation in Mooresville.  Now, if we could get a Whole Foods…anyone listening?

Finally, something I think could only happen in our car crazy area.  The Auto Country Club  is coming.  Yes, a country club for car lovers!  The Auto Country Club will consist of  ten 20,000 sq ft buildings on 27 acres on Hwy 73 in Huntersville.  The club will consist of individual car condominiums that can be customized to the owners specifications.  Each condo can be outfitted with a loft to create your ultimate “Man Cave”?  And, their clubhouse will include a kitchen, lounge, conference room, show room for car events, outside fireplace and grilling area, dining both inside and out.

Have anything to add?  Feel free to email me or leave a comment!

For the 6th time in 8 years, Mooresville-Statesville was named top Microplitan area by Site Magazine thanks to nearly doubling the number of economic development projects in 2011!  And, Governor Perdue recently announced that our state of North Carolina has risen to 4th place for states based upon the number of new and expanded corporate facilities also by Site Magazine.  Both local and state officials say that these awards are evidence of our business-friendly climate.

More evidence of the health of our future ecomony came from a recent Penkse Truck Rental press release that ranked Charlotte in the top 10 of one-way truck rental destinations in the US.

Now, if this isn’t enough evidence of our strong local ecomonic future, guess what “The Donald” said about the Lake Norman area when interviewed recently about his interest in buying The Point Lake and Golf Club  and asked why he targeted the Lake Norman area?

“North Carolina and the Lake Norman Market in particular are a much safer investment than some of the higher-profile resort locations teeming with speculative and unproven markets” according to a recent Business Today article entitled: Trump says Lake Norman market is big draw….Market ‘stable, well occupied’. 

In fact, while in town for his meeting this week with members of The Point Lake and Golf Club in Mooresville, Trump went on to say to the Charlotte Observer:

“We love this piece of land, the lake, the tremendous lake…The views from the (golf) course are magnificent…I think Charlotte has a great future.  I think the whole area is great.  The people, the energy.  That’s why we’re going to be doing this deal…I think we can bring that course to the next level…It will be a magical place.”

Now who am I to question “The Donald”?  Of course, I already think that Lake Norman is a magical place.

More Articles of Interest 

Growth is Creeping Back to Lake Norman

Redline Commuter Rail: Good or Bad Idea?

Lake Norman’s Brawley School Road is has gone from a nightmare to a dream!

Lake Norman is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!

New Restaurants and Retail News in Mooresville Lake Norman

 New Exit 35

When I first started writing this blog in 2007 I used to do regular updates on growth and development in the greater Lake Norman area as did The Charlotte Observer who had a bi-weekly Red Dirt Alert section for Lake Norman. Since the slow down, when most developing simply screeched to a halt, I have provided updates every now and then about the status of major and small developments.  Today I am happy to report there is quite a bit more “red dirt” to be seen around Lake Norman including new housing construction!

As I write this, there are 54 Active Listings in Area 13/ Lake Norman of new homes built in or due to be completed in 2012. New homes are going up in The Farms, The Point, The Peninsula, Pointe Regatta, Sailview, Westport, Pebble Bay, Fernleaf/Woodleaft and more!

Here is an update on some of the larger projects:

• Substantial grading is going on at Phase 1 of Langtree  at the Lake at Exit 31
• Construction is well under way on the luxury apartments in the Mooresville Town Square: Fountains Town Square
• Mattamy Homes’ at Waterlynn are building
• Work has been started at The Legacy Cornelius along Westmoreland Road after years of waiting.  The multi-family units are expected to be completed this year

Above is an aerial photo of Antiquity in Cornelius which has been marked by the developer.  According to an article in CorneliusNew.net “Five years later, steady progress in Antiquity” there are now 208 households living on the 130-acre site.  The current plan has been modified from its original 1,000 units to 413 for-purchase residential units plus 94 rental apartments.  The developers are now planning for the commercial and business core of the site to have condominiums above first-floor shops, stores and offices which will be built in phases.

When my husband and I first moved to Lake Norman in 2005 we thought the amount of construction in the entire Lake Norman area was almost out of control so  perhaps the slowdown did help the future of Lake Norman by making developers smarter and our towns more thoughtful about what they approve.  It is very nice to see our red dirt again!

Related Articles

Redline Commuter Rail: Good or Bad Idea?

Lake Norman’s Brawley School Road is has gone from a nightmare to a dream!

Lake Norman is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!

New Restaurants and Retail News in Mooresville Lake Norman

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Business of the Week: La Patisserie Cafe and Bakery

For 15 years there has been a planning effort among state and local officials to create what is being called the Red Line project; a 25-mile commuter train that will run east of I-77  and link Charlotte to Harris, Eastfield, Hambright, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and end at Mount Mourne in south Mooresville.

To me the benefits are obvious: cutting traffic on I-77 and helping commuters who work in Charlotte but wish to live in the Lake Norman area.  Opponents of the plan unfortunately include a large chunk of Iredell County elected Officials and several Cornelius town board members who balk at the taxes, proposed development along the line and feel it will benefit just a few.

This past Wednesday, November 30th, consultants outlined a 5-year plan to build the Red Line Regional Rail which included a formal partnership among local governments, the state and Charlotte Area Transportation System.  According to an article by Christina Rogers in Cornelius.net, “Under the proposed plan, the partners would cooperate by setting up a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) which would govern construction and operations costs: 25% from CATS, 25% from the state of North Carolina, and 50% from local governments….The plan…fleshes out how the towns would meet their obligation, and it won’t mean increased taxes for individual homeowners….Instead, under th proposed plan, towns would pay for the rail through revenues expected to result from the increased value of property along the rail line.”

There is a ton of detailed information about the Red Line on the Cornelius News.Net Blog.  They have some great links including this one of the map:

http://corneliusnews.net/Documents/2011/113011%20Red%20Line%20Business%20Plan/RLRR%20Corridor%20Map.pdf

Want to get involved or learn more?

There will be a 4-hour public meeting on December 13th from 10:00am – 2:00pm at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Historic Downtown Mooresville.  You can also learn more at the Lake Norman Transportation Commission’s website.

Please share with my readers your thoughts, experience or any feedback from these meetings!

Additional Articles 

Economic News Provides Insight into the future of Lake Norman Real Estate

Lake Norman and Charlotte Remain at the Top of  the List of Places to Live

A Glimpse Into Post Recession Lake Norman Real Estate

Lake Norman Area is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!

Lake Norman Real Estate: Is Mooresville Really Bucking the Recession?

Lake Norman Real Estate: Wow! A Lot of Good News!

Looking at a variety of local and state economic and business news is an important component of gaining insight into the future direction of our Lake Norman real estate market.  I collect such data from various news sources for several months and then share them with you in one blog post with the goal of helping you get a better understanding of the bigger picture in our area’s economy.  This stack of data shows some glimmer of hope:

• ISI Alams announced on 10/5/11 that they will be moving their headquarters and call center to Downtown Mooresville.  (From Concord). This move will include an expansion and, according to CEO Jayson Walker, will  employ about 150 workers within two years.

• Forest City Land Group has requested a rezoning of property on N.C. 801 in Mooresville for their Cotton Creek housing development; increasing the number of single family homes from 655 to 1,100.  While this is a long-term project, it is a positive sign to see developers moving forward with the planning and construction of new homes after years of inactivity and even shutdowns.

• “Facebook ‘likes’ North Carolina, and it’s investing here” according to a Charlotte Observer article on 10/5/11.  The first of Facebook’s 3-building data center is scheduled to go online in March, 2012 about 75 miles west of Charlotte.  The $450 million data center will serve the Eastern U.S. and Europe. This announcement “underscores state officials’ efforts to lure high-profile companies to North Carolina …with the help of incentives including our low-cost electricity, ready access to water and significant building incentives”.  Facebook will join Google, Apple, Time Warner Cable as part of North Carolina’s “data hub”.

• North Carolina ranks as Number 16 cyberstate according to The Triangle Business Journal on 10/10/2011.  TechAmerica Foundations’ annual report stated that North Carolina currently employs 145,700 tech workers.  North Carolina computers and peripheral equipment manufacturing which employs 11,000 ranks 4th nationwide after California, Texas and Massachusetts.

• North Carolina ranks 5th in corporate relocations according to another article in The Triangle Business Journal on 8/17/11. “An Atlas Van Lines migration study shows that North Carolina continues to rank among the strongest states in the country as a corporate relocation destination.”

• North Carolina was 8th in the “Top 10 States for Venture Capital” rankings according to an 8/9/11 article in The Triangle Business Journal.

• “Charlotte among Forbes’ top potential boom cities” was the headline of an article in the Charlotte Business Journal on 7/14/11.  Charlotte ranked 8th on the list “mainly because of its mild climate, low housing prices and relatively small size, which allows it to avoid transportation bottlenecks that strangle larger cities like Atlanta”.  They also considered the Charlotte Airport and Charlotte’s investment in its infrastructure.

• North Carolina is the second-least-expensive state for mortgage closing costs according to a new survey from Bankrate Inc.  I can support these findings as I hear this from many of my relocation clients who are very pleased when they find out their actual closing costs are so low!

• Charlotte ranked 47th in job increases out of all of the U.S’s metropolitan areas according to an article on 10/4/11 in the Triangle Business Journal.

RELATED ARTICLES

Lake Norman and Charlotte Remain at the Top of  the List of Places to Live

A Glimpse Into Post Recession Lake Norman Real Estate

Lake Norman Area is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!

Lake Norman Real Estate: Is Mooresville Really Bucking the Recession?

Lake Norman Real Estate: Wow! A Lot of Good News!