Charlotte Regional Economical Development Guide 2008

Page 58

CABARRU S COUNTY

C

CABARRUS COUNTY POPULATION

Cabarrus County is located

northeast of Charlotte, N.C., along the I-85 corridor. It was named after Stephen Cabarrus, speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives in 1793, who cast the deciding vote to create the new county. Today, Cabarrus is one of the fastest growing counties in North Carolina, with an expected population growth of 13.9 percent between 2007 and 2012. Low costs, a central location and great accessibility make Cabarrus County an ideal business location. Concord, Cabarrus County’s largest city established in 1796, was named as a symbol of harmony after much lively discussion about whether the center of trade should be in the northern or southern part of the county. Concord began as a small hamlet and became the major cotton market for an area that included parts of several surrounding counties.

Density of Population per Square Mile 0 - 1,100

5,501 - 6,600

11,001 - 12,100

1,101 - 2,200

6, 601 - 7,700

12,101 - 13,200

2,201 - 3,300

7,701 - 8,800

13, 201 - 14,300

3,301 - 4,400

8,801 - 9,900

14,301 - 15,400

4,401 - 5,500

9,901 - 11,000

15,401 - 16,500

As an example of the area’s transition away from textiles, Kannapolis is home to the 350-acre North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC), emerging on the site of the former Pillowtex Corp. headquar© ESRI 2007

CABARRUS COUNTY COMMUNITY™ TAPESTRY™

ters and manufacturing site. The NCRC is quickly becoming a biotechnology magnet for academic/industry collaboration. Dole Foods owner David Murdock has personally funded a $900,000 one-of-a-kind nuclear magnetic-resonance imager for the Core Laboratory. This tool will allow researchers to more closely study molecules by stretching and magnifying them.

Kannapolis

Murdock, Duke University, the UNC System, the N.C. Community College System and other institutions of higher education, as well as sev-

85

eral private corporations are working together at this $1.5 billion life-sciMount Pleasant

ences hub. Ultimately, the NCRC is expected to include over one million

Concord

square feet of office and laboratory space, 350,000 square feet of new

29

retail and commercial space, and approximately 700 new residential units, Harrisburg

employing approximately 5,000 people in research positions and creating as many as 30,000 jobs.

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Cabarrus County is also a key location for the motorsports industry. It is home to Lowe’s Motor Speedway, a new state-of-the-art Dragway, numerous NASCAR race teams, the Concord Regional Airport (“NASCAR Air Force”), Windshear, a $40 million wind tunnel facility and the NASCAR Research and Development Center. Tapestry by Block Group

Today, the city of 65,180 is home to two of the top 10 tourist attrac-

LifeMode Name

56

Factories & Farms

Global Roots

Metropolis

American Quilt

Traditional Living

Solo Acts

Senior Styles

High Hopes

Upscale Avenues

Family Portrait

Scholars & Patriots

High Society

tions in the state: Concord Mills Mall, with over 200 stores, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It also boasts the fourth busiest airport in North Carolina, Concord Regional Airport, which has no commercial traffic, yet © ESRI 2007

averages 75 flights daily in general aviation.

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