City leaders review current priorities

Gastonia Mayor Walker Reid, City Manager Michael Peoples and Economic Development Director Kristy Crisp presented a wide-ranging update on city plans and projects Thursday at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Here are some highlights:

Mayor's Priorities

Reid said his three top priorities are improving Gastonia's image around the region, getting more young people involved in city affairs and working to make Gastonia a more welcoming and diverse community.

Reid praised the local school system for producing students who go on to be successful at colleges and universities, in the military and in business, but, "what (those students) don't do is come back to Gastonia to live and work. We've got to change that."

Reid said the city is working to improve its downtown signage, increase its followers on Facebook and Twitter, and will be hosting a multi-cultural festival downtown this autumn.

Economic Development/FUSE

Crisp emphasized the Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment District is a wide-ranging economic development project and not just about building a new baseball stadium.

The stadium, Peoples said, will be usable not only for baseball but also for football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey and concerts.

"We are looking at having that facility in use and drawing people as many days of the year as possible," he said.

FUSE, Peoples said, will create not only a link between Loray Mill and downtown but will itself be a "comfortable, pedestrian-friendly destination - a catalyst for economic development all around it."

Crisp noted the adjacent Trenton Mill property is already being eyed by six private developers with the expectation that it be converted into 65 to 75 residences, with 140 parking spaces and private investment of around $15 million.

Downtown Homeless

Reid said he thinks the failure of some businesses in the downtown area is not due to the homeless people there but rather to poor planning by some business owners.

"I don't like people using other people as excuses," Reid said, adding that he is open to suggestions as to what can be done to ease the problem, including the possible relocation of the downtown Salvation Army shelter.

Commuter Rail

Peoples said the state is currently studying the feasibility of extending commuter rail service to Gastonia and Kings Mountain at the request of N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore. The study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Water Treatment

Peoples noted that later this year, Gastonia is scheduled to complete a $65 million expansion and upgrade of the water treatment plant on Long Avenue.

The modernized equipment, he noted, will use a high-tech system, called membrane filtration, to remove microscopic contaminants and provide higher levels of safety and quality.

Gastonia’s is the first municipal water plant in North Carolina to use the membrane filtration system in a one-step process to turn lake water into drinking water.

Bill Poteat may be reached at 704-969-1855.