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Kannapolis updates chamber on its needs

By Karen Cimino Wilson | Independent Tribune

Published: August 21, 2009

Kannapolis has come along way since it incorporated 25 years ago, but it still needs a city hall, a police station and economic development downtown, Mayor Bob Misenheimer told Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce members on Thursday.

Misenheimer presented a "State of the City" address at the chamber luncheon attended by government and business leaders from across the county, including Cabarrus County Manager John Day, Cabarrus Commissioner Chairman Jay White and several others.

"Kannapolis started from scratch in 1984," Misenheimer said. "We've come a long way, but we need a lot of things."

Kannapolis, which has about 40,000 residents, incorporated in 1984. It was built around the Pillowtex textile plant, which closed in 2003. Now the city is reinventing itself as a center for research with the North Carolina Research Campus, a $1.5 billion life sciences center that brings eight universities to one site.

But work on the research campus has stalled in the last year due to the economy, Misenheimer said.

The city had planned to issue about $168 million in Tax Increment Financing bonds to continue to expand the campus, but is delaying that action, he said.

"The economic downturn has put a damper on development of the North Carolina Research Campus," Misenheimer said. "We felt we could not ask the citizens of Cabarrus County to underwrite that debt at this time."

Misenheimer said Kannapolis has been adding more services over the years and will need its own city hall and a police station in the near future.

Currently, Kannapolis' main administrative offices are at 246 Oak Ave., Kannapolis. The police department is split into two locations on South Main Street, Misenheimer said. They need to be moved into one facility.

Misenheimer said he would give Kannapolis a grade of "D" or "F" for roads and streets.

"The majority of roads in Kannapolis are substandard," he said, adding decisions made before the city was incorporated have cost the city money.