Commercial Truck Insurance in Concord, NC

CONCORD, N.C. — After the holidays, the city says downtown construction will move up Union Street. Leaders say they understand why businesses are frustrated but they are committed to making sure they make it through.

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“The overriding question was, ‘What are you willing to give up from cars and give to people?’” said Steve Osborne, the planning director.

After asking businesses and residents that question in 2019, Concord leaders decided on the downtown streetscape project. It will reduce the road and expand the sidewalks to 22 feet wide.

“It just creates a more welcoming place for the community to come and enjoy our downtown,” said Paige Grochoske, the manager for Downtown Development.

It will give more room for businesses and pedestrians and improve landscaping and infrastructure.

“More space for pedestrians. More space for outdoor dining cafes. We’ve got some great streetlights that are coming in, as well as updating the critical infrastructure throughout the street, including water sewer, storm drain, and some of the electrical support for those poles,” said Kaylee Caton, the design manager.

Concord leaders say they understand this hasn’t been easy for downtown businesses and residents. As Channel 9 reported last week, many are reporting slumping sales and the Cabarrus Creamery is temporarily closing as a result.

“It’s our goal to continue to bring people downtown to support these businesses,” Grochoske said.

The city is posting construction updates online and working with groups to offer things, such as Google and social media support to businesses. The city is also offering a matching grant for facade and signage improvements and says business and building property owners can apply.

Contractually, the construction has a substantial completion date of July 2, 2024. However, the city expects some landscaping to be completed in Fall 2024. The contractor may file requests for extensions for reasons beyond its control. The city says examples include weather events and natural disasters, epidemics, or design issues with unknown existing utilities, which result in work stoppages.

Any request for extensions must be approved by the city.

The contract includes liquidated damages of $250 per day past the contract’s substantial completion date.

Press + Porter owner Emily Cordero says she will be watching this closely.

“I’m glad it’s on record,” she said. “They still have to go two more blocks and six months seems like it’ll be here before we know it. So I’ll really be surprised that that July date sticks.”

City leaders give Concord City Council monthly updates on the project and its meetings.

Click here for the most recent construction updates.

VIDEO: Business owners blindsided as part of Union Street to close in Concord through summer

The downtown Concord Streetscape project continues to progress, as the city is currently updating the aging underground infrastructure between the midblock crosswalk and Cabarrus Avenue.

The next phase of the project will likely begin sometime in late spring/early summer, though it is very much weather dependent. This will involve tackling the infrastructure on Union Street in the Cabarrus Avenue intersection before moving from Cabarrus to Killarney Avenue. Once north of the Cabarrus intersection, however, there is not as much work that needs to be completed compared with the previous sections of Union Street.

“The hard infrastructure is behind us,” said Planning and Neighborhood Development Director Steve Osborne. “If you look at the plans (for Cabarrus to Killarney), there’s fewer services and the utilities are smaller.”

Construction fencing as part of this upcoming phase will be from Cabarrus to Killarney. The downtown parking spots outside places like The Hotel Concord and Hawthorne’s NY Pizza will no longer be available during this new phase of work.

Work in the Cabarrus Avenue intersection will take place during the day, per NCDOT, and merchants in the vicinity will receive at least a two-week notice before the intersection is closed, said the city’s Design Manager Kaylee Caton.

As the city updates the infrastructure from the midblock to Cabarrus, surface-level streetscape work, which includes expanding the sidewalks, is currently taking place from Corban to the midblock; once that is finished, streetscape work will begin from the midblock to Cabarrus.

“We will start seeing, by the summer, a lot of that work from Corban up to Cabarrus being completed because you will get the sidewalks in as you’re moving up (toward Killarney),” Caton said.

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Throughout the duration of the Streetscape project, the construction crews have been “really diligent” about working as best they can around the schedules of the small businesses. “When they’re at the stage of actually connecting the water service, they try to do that on a day that merchants are closed or the hours that they’re closed,” said Downtown Development Manager Paige Grochoske.

Substantial completion of the project, which includes finalizing the infrastructure and sidewalk streetscape work for the remaining portions of Union Street, should be completed sometime this fall.

Though people have at times expressed annoyance and frustration with some of the shifting walking paths through Union, residents should have a greater appreciation for downtown once the project is completed, city officials told the paper.

“We’re excited for the whole streetscape to be very accessible in the end,” Grochoske said, noting it will be “more accessible than it ever has been” to better accommodate people with disabilities and those with mobility problems.

More details about the streetscape project timeline can be found on the city’s downtown streetscape page and its construction updates page. If people have questions, they can call the Planning Department at 704-920-5152.

Despite the ongoing construction work, it has been a busy start of the year for the downtown, as four new businesses have opened since January: Market 94 (46 Union St. South), Cellar Door Wine Shop (2 Union St. South), The Palmetto Market (11 Cabarrus Ave. West) and Local Bottle Shop (9 Union St. North, Suite 110).

A key upcoming event is Art Walk on Union, which is co-hosted by the Cabarrus Arts Council and will be on April 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A North Carolina dog led rescuers to other animals in need of help — then came a touching adoption.

Hero the dog got a new home after she ran away from “horrific” conditions. Her harrowing escape helped rescuers find about 40 other animals and bring them to safety, according to the Humane Society of Concord & Greater Cabarrus County.

“We’ve given her a name that’s worthy of her and a last name of Salvare, which means to save and protect,” the Charlotte-area animal shelter wrote Jan. 10 in a Facebook post.

Hero — a basset hound believed to be at least 10 years old — got her second chance after she was found in a “poor” condition, with protruding bones and dirty fur. She also had a bladder infection, heartworms and nails so long that she had trouble walking, officials said.

“Despite Hero’s sad back story, she’s proof that dogs are resilient creatures that only show love that is unconditional,” the shelter wrote.

As of Jan. 10, the shelter hoped to find a new owner for Hero, described as a “friendly” dog that greets people “with the softness of a sweet old lady.” Officials believed she would do best in a quiet home as she continued her recovery.

“She’s an incredibly sweet and easy going girl that just wants to spend her time cuddled up on her blankets or in the company of someone,” the shelter wrote.

Then on Jan. 11, the humane society shared the heartwarming update that Hero was adopted.

At least three other dogs rescued from the “horrific” situation in late 2023 were in need of homes. People interested in adopting them are asked to call 704-784-7387, according to social media posts.

The humane society, located roughly 25 miles northeast of Charlotte, didn’t immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on Jan. 12.

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord family is fighting to keep their chickens.

“We moved here to North Carolina from a big city,” Sommer Celmer said. “We knew nothing about chickens three years ago.”

ALSO READ: After noise complaint, neighbor says loud music protects chickens

But her family has since learned about the birds, especially how good they’ve been emotionally for 11-year-old Nathanial.

“His diagnosis is very rare. It’s called pachygyria and polymicrogyria. It’s a rare brain malformation,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

Nathanial doesn’t speak and, unlike dogs or cats, the chickens come to him without him having to call them.

Celmer says they got the chickens in 2021. She says they checked the City of Concord’s rules -- thought it was OK -- and that no one said otherwise until code enforcement paid them a visit this month.

“My kids were bawling. They were like, ‘Can we sell the house?’ That was their reaction,” she said.

According to Concord’s rules, you can’t have chickens inside the city limits, unless you use your land for agriculture. The Celmers don’t. But they say they’ve been talking to City staff.

“They are working with us,” she said.

They have two main options:

They like the second option better, which would allow other Concord families that don’t have farms either to have chickens too.

“It could be beneficial for everybody,” Celmer said. “We’re hoping, we’re praying it works out.”

People have tried to get the city to allow chickens before, in 2012 and 2017. But city council said no.

If you’d like to propose an amendment in Concord, click here. If you have any questions, call the Concord Planning Department at 704-920-5152.

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Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has chosen Concord to emerge publicly for the first time after years of controversy.

Spacey will appear all three days at the Mad Monster Party 2024 con at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Feb. 16-18.

Fellow Hollywood stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Lou Diamond Phillips and Taryn Manning also are scheduled to appear, along with “The Dukes of Hazzard” stars John Schneider and Tom Wopat and WWE wrestling legend Kane.

Spacey vanished from the Big Screen in 2017 after dozens of sexual assault allegations.

Less than a day after Spacey was accused of sexually harassing a minor more than 30 years ago, Netflix announced it would end its Emmy-winning “House of Cards” show after its final season in production, but without Spacey in the starring role or as an executive producer.

Spacey was never convicted of any charges, but the allegations tarnished him.

“His career imploded,” The Hollywood Reporter put it less gently in an article Wednesday about Spacey’s planned Concord appearance.

Spacey is on a comeback tour promoting his thriller film “Peter Five Eight” that’s scheduled for limited release on March 22, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

His Concord appearance also will be his first ever at a con, show organizers said on Facebook.

Angry comments appeared on the Mad Monster Party 2024 con site after organizers announced Spacey on the site Wednesday and Thursday.

Most all of the negative remarks quickly vanished from the site, although TMZ published a screenshot of some of the negative reaction in an article headlined, “Kevin Spacey Heading to Horror Con after Acquittal ... Social Media Users Object.”

Convention officials didn’t reply to an email request for comment from The Charlotte Observer on Friday.

On Facebook, show organizers say only that they’re “excited to welcome” the two-time Academy Award winner. No table selfies will be allowed.

“We will be offering House of Cards, The Usual Suspects ‘Line Up,’ and Se7en ‘What’s in the Box?’ Pro Photo-Ops,” organizers posted on Facebook.

Spacey appears in a 22-second video promo on the Mad Monster Facebook site.

“Hi, everybody, it’s Kevin Spacey here, your Maaaad Monster coming to Concord, North Carolina, February 16th through the 18th. That’s right: All three days. I’m looking forward to getting there.”

(Hint to his p.r. team: It’s “Concord,” not “Concurd.” They say it that way up North, not in the South. Although people from around the world live here now, it’s still the South, and of that we’re sure proud.)

In the video, Spacey also thanked his fans for their support “through all these years. It’s meant so much to me, and I hope you can make it. It would be nice to meet you in person.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2024, 2:50 PM.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify that Netflix announced that “House of Cards” would end after its final season in production but without Kevin Spacey’s involvement.