Historic Downtown Gastonia Enjoys a Renaissance
business, courthouse, downtown revitalization, real estate, renovating,
Historic downtown Gastonia is getting a face-lift.
The city has invested $6.3 million in renovating the 1911 Gaston County Courthouse, which now houses the James B. Garland Municipal Business Center, a one-stop government service facility.
And Gastonia’s downtown area is attracting consumers from outside the city for a more laid-back shopping experience, says Rachel Bagley, director of communications and marketing for the city of Gastonia.
“Retail is really bustling,” Bagley says. “People come from Shelby, Kings Mountain and Charlotte to do shopping that may be too busy elsewhere. The thing I hear people say all the time is that they use Gastonia as the place to come to find the sizes they can’t find. And it’s a little less hectic-ness while shopping.”
Downtown Gastonia is a 49-acre business district with 1.1 million square feet of – mainly – historic buildings.
Today, city officials and private businesses are working together to invest in downtown’s thriving future.
In addition to retail shops opening up new storefronts, plans are under way to restore new life to a former textile factory. At nearly 600,000 square feet, the Loray Mill was the largest factory of its kind when it was built in 1902. Plans call for transforming the space into residential lofts and condominiums, with a charter school, retail shops and offices.
Story by Carol Cowan
