movingmooresvilleforward.weebly.com...a!detailed !demographic!analysis!of!the!mooresville&south...
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changed!and!changing!economic!environment…!
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Table!of!Contents:!
!
!
! Introduction!
!
! Process!and!Partners!
!
! Vision!
!
! Assets!and!Challenges!
!
! Goals!
!
! Economic!Development!Analysis!
!
! Cluster!Comparison!
!
! Education!
!
! Workforce!
!
! Transportation!
!
! Recommendations!
!
! Acknowledgements!
!
! Appendix!I:!!Mooresville!by!the!Numbers,!Economic!Development!Plan!
Update,!January!2012,!Warren!and!Associates.!
!
! Appendix!II:!!Digital!Resource;!collected!research!materials!and!source!
documents,!presentation!materials!and!surveys.!
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Introduction!
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This!report!is!an!extension!of!the!2005!effort!officially!known!as!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!
Comprehensive!Economic!Development!Strategy!adopted!in!February!2006!and!more!commonly!
referred!to!as!the!Angelou!Report.!!The!goals,!recommendations!and!actions!promulgated!in!that!
document!have!served!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!region!well!for!5!years.!!It!informed!and!guided!the!
creation!of!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Economic!Development!Corporation!(MSIEDC),!the!MSIEDC!
Developers!Council,!transportation!plans,!infrastructure!plans,!land!use!plans!and!much!more.!!We!
acknowledge!those!contributions!to!our!community!and!region.!!Our!goal!in!undertaking!this!revision!is!
to!build!upon!that!body!of!work!and!extend!its!usefulness!for!another!5!years.!!Much!has!changed!since!
2005&2006!and!we!endeavored!to!capture!those!changes!in!this!report!–!Moving!Mooresville!Forward!
2017.!
Our!approach!in!preparing!this!report!turns!out!to!be!somewhat!unique!according!to!the!experts!in!the!
Economic!Development!strategy!world.!!We!took!a!look!back!to!see!just!what!had!been!accomplished!
from!the!original!plan.!!That!assessment!led!us!to!the!conclusion,!reviewed!in!a!recent!public!meeting,!
that!4!of!the!5!original!goals!were!substantially!accomplished.!!The!5th!goal,!although!only!partially!
accomplished,!yielded!substantial!benefit!to!the!community!and!region.!(See!digital!resource,!
PowerPoint!Folder!for!detailed!information.)!!In!addition,!this!is!apparently!the!unusual!part,!we!
reviewed!the!actual!results!for!the!Target!Clusters!and!Industries!identified.!!We!also!obtained!the!
cooperation!of!the!Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!and!the!North!Carolina!Department!of!Commerce!in!
an!effort!to!more!closely!align!our!efforts!with!the!state!and!the!region.!!(See!digital!resource,!Economic!
Development!folder!for!detailed!information.)!
While!most!of!the!work!done!in!support!of!this!effort!is!the!work!of!volunteers!from!the!Mooresville&
South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce,!expert!help!was!required!to!do!the!data!collection,!detailed!
number&crunching!and!analysis!for!our!economic!development!goal!and!for!the!demographic!data!
collection!and!analysis!for!our!community!development/quality!of!life!goal.!!We!contracted!for!
consultant!services!that!were!paid!for!with!a!grant!from!the!Town!of!Mooresville!on!behalf!of!the!
taxpayers!and!citizens!of!Mooresville.!!(See!acknowledgements!for!detailed!information.)!!
!
!
Process!and!Partners!
!
From!the!very!beginning!in!January,!2011,!this!undertaking!has!been!fueled!by!community!spirit!and!the!
energy!and!commitment!of!volunteers.!!The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce!Public!
Policy!Division!initiated!the!revision!of!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Comprehensive!Economic!
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Development!Strategy!(CEDS)!funded!with!a!generous!grant!from!the!Town!of!Mooresville.!!In!addition!
to!the!citizens!of!Mooresville!and!the!Chamber,!the!partners!include!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!
Economic!Development!Corporation!(MSIEDC),!the!South!Iredell!Community!Development!Corporation!
(SICDC),!the!Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!(CRP)!and!the!North!Carolina!Department!of!Commerce.!
!
The!process!began!with!a!review!and!assessment!of!the!accomplishments!resulting!from!the!CEDS!
adopted!in!February!2006.!!The!results!of!that!assessment!were!presented!at!a!public!meeting!held!at!
the!Charles!Mack!Citizen!Center!on!Wed,!April!20,!2011.!!That!presentation,!the!supporting!
documentation!and!the!complete!2006!plan!are!included!in!the!digital!resource!that!accompanies!this!
report.!!In!summary,!it!was!determined!that!4!of!the!5!goals!from!the!2006!plan!were!substantially!
achieved!and!the!5th!goal!was!partially!achieved.!!As!the!2006!plan!was!a!first!for!the!community,!it!was!
broad&ranging!in!scope!and!broadly!focused!–!thus!the!5!goals.!!The!decision!was!made,!based!upon!the!
experience!gained!from!the!2006!plan,!to!narrow!the!focus!of!this!effort!to!2!goals!with!a!more!detailed!
look!at!the!means!of!implementing!the!recommendations.!
!
The!world!is!a!much!different!place!today!than!it!was!in!2006.!!It!was!extremely!important!for!this!plan!
to!capture!those!changes!and!the!implications!for!the!future!of!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!areas!
economic!well&being!and!quality!of!life.!!You!can’t!control!your!own!destiny!by!accident!or!luck.!!For!
Mooresville!to!maintain!a!tax!base!with!a!higher!proportion!of!revenues!coming!from!commercial!and!
industrial!sources!and!maintain!or!enhance!its!position!as!an!employment!center!requires!planning!and!
consistent,!sustained!action.!!This!analysis!was!undertaken!and!the!results!were!reviewed!at!a!second!
public!meeting!held!at!the!Charles!Mack!Citizen!Center!on!Wed,!May!18,!2011.!!(That!presentation!and!
documentation!are!on!the!digital!resource.)!
!
Following!that!meeting,!a!follow&up!survey!was!deployed!to!the!participants!of!both!meetings.!!The!
survey!was!designed!to!gain!in&put!on!the!CEDS!revision!process,!gather!additional!feedback!on!the!
goals!selected!and!assess!the!participants!desire!to!stay!engaged!in!the!project.!!!
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Next,!a!series!of!individual!interviews!was!undertaken!focused!on!opportunities,!assets,!challenges!and!
barriers.!!At!the!same!time,!numerous!small!group!presentations!were!undertaken!with!the!same!focus!
and!a!second!survey!was!designed!with!that!same!focus!and!deployed!on!August!20,!2011.!!A!contract!
was!executed!with!RSG,!Inc.,!Santa!Anna,!CA!to!provide!the!detailed!number!crunching!and!analysis!
expertise!required!for!the!Economic!Development!component!using!cluster!analysis!and!targeted!
industry!identification!techniques!with!the!express!goal!of!linking!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!strategy!
to!that!of!the!Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!and!the!State!of!North!Carolina,!where!it!made!sense!to!do!
so.!!A!contract!was!executed!with!Warren&Associates,!Charlotte,!NC!to!obtain!the!expertise!required!for!
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a!detailed!demographic!analysis!of!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!area,!real!estate!analysis!and!economic!
benchmarking!of!the!area.!
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Vision!
Mooresville!will!be!the!destination!for!economic!growth!by!creating!a!climate!that!grows!businesses,!
cultivates!entrepreneurship,!creates!a!world!class!workforce,!enhances!its!excellent!quality!of!life!and!
collaborates!within!its!community!and!the!Charlotte!Region.!
This!vision!respects!the!fact!that!1)!Mooresville!is!economically!linked!to!Charlotte;!2)!while!linked!to!
Charlotte!–!Mooresville!is!a!significant!employment!center!in!the!region;!3)!not!everyone!in!Mooresville!
thinks!economic!growth!is!a!good!thing;!and!4)!collaboration!in!the!region!is!critical!to!continued!success!
in!economic!development.!
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Assets!and!Challenges!
The!2006!CEDS!included!a!competitive!asset!inventory.!!For!the!purposes!of!this!report,!we!presented!
the!findings!of!the!2006!report!to!several!groups,!individual!interviewees!and!in!a!survey!to!determine!if!
the!findings!in!the!2006!report!remain!valid.!!Here!is!the!product!of!the!review:!
Core!Strengths!
1. Location:!!The!region!sits!in!an!attractive!geographic!position.!!It!is!close!enough!to!the!Charlotte!
metro!area!to!allow!it!to!leverage!many!“big!city”!assets!such!as!a!large!and!diverse!workforce,!
institutions!of!higher!education,!cultural!and!entertainment!amenities,!a!good!base!of!corporate!
locations,!etc.!!Yet!the!region!is!far!enough!away!to!retain!some!of!its!rural!assets!such!as!lower!
land,!living,!and!business!costs,!small!town!feel,!less!congestion,!and!a!scenic!natural!
environment.!!In!addition,!the!region!is!centrally!positioned!within!the!Southeastern!U.S.!(one!of!
the!highest!growth!regions!in!the!nation),!allowing!quick!access!to!many!regional!metro!areas.!!
The!past!5!years!reinforced!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!areas!economic!ties!to!the!Charlotte!
metro!region!with!the!extension!of!I&485,!the!improvement!to!the!airport!and!the!planned!
widening!of!I&77!to!Catawba!Avenue!in!Cornelius!using!HOT!lanes.!
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2. Persistent!growth:!!Our!region!is!one!of!two!in!the!state!that!continues!to!grow!economically!
and!the!population!is!expected!to!double!again!by!2030!according!to!recent!census!data.!!As!in!
the!2006!report,!growth!makes!the!area!more!attractive!to!relocating!companies!because!it!is!a!
positive!indicator!for!labor!availability.!
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3. !Good!transportation!networks:!!The!location!of!3!major!interstates!nearby!–!giving!North/South!
and!East/West!connectivity!–!provides!excellent!road!access!for!the!MSI!area.!!The!close!
proximity!of!a!major!international!airport,!regional!rail!connections!to!the!entire!eastern!
seaboard!and!the!aggressive!posture!of!local!and!State!government!to!improving!transportation!
in!the!area!–!all!contribute!strong!transportation!networks.!
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4. Low!cost!of!doing!business:!!When!comparing!the!MSI!area!to!areas!across!the!U.S.!and!to!other!
east!coast!metro!areas,!the!MSI!area!has!a!comparatively!low!cost!business!environment.!Low!
taxes,!lower!labor!costs!and!lower!energy!and!utility!costs!make!the!area!attractive!to!business!
and!industry.!
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5. Infrastructure:!!Since!2006,!Mooresville!has!made!significant!investments!in!the!infrastructure!
that!supports!economic!investment!–!water,!sewer,!transportation!and!data!as!well!a!quality!of!
life!–!curbside!recycling,!a!world!class!library,!quality!education,!parks!and!recreation,!side&
walks,!bike!lanes!and!more.!!!
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Competitive!Assets!
1. Existing!industry:!!Mooresville&South!Iredell!has!an!enviable!collection!of!strong!companies.!!The!
motorsports!industry!is!composed!of!not!only!elite!NASCAR!teams!but!many!companies!in!the!
high!tech!and!advanced!manufacturing.!Mooresville!is!the!Headquarters!for!Lowe’s.!!Lowe’s!has!
grown!and!has!plans!to!continue!to!grow.!!Existing!industry,!particularly!NGK,!BestSweet!and!
Carolina!Beverage!have!expanded!–!some!multiple!times!–!and!have!made!significant!additional!
investment!in!the!MSI!area.!
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2. Excellent!public!K12!education:!!Both!public!school!systems!and!the!public!charter!schools!in!the!
MSI!area!are!recognized!in!the!Charlotte!region!and!the!state!for!their!quality.!!There!are!
excellent!public!and!private!educational!options!in!the!MSI!area!that!make!it!attractive!for!
families.!!The!Mooresville!Graded!School!District!is!one!of!two!in!North!Carolina!that!have!taxing!
authority.!!The!unique!nature!of!the!Mooresville!Graded!School!District!and!forward!thinking!
administration!both!contribute!to!its!national!reputation!of!excellence.!
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3. High!quality!of!life:!!Good!schools,!proximity!to!Lake!Norman!and!a!local!commitment!to!
providing!quality!recreational!opportunities!by!the!Town!of!Mooresville!and!the!towns!small!
town!charm!contribute!to!a!high!quality!of!life.!!The!Town!of!Mooresville!has!invested!over!$25!
million!in!parks,!athletic!fields!and!other!public!recreational!amenities!in!the!past!6!years.!!!
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4. Skilled!labor!supply!and!good!community!college!system:!!The!MSI!area!has!a!large!and!growing!
skilled!workforce!and!access!to!many!training!programs!in!the!region.!!MSI!businesses!received!
the!highest!percentage!of!Incumbent!Worker!Grants!(Workforce!retraining/re&skilling!of!the!
current!workforce.)!from!the!Centralina!Workforce!Development!Board!than!any!area!in!the!
region.!!The!Mooresville!Campus!of!Mitchell!Community!College!just!completed!a!$3!million!
addition!adding!capacity!to!provide!training!opportunities!for!area!businesses!and!training!of!
technical!workers.!!The!area!also!attracts!workers!of!various!skill!levels!from!throughout!the!
Charlotte!metro!region.!
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Barriers!
1. The!percentage!of!individuals!in!the!young!professional!age!group!continues!to!lag!the!region!as!
identified!in!the!2006!report.!!The!most!recent!demographic!data!from!the!2010!census!
indicates!that!the!25!–!34!cohort!improved!slightly!and!is!ranked!third!in!the!Study!Area.!!This!
cohort!is!important!for!future!employment!and!poses!a!challenge!to!developing!the!workforce!
required!for!the!clustering!of!industry.!
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2. Mooresville!lacks!an!entrepreneurial!climate.!!The!MSI!area!is!underserved!in!the!4!year!higher!
education!segment.!!Although!located!near!a!major!research!university!–!UNC!Charlotte,!and!a!
few!miles!from!Davidson!College,!and!with!the!addition!of!Mountain!State!University,!the!MSI!
community!suffers!from!a!lack!of!access!to!the!professors,!advanced!training!opportunities!and!
the!creative!and!innovative!energy!associated!with!four&year!universities.!!That!energy!in!close!
proximity!to!a!significant!presence!in!a!specific!industry!sector!fosters!the!development!of!
entrepreneurial!ventures!and!start&ups.!
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3. Mooresville&South!Iredell!Economic!Development!Corporation!is!out!of!business/industrial!park!
development!ready!sites.!!In!the!recent!past,!high!land!prices!resulting!from!high!demand!for!
residential!development!limited!the!land!available!for!development.!!Currently,!the!availability!
of!capital!is!acting!as!a!significant!constraint!on!the!South!Iredell!Community!Development!
Corporation’s!ability!to!acquire!raw!land!and!provide!development!ready!sites!with!the!
infrastructure!in!place.!!That!is!a!significant!and!worsening!problem!given!the!lending!
requirements!placed!upon!developers!by!financial!institutions.!!Banks!are!not!lending!money!for!
green&field!development.!!So,!the!area!has!no!development!ready!sites!and!private!investors!
can’t!borrow!money!for!infrastructure.!!!
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4. Availability!of!Capital.!!The!MSI!area!has!no!venture!capital!or!angel!capital!sector!to!support!
innovative,!entrepreneurial!ventures!or!stat&ups.!!This!poses!a!significant!barrier!to!attracting!
and!nurturing!high&tech!start&ups!and!to!fostering!a!climate!of!innovation!and!creativity.!
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5. Traffic!congestion.!!While!the!MSI!area!has!benefited!from!significant!investment!from!NCDOT!
and!targeted!investment!by!the!Town!of!Mooresville!including!the!widening!of!Brawley!School!
Road!and!the!new!Exit!35!at!I&77,!improvements!to!Williamson!Road,!Langtree!road!and!the!new!
Exit!31!at!I&77!congestion!remains!a!significant!concern!to!local!residents!and!for!workforce!and!
freight!mobility.!!This!is!not!just!an!MSI!are!issue!it!is!a!regional!and!state!issue.!!The!MSI!area!
depends!upon!NCDOT!as!they!have!responsibility!for!almost!all!roads!and!highways.!
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Goals!
Business!Climate,!Economic!Development!and!Workforce!Education!
Mooresville!seeks!to!enhance!its!position!as!an!employment!center!in!the!region!through!its!support!of!
existing!industries,!entrepreneurship,!the!attraction!and!recruitment!of!its!target!industries;!the!
provision!of!the!necessary!infrastructure!and!efficient,!collaborative!service!delivery.!
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Education!and!Quality!of!Life!
Mooresville!seeks!to!maintain!and!enhance!the!community’s!high!quality!of!life;!attract!young!
professionals!and!provide!quality!educational!opportunities!at!all!levels!for!a!high!quality!and!educated!
workforce.!
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Economic!Development!Analysis!
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As! discussed! by! Angelou! Economics! (“AE”)! in! the! 2006! Mooresville! Comprehensive! Economic!
Development!Strategy!(“CEDS!Report”),!location!quotients!are!used!to!understand!the!impact!of!a!local!
business!cluster!compared!to!the!national!economy.!!A!business!cluster!with!a!location!quotient!greater!
than!1.0! indicates!a! locally! significant! cluster!when! compared! to!national!averages.! !A! cluster!with!a!
location!quotient!below!1.0! indicates! that! the!cluster! is!below! the!national!average.! !AE!cites!clusters!
with!a!location!quotient!greater!than!1.5!as!a!significant!agglomeration.!!Agglomerations!are!clusters!of!
businesses! that! are! mutually! benefitting! from! their! close! physical! adjacency.! ! The! benefits! relate!
primarily!to!“economies!of!scale”!and!“network!effects.”!!!
The! following!clusters!were!analyzed! in!the!CEDS!Report,!and!then!reanalyzed!as!part!of!the!updating!
process:!
! Tourism!–!While!this!cluster!has!declined!since!AE!conducted!the!2006!CEDS!report! (based!on!
2004!data),! it!still!remains!a!significant!business!cluster! in!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Region!
(“MSI!Region”).!
! Retail!–!The!retail!cluster!has!declined!significantly!since!2006,!but!still!remains!above&average.!!
Nationally,!the!retail!market!and!consumer!spending!habits!have!undergone!significant!changes!
since!the!CEDS!Report!was!produced!in!2006.!
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! Automotive!–!The!automotive!cluster! in!the!MSI!Region!has!experienced!some!of!the!greatest!
gains! of! the! six! target! industries! identified! in! the! CEDS! Report.! ! In! fact,! since! 2006,! the!
automotive! cluster! has! moved! from! a! below&average! 0.72! location! quotient! to! a! locally!
significant!business!cluster!with!an!above&average!location!quotient!of!1.05.!!This!indicates!that!
more! people! in! the!MSI! Region! are! employed! in! the! automotive! cluster! than! the! national!
average.!!!
! Business! and! Professional! Services! Cluster! –! In! February! 2006,!when! AE! published! the! CEDS!
Report,!the!national!unemployment!rate!was!4.8%!and!the!North!Carolina!Unemployment!Rate!
was!4.6%.!!As!of!August!2011,!the!national!unemployment!rate!was!9.6%!and!the!North!Carolina!
unemployment! rate!was!10.1%.! !Because!of! the!national!and! local!changes! to!unemployment!
levels,!the!business!and!professional!services!has!obviously!experienced!significant!declines.!!!
! Technology!–!The! technology!cluster! is!another!bright!spot! in!the! local!economy.! !Since!2006,!
the! technology!cluster!has!made!employment!gains!but!does!not! represent!a! significant! local!
cluster!at!this!time.!!!
! Clean!Energy!–!This!cluster!has!made!grown!significantly!from!0.03!in!2006,!increasing!to!0.27!in!
2011.!!While!the!clean!energy!cluster!is!not!locally!significant,!it!!is!a!rapidly!increasing!location!
quotient.!Not!only!has! this! cluster!grown,! representing!an!803%! increase! since!2006,! several!
small!clean!energy!firms!have!located!in!the!MSI!region.!
The!following!table!shows!the!percent!change!in!the!location!quotients!analyzed!in!the!CEDS!Report!and!
what!the!data!shows!today.!
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Revised!table!showing!leaders!in!employment!by!public!sector!and!private!sector!(by!employees!and!by!
sales)!
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Mooresville!Retail!Market!
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! The!Mooresville!retail!market!shows!strength!compared!to!the!overall!Charlotte!market,!as!well!
as!all!but!one!of!the!Charlotte!area!submarkets.!!As!shown!in!the!table!below,!the!average!
asking!lease!rate!for!retail!properties!in!Mooresville!is!currently!$21.04!per!square!foot,!which!is!
14%!higher!than!the!average!for!the!overall!Charlotte!market.!!
! The!three!Charlotte!area!submarkets!which!are!closest!to!Mooresville!are!the!North,!Northeast,!
Northwest!submarkets.!Average!asking!retail!lease!rates!in!Mooresville!are!11%,!10%,!and!29%!
higher!than!these!submarkets,!respectively.!
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By!Employees!(Education) By!Employees By!Sales
1 NASCAR!TECHNICAL!INSTITUTE LOWES FOREST!BOARD!CORP
2 SOUTH!ELEMENTARY!SCHOOL MOORESVILLE!GRADED!SCHOOL!DIST BESTSWEET!INC
3 MOORESVILLE!SENIOR!HIGH!SCHOOL LAKE!NORMAN!REGIONAL!MEDICAL SLB!HOLDING!CO!LLC
4 LAKE!NORMAN!HIGH!SCHOOL WALMART!SUPERCENTER NGK!CERAMICS!USA!INC
5 WOODLAND!HEIGHTS!ELEMENTARY NGK!CERAMICS!USA!INC CAROLINA!BEER!&!BEVERAGE
6 PARK!VIEW!SCHOOL YMCA EDGE!SUZUKI!OF!GASTONIA
7 LAKE!SHORE!ELEMENTARY!SCHOOL CARDINAL!FG!CO CHEETAH!BROKERAGE!INC
8 BRAWLEY!MIDDLE!SCHOOL PRAIRIE!PACKAGING!INC PRAIRIE!PACKAGING!INC
9 MOORESVILLE!INTERMEDIATE!SCHL POINT!LAKE!GOLF!CLUB CARDINAL!FG!CO
10 EAST!MOORESVILLE!INTERMEDIATE BESTSWEET!INC MOORESVILLE!FORD!MERCURY!INC
11 LAKE!NORMAN!ELEMENTARY!SCHOOL MAZEPPA!PROPERTIES!INC LAKE!NORMAN!REGIONAL!MEDICAL
12 MOORESVILLE!GRADED!SCHOOLS SUPER!TARGET LOWES
13 CODDLE!CREEK!ELEMENTARY!SCHOOL FOOD!LION WALMART!SUPERCENTER
14 MOORESVILLE!MIDDLE!SCHOOL LOWES!YMCA FOOD!LION
15 MT!MOURNE!IB!CANDIDATE!SCHOOL RANDY!MARION!CHEVROLET CUSTOM!PRODUCTS!INC
Retail Lease Rates
Mooresville and Charlotte Area
Average Asking Percentage Difference
Market Lease Rate from Mooresville
Mooresville $21.04
Charlotte Submarkets
East $17.26 -18%
Outer Southeast $14.80 -30%
Inner Southeast $20.56 -2%
Southwest $20.93 -1%
Northwest $14.98 -29%
Northeast $18.86 -10%
Uptown $29.59 41%
North $18.64 -11%
Charlotte Market Total $18.00 -14%
* Mooresville retail average is based on all listings currently on Loopnet for the City. Charlotte submarket
lease rates are from CBRE Consulting Charlotte Retail MarketView Report (1Q2011).
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! Increased!absorptions!and!retail!sales!have!made!2011!a!better!year!for!the!retail!market!than!
2010,!and! it! is!anticipated! that! improvement!will! continue! into!2012.! !However,! the!national!
economy! remains! unstable! and! consumer! confidence! weak.! ! Additionally,! unemployment!
remains!high!in!Iredell!County!at!11.1%,!a!full!2%!higher!than!the!nation!as!a!whole.!!!
!
! Mooresville!has!seen!steady!growth!in!the!retail!sector!within!the!last!decade,!which!is!likely!to!
continue.!!However,!poor!economic!conditions!across!the!nation!will!likely!reduce!growth!in!the!
retail!market!as!consumers!continue!to!be!reluctant!to!purchase!goods!in!the!same!way!they!did!
five!years!ago.!
!
! The!Mooresville!area!currently!has!approximately!325,000!square!feet!of!available!retail!space.!!
Much!of! this! space! is!within!mid&! to! large&scale!neighborhood!and! regional! centers,!many!of!
which!are!located!in!newer!developments.! !!Additionally,!Langtree!at!the!Lake!broke!ground!in!
the!fall!of!2011.!!Phase!1!of!Langtree!will!include!approximately!45,000!square!feet!of!new!retail!
space.!
!
! Generally,! the!Mooresville! retail!market! exhibits! strength! compared! to! the!majority! of! the!
Charlotte!area.!!However,!the!continued!weak!national!economy!as!well!as!an!existing!inventory!
of!newer!vacant!space!will! likely! limit!the!demand!for!additional!new!retail!space! in!the!short&
term.! !However,!given! these! factors,!continued!population!and! job!growth! in! the!area!would!
likely!contribute!to!a!long&term!need!for!additional!retail!space.!
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Mooresville!Industrial!Market!
!
! The!Mooresville!industrial!market!shows!substantial!strength!compared!to!the!overall!Charlotte!
market,!as!well!as!all!but!one!of!the!Charlotte!area!submarkets.! !As!shown! in!the!table!below,!
the!average!asking!lease!rate!for!industrial!properties!in!Mooresville!is!currently!$6.05,!which!is!
26%!higher!than!the!average!for!the!overall!Charlotte!market.!!
!
! The! two! Charlotte! area! submarkets! which! are! closest! to! Mooresville! are! the! North! and!
Northeast!submarkets.!!!Average!asking!retail!lease!rates!in!Mooresville!are!19%!and!25%!higher!
than!these!submarkets,!respectively.!
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! In!the!Charlotte!region!as!a!whole,!the!industrial!market!shows!strong!demand!with!limited!new!
construction!in!the!pipeline.!!If!these!trends!continue,!it!is!anticipated!there!will!be!a!shortage!of!
quality!buildings!for!sale!and!space!for!lease!within!the!next!year.!
!
! The!industrial!market!in!Mooresville!has!been!strong!within!the!last!several!years.!!This!strength!
has! been! fueled! by! continued! growth! in! the! area,! especially! the! expansion! of!motorsport&
related! facilities.! ! However,! the! area! has! also! added! many! other! non&motorsport&related!
businesses! and! continues! to! build! a! diverse! economic! base.! !Within! the! last! nine! years,! the!
Mooresville&Statesville!micropolitan!area!has!been!ranked!the!top!micropolitan!area!in!terms!of!
total!corporate!real!estate!transactions,!according!to!Site!Selection!Magazine.!
!
! The!Mooresville! area! currently! has! approximately! 750,000! square! feet! of! available! industrial!
space.!!The!available!space!ranges!from!small!to!large,!with!the!largest!at!117,000!square!feet.!
The!average!size!of!available!industrial!space!is!13,500!square!feet.!
!
! Generally,! the! Mooresville! industrial! market! exhibits! strength.! The! continued! relocation! of!
businesses!into!the!area,!as!well!as!expansion!by!existing!industries!will!likely!result!in!the!need!
for!additional!high!quality!industrial!buildings,!similar!to!the!rest!of!the!Charlotte!area.!!Much!of!
this!need!may!come!in!the!build&to&suit!category.!
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Industrial Lease Rates
Mooresville and Charlotte Area
Average Asking Percentage Difference
Market Lease Rate from Mooresville
Mooresville $6.05
Charlotte Submarkets
Central $5.35 -12%
East $3.80 -37%
North $4.87 -19%
Northeast $4.51 -25%
Northwest $3.64 -40%
Southeast $6.42 6%
Southwest $4.15 -31%
Charlotte Market Total $4.46 -26%
* Mooresville industrial average is based on all listings currently on Loopnet for the City. Charlotte submarket
lease rates are from CBRE Consulting Charlotte Industrial MarketView Report (2Q2011).
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Mooresville!Office!Market!
!
! The!Mooresville! office!market! does! not! show! the! same! strength! as! the! retail! and! industrial!
markets!when! compared! to! the!overall!Charlotte!market.! !As! shown! in! the! table!below,! the!
average!asking!lease!rate!for!office!properties!in!Mooresville!is!currently!$15.95!per!square!foot,!
which!is!24%!lower!than!the!average!for!the!overall!Charlotte!market.!!Mooresville’s!lower!lease!
rates!are!likely!the!result!of!its!location!further!from!the!central!business!district!of!Charlotte.!
!
! The! two! Charlotte! area! submarkets! which! are! closest! to! Mooresville! are! the! North! and!
Northeast!submarkets.!!!Average!asking!office!lease!rates!in!Mooresville!are!19%!and!5%!lower!
than!these!submarkets,!respectively.!
!
!
! The! regional!office!market! in! the!Charlotte!area! continued! to!bump!along! the!bottom!of! the!
curve,!however!there!are!positive!signs!that!the!market!might!start!to!improve.!!Specifically,!the!
area!has!been! successful! in!attracting!new!employers! in! the!energy,!healthcare,!defense,!and!
film!sectors,!to!augment!their!strong!banking!industry.!!However,!the!announcement!by!Bank!of!
America! in!fall!2011!that!they!would! lay!off!40,000!or!more!employees!may!have!a!substantial!
effect!on!the!Charlotte!area!economy;!Bank!of!America! is!one!of!the! largest!employers! in!the!
area.!
!
! The!Mooresville!area!currently!has!approximately!215,000!square!feet!of!available!office!space.!!
The!available!space!ranges!from!small!to!moderate,!with!the!largest!at!27,000!square!feet.!The!
average!size!is!3,500!square!feet.!!!The!quality!of!the!available!space!varies,!but!there!is!quality!
space!available.!
Office Lease Rates
Mooresville and Charlotte Area
Average Asking Percentage Difference
Market Lease Rate from Mooresville
Mooresville $15.95
Charlotte Submarkets
Central Business District $24.14 51%
Midtown $21.33 34%
Cotswold $14.77 -7%
South Park $22.06 38%
Park Road $16.09 1%
I-77 Corridor $16.33 2%
East $14.29 -10%
51 Perimeter $21.65 36%
Crownpoint $13.57 -15%
Northeast $16.80 5%
North $18.98 19%
Charlotte Market Total $19.72 24%
* Mooresville office average is based on all listings currently on Loopnet for the City. Charlotte submarket
lease rates are from CBRE Consulting Charlotte Office MarketView Report (2Q2011).
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! Generally,!the!Mooresville!office!market!exhibits!lower!lease!rates!compared!to!the!majority!of!
the!Charlotte!area.!Additionally,! the!continued!weak!national!economy,!as!well!as!an!existing!
inventory!of!newer!vacant!space!will! likely! limit!the!demand!for!additional!new!office!space! in!
the!short&term.! !Many!of!the!new!businesses!which!have! located! in!the!Mooresville!area!have!
constructed!or!leased!industrial!space,!if!this!trend!continues!it!may!be!some!time!before!there!
is!demand!for!the!construction!of!new!office!space.!
!
The! U.S.! Industry! Employment! Forecast! (BLS)! indicates! that! between! 2008! and! 2018,! the! greatest!
employment! gains! will! be! made! in! Professional,! scientific! and! technical! services,! Education,! and!
healthcare!and!social!assistance.!
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FINAL!REPORT:!A!CLUSTER!ANALYSIS!&!COMPETITIVE!ASSESSMENT!OF!THE!CHARLOTTE!REGION!–!AND!
AN!OPERATIONAL!STRATEGY!FOR!THE!CHARLOTTE!REGIONAL!PARTNERSHIP!
Garner!Economics!LLC!identified!four!primary!target!clusters!for!the!region:!!
! Finance!–!The!finance!cluster!is!highly!specialized;!its!dominant!position!in!the!economy!calls!for!
the!need!for!diversity!and!counterbalancing!growth.!The!Finance!cluster! is!the! largest! in!terms!
of! employment! and! input,! has! the! highest! earnings,! and! is! the! only! cluster! of! the! four!with!
specialization!greater!than!the!nation.!
!
! Health! –! The! health! cluster! lacks! unique! local! specialization,! and! high! relative! earnings,! but!
nationwide!forces!should!continue!to!be!the!driving!force!behind! its!continued!expansion.!The!
Health!cluster!is!the!“second!largest!in!terms!of!employment,!but!has!the!lowest!relative!rate!of!
specialization,!and! lowest!average!earnings!of!all!four!clusters.!The! lack!of!medical!school!may!
contribute!to!a!low!specialization!amount!in!the!cluster’s!occupations.!
!
! Defense! &! The! defense! cluster! provides! a! win&win! opportunity! for! economic! development!
support.!The!cluster!comprises!a!collection!of!highly!skilled!engineering,!computer!and!advanced!
manufacturing!operations.!Because!of! industry! crossovers,! the! success!of! the!Defense! cluster!
has!the!benefit!of!supporting!high&end!activities!within!other!clusters.!
!
! Energy! &!The!energy!cluster! is!populated!by!pockets!of!highly!skilled,!high!earnings! industries.!
Although!difficult!to!compare!in!the!aggregate!due!to!its!evolving!nature,!we!believe!within!the!
Energy! cluster! there! exists! potential! for! superior! break&out! growth! and! solid! rationale! for!
economic!development!support.!
According! to!Garner!Economics!LLC,! these! four! target!clusters!offer!significant!economic!benefits!and!
are!among! the! largest! local! industry/employment!concentrations! in! the!region.!Garner!Economics!LLC!
also!found!that,!“no!other!strong!cluster!potential”!other!than!the!four!identified.1!!!!!!
!
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!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!Emerging!Growth!Manufacturing:!This!cluster!was!not!identified!as!a!new!cluster!but!was!included!a!set!of!“well!
positioned,!high!earning,!manufacturing!industries.”!
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The! following! table! shows! location! quotients! (LQ)! for! the!major! cluster! groups! identified! by!Garner!
Economics!LLC.!LQs!help!quantify!how!“concentrated”!an!industry!is!in!a!region!compared!to!the!nation.!
LQ’s! can! also! be! used! to! determine!which! industries!make! the! regional! economy! unique! and! help!
identify!the!“export!orientation”!of!an! industry!and! identify!the!most!export&oriented! industries! in!the!
region.!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
0.84
0.5
1.62
0.99
1.26
1.02
0.54
0.69
0.66
0.79
0.67
0.63
1.04
0.99
0.74
0.95
1.17
1.15
1.12
0.66
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Advanced!Materials
Agribusiness,!Food!Processing!&!Technology
Apparel !&!Textiles
Arts,!Entertainment,! Recreation!&!Visitor!Industries
Finance
Chemicals !&!Chemical !Based!Products
Computer!&!Electronic!Product!Mfg
Energy
Health
Defense
Education!&!Knowledge!Creation
Electrical !Equipment,!Appliance!&!Component!Mfg
Fabricated!Metal !Product!Mfg
Forest!&!Wood!Products
Glass!&!Ceramics
Information!Technology!&!Telecommunications
Machinery!Mfg
Primary!Metal !Mfg
Transportation!&!Logistics
Transportation!Equipment!Mfg
2011!Location!Quotients!, Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!
Study
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While!it!is!important!to!know!the!targeted!clusters!of!surrounding!and!larger!geographic!boundaries,!it!is!
also!equally! important!to!know!how!clusters!–!both!vertically!and!horizontally!reliant!–!are!connected!
and!interrelated.!!When!comparing!the!MSI!Region’s!clusters!to!the!clusters!of!Iredell!County,!Charlotte!
MSA,!and!the!State,!it!is!critical!to!know!where!there!are!similarities!and!where!different!strengths!can!
be! identified.! !By!doing!so,!the!resulting!analysis!can!be!used!to!organize!the!potentially!disconnected!
policies! and! programs! of! any! one! level! of! government! in! operation! in! that! particular! cluster.! ! The!
comparisons!also!provide!a! framework! for!coordinating! regional!economic!development! initiatives!up!
and!down! the! tiers!of!public!and!quasi&public!entities! to!avoid!policy! conflict,! redundancy,!or!missed!
opportunities! for! synergy.! ! The! table! below! outlines! the!major! clusters! previously! identified! in! the!
original!CEDS!Report!to!County,!Charlotte!MSA,!and!State!data.!
!
The!table!reveals!several!intriguing!aspects!of!the!strengths!of!the!MSI!Region’s!cluster!in!comparison!to!
the!strengths!of!the!Charlotte!MSA,!Iredell!County,!and!the!State.!!!
! As!previously!discussed,!Clean!Energy! is!not!a!regionally!significant!cluster!for!the!MSI!Region.!!
However,! as! clean! energy! research! and! development! continues! to! be! a! driving! force! in! the!
global!marketplace! and! an! emerging! industry! with! potential! for! future! growth,! this! cluster!
should!not! slide!off! the! radar!of! regional! economic!development!professionals.! ! The! State! is!
approaching!comparable!strength! in!this!cluster!when!compared!to!national!averages,!so!over!
time!new!business!opportunities!may!begin!to!gravitate!to!the!State.! !Whenever!possible,!the!
MSI!Region!should!attempt!to!capitalize!on!these!opportunities.!
- 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20 1.40 1.60 1.80 2.00
Tourism
Retail
Technology
Automotive
Clean Energy
Cluster Strength, measured as Location Quotients
Clu
ste
r
2011 Cluster Comparison
State!of!North!Carolina
Charlotte!MSA
Iredell!County
MSI!Region
Source:!ESRI!Business!Analyst and!InfoUSA
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! The!Automotive!cluster!is!obviously!a!large!driver!of!the!local,!regional,!and!statewide!economy.!!
Given! the! factors!discussed! in! this!report,!this!cluster!will!continue!to!provide!the!region!with!
employment!and!growth!opportunities.!!Moving!forward,!the!MSI!Region!may!want!to!develop!
unique!programs!and!initiatives!to!maintain!and!attract!businesses!in!this!cluster!as!these!firms!
may!find!similar!opportunities!in!other!parts!of!the!State.!
! The!Technology!cluster,!as!defined! in! the!previous!CEDS!Report,!may!appear!at! first!glance! to!
not!be!a!regionally!significant!cluster!for!the!MSI!Region!given!the!State’s!comparative!strength.!!
In! light! of! this,! much! of! the! training! and! technical! expertise! that! the!MSI! Region! already!
possesses!may!be!of!interest!and!value!to!companies!that!fall!into!the!Technology!cluster.!!In!a!
report!published!by!the!McKinsey!Global!Institute2,!the!United!States!suffers,!and!will!continue!
to! suffer,! from! a! shortage! of! graduates! in! the! science,! technology,! engineering,! and!
mathematics! (STEM)! fields.! !The!MSI!Region!should!continue! to! foster!an!environment!where!
STEM!education!is!valued!to!remain!relevant!in!the!future!global!economy.!
! The!Retail!cluster!continues!to!remain!relatively!positive!from!the!MSI!Region!all!the!way!to!the!
State!level.!!However,!many!regions!across!the!Country!become!too!reliant!on!retail!sales!to!be!
the!main!(if!not!only)!driving!force!in!their!economies.!!The!MSI!Region!should!continue!to!foster!
opportunities!leading!to!new!and!revitalized!retail!development,!but!not!become!overly!reliant!
on!retail!from!a!revenue!or!employment!perspective.!
! The!strength!of!the!MSI!Region’s!Tourism!cluster! is!truly!a!bright!and!distinguishable!aspect!of!
the! regional! economy.! ! !While! the! Charlotte!MSA!may! be! known! for! finance! and! business!
activity,!the!MSI!Region!should!continue!to!grow!and!develop!people!and!businesses!connected!
to!the!tourist!experience.! !Not!only!does!this!mean!developing!clusters!around!businesses!that!
provide!everything!connected!to!a!tourist’s!experience!–!transportation,!dining,! lodging,!retail,!
experiences! –! but! also!making! sure! the! future!workforce! is! prepared! and! educated! in! these!
fields!to!provide!a!stable!foundation!to!continue!to!grow!this!cluster.!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2!An!Economy!That!Works:!Job!Creation!and!America’s!Future.!!McKinsey!Global!Institute.!!June!2011.!
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Education!
It! is! difficult! to! over! emphasize! the! importance! of! economic! development! efforts! in! relation! to!
educational!success.!!Poverty!is!the!scourge!of!education!at!all!levels:!“Certainly,!poor!children!can!learn!
and!excel,!but! the!odds!are! stacked!against! them.! !Every! testing!program!–!be! it!SAT,! the!ACT,! state!
scores!or! federal! tests! –! shows! a! tight! correlation! between! test! scores! and! family! income.”! (Dianne!
Ravitch,! July! 8,! 2011,!Wall! Street! Journal.)! ! To! the! extent! that! community! economic! development!
activity!is!focused!on!attracting!quality!businesses!paying!high!wages,!it!reduces!the!level!of!poverty!thus!
creating!a!positive!condition!for!educational!success.!Additionally,!it!improves!the!overall!quality!of!life!
as!crime!rates!are!reduced!and!health!benefits!improve!overall!family!health.!
It! is! equally! difficult! to! over! emphasize! the! importance! of! education! to! successful! economic!
development! efforts.! ! The! changing! nature! of! work! (See! the!Moving!Mooresville! Forward! –! Goals!
Refinement!PowerPoint!on!the!digital!resource.)! indicates!that!of!net!new! jobs!created!by!occupation!
group!from!2006!to!2016,!92%!of!the! job!growth!will!occur! in!occupation!groups!that!require!a!higher!
level!of!analytical!and!social! intelligence!skills.! !Currently,!those!groups!account!for!80%!of!occupation!
groups.!!Occupations!requiring!routine!physical!skills!will!account!for!8%!of!job!growth.!!Currently,!that!
group!accounts!for!19%!of!occupation!groups.!!The!changing!nature!of!work!means!that!as!a!worker!in!
today’s! (And! tomorrows!)!workforce:! !“You!need! to!be!a! tech!savvy!problem!solver,!be! flexible!about!
taking! on! new! tasks! and! seek! out! training! that! will! keep! you! fresh! in! your! field.”! (Bridget! Carey,!
Business,!Aug.!2011.)! !“We!have!heard! that!what!companies!want! is!not!necessarily! someone!with!a!
specific! skill,!but! somebody!who! can! think! and! change!directions! from! job! to! job! and! year! to! year.”!
(Arkansas!Gov.!Mike!Beebe,!Business,!Aug.!2011.)!
!
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The!chart!above!highlights! the! increasing!disparity! in!wages!as!skill! levels! increase! in!each!occupation!
group.!!The!chart!below!quantifies!the!disparity!using!North!Carolina!specific!data.!
!
!
Although!the!data!is!somewhat!older,!this!chart!highlights!the!benefit!of!clusters!to!improving!wages.!
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Education!is!not!something!that!you!do!to!someone,!it!is!a!process!that!has!a!lot!of!moving!parts,!
involves!a!lot!of!people,!and!it!is!becoming!increasingly!the!responsibility!of!the!individual!worker!to!
keep!his!or!her!skills!relevant!in!a!globally!competitive!market!place.!!In!a!recent!report!for!the!August!
2011!Southern!Governors’!Association!entitled!Driving!Innovation!from!the!Middle:!!Middle&Skill!Jobs!in!
the!American!South’s!Economy,!presented!by!the!National!Skills!Coalition,!it!was!projected!that!64%!of!
the!workforce!in!North!Carolina!in!2025!are!already!working.!!Education!is!a!life&long!process.!
Education!plays!another!important!role!in!economic!development:!attracting!and!keeping!a!qualified!
workforce.!!A!quality!educational!system!and!a!community!that!values!education!in!word!and!deed!is!a!
component!of!a!high!quality!of!life.!!!
Does!Mooresville&South!Iredell!have!the!skilled!workers!we!need!now?!!As!we!grow!will!the!workers!we!
need!migrate!to!the!area?!!Based!upon!the!clusters!we!identify,!what!are!our!workforce!needs?!!Clearly,!
these!and!many!other!questions!need!to!be!answered.!!(Please!read!the!materials!in!the!Education!
folder!on!the!digital!resource.)!
One!final!point,!if!we!do!not!provide!and!nurture!the!kind!of!workforce!new!industry!is!looking!for,!or!
our!existing!industry!needs!to!prosper!and!grow,!we!are!no!longer!competitive.!!There!are!only!three!
ways!to!provide!it:!!education,!migration!and!immigration.!
!
Workforce!
It!seems!so!simple:!people!need!and!want!to!work;!businesses!need!people!to!do!their!work.!!Well,!it!
isn’t!quite!so!simple.!!Today,!the!make&up!of!the!workforce!–!most!importantly!the!skill!level!–!is!a!
critical!component!of!Economic!Development.!!(See!the!Workforce!folder!on!the!digital!resource.)!!The!
changing!nature!of!work!creates!demand!for!new!skill!sets.!!The!question!from!industry!is:!!“Do!you!have!
the!workforce!I!need!and/or!is!the!quality!of!life!in!your!area!sufficient!to!attract!and!retain!the!
workforce!I!need?”!(See!the!Challenging!Assumptions!PowerPoint!in!the!PowerPoint!folder!on!the!digital!
resource.)!!How!does!the!answer!to!that!question!affect!a!community’s!economic!development!
outcomes?!!In!a!recent!report!authored!by!John!Silvia,!Tim!Quinlan!and!Joseph!Sydl!of!the!Economics!
Group!of!Wells!Fargo,!entitled:!Is!“Rags!to!Riches”!Still!Possible?!!The!authors!conclude!that:!!“An!
increase!in!demand!for!highly!skilled!workers!coupled!with!an!increase!of!supply!of!lower&skilled!
workers!has!served!to!depress!wages!and!opportunities!for!lower&skilled!workers.”!!Further,!they!
conclude:!!“Promoting!greater!education!opportunities!for!workers!born!into!the!lower&income!families!
is!a!sensible!solution!to!increase!economic!mobility!for!lower&income!workers.”!
Given!the!strong!correlation!between!poverty!and!a!lack!of!educational!success,!that!education!is!the!
key!to!economic!mobility!–!moving!from!poverty!to!economic!stability!&!and,!that!successful!economic!
programs!are!bringing!higher!paying!jobs!that!require!more!mid&skill!and!higher&skilled!workers,!
communities!are!faced!with!a!challenge.!!Workforce!development!starts!with!the!educational!
foundation!built!in!the!early!years,!shaped!through!the!education!system!and!honed!in!the!workplace.!
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In!personal!interviews!with!education!professionals!and!workforce!professionals,!aligning!the!curriculum!
in!K&12!and!community!college!with!the!real!demands!in!the!workplace!came!up!time!and!again.!!
Educators!want!to!make!sure!that!student!skills!are!relevant!so!they!will!be!employable.!!What!we!heard!
from!workforce!development!professionals!is!that!to!meet!the!demands!of!employers!now!and!in!the!
future,!workers!need!to:!
! Be!able!to!think!creatively.!
! Have!good!communications!and!inter&personal!skills.!
! Contribute!to!the!growth!of!the!business.!
! Be!adaptable.!
! Be!innovative!thinkers!and!action!oriented.!
! Take!personal!responsibility!for!learning.!
According!to!David!Hollars,!Executive!Director!of!the!Centralina!Workforce!Development!Board,!there!
will!be!continued!regional!demand!for!people!in:!
! Information!Technology!
! Nursing!
! Accounting!&!Auditing!
! Medical!&!Health!Services!Management!
! Purchasing!Agents!
! Dental!Hygiene!
! Engineering!–!Mechanical,!Nuclear!&!Electronics!
! Respiratory!&!Occupational!Therapy!
In!addition,!Mr.!Hollars!identified!the!following!as!emerging!employment!categories!in!the!region:!
! Biomedical!Engineers!
! Network!Systems!&!Informatics!
! Home!Health!&!Personal!Care!
! Financial!Examiners!
! Physicians!Assistants!
! Skin!Care!Specialists!
! Biochemists!&!Biophysicists!
! Athletic!Trainers!
Clearly,!there!is!a!need!and!a!desire!for!education,!workforce!development!and!industry!to!align!their!
efforts!if!we!are!going!to!have!the!workforce!necessary!to!have!sustained!job!growth!and!investment!in!
the!MSI!region.!!!
!
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Transportation!!
While!this!report!does!not!address!transportation!in!any!depth,!easy!access!to!adequate!transportation!
facilities!has!a!positive!impact!on!development!in!the!region.!!Failure!to!address!transportation!
needs!will!have!disastrous!consequences!for!economic!development!in!the!region.!A!lack!of!action!on!
key!transportation!needs!has!the!potential!to!completely!destroy!any!efforts!proposed!elsewhere!in!this!
report.!The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!regions!transportation!needs!are!ever&present!and!continue!to!
evolve.!!Construction!projects!like!the!Brawley!School!Road!Interchange!can!create!impacts!not!
addressed!by!this!report.!However,!providing!access!to!a!variety!of!quality!transportation!facilities!must!
be!a!top!priority!of!any!successful!economic!development!effort.!
!
!!!!!!Industrial!Needs:!
!
!!!!!!Current!
!
Mooresville’s!location!between!I&85!and!I&40!positions!it!well!for!access!to!the!east!and!west.!Location!
along!I&77!places!us!on!one!of!only!a!few!major!north/south!corridors!east!of!the!Mississippi!River.!!The!
MSI!region!is!within!2!hours!of!70%!percent!of!the!American!population.!!This!is!important!for!both!
shipping!from!current!companies!and!as!a!factor!for!the!locating!of!future!firms!who!require!predictable!
travel!times!and!transportation!choices!for!logistics!management.!!While!rail!access!is!not!as!important!
as!it!was!at!one!time,!it!is!still!a!valuable!asset!to!the!MSI!region!which!should!be!preserved.!!Many!firms!
which!do!not!use!rail!on!a!regular!basis!value!the!availability!of!rail!as!!protection!against!trucking!
strikes,!excessive!fuel!prices!and!other!changes!in!market!conditions!–!such!as!the!soon!to!be!completed!
widening!of!the!Panama!Canal.!Airport!access!is!also!an!important!asset.!!Relatively!easy!access!to!
Charlotte!International!Airport!via!three!high!speed!corridors!is!increasingly!important!as!air!traffic!
continues!to!grow.!!Mooresville’s!proximity!to!the!Piedmont!Triad!International!Airport!in!Greensboro,!
NC!gives!the!region!access!to!two!international!airports.!!Access!to!the!general!aviation!airports!in!
Statesville!and!Concord!are!valuable!for!corporate!travel.!
!
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!!!!!!!!Future!!
!
All!of!these!positive!transportation!factors!are!in!jeopardy.!!The!value!of!being!close!to!national!markets!
is!diminished!if!it!takes!significant!extra!time!to!get!from!a!local!industry!to!the!interstate!due!to!poor!
interstate!interchange!access.!!As!fuel!prices!increase,!the!cost!of!traffic!congestion!for!local!industries!
will!continue!to!increase.!!This!congestion!also!increases!the!commute!time!for!employees!limiting!the!
geographic!range!from!which!local!firms!can!draw!employees.!!Both!of!Mooresville’s!industrial!parks!
are!located!north!of!downtown!and!currently!have!less!than!optimal!interstate!access.!!Future!
improvements!to!Mazeppa!Road!and!the!connection!of!Mazeppa!Road!to!Cornelius!Road!are!critical!to!
assure!good!access!in!the!future.!!This!also!requires!that!an!interchange!be!constructed!at!I&77!and!
Cornelius!Road!and!that!zoning!regulations!be!put!into!place!to!avoid!excessive!congestion!at!that!future!
interchange.!
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Residential!and!Commercial!Transportation!Needs:!
!
!!!!!!!Current!
!
At!this!time,!residential!and!commercial!traffic!relies!on!a!transportation!system!which!was!designed!
and!built!for!a!much!smaller!and!less!mobile!population!than!it!serves.!!Residents!face!serious!traffic!
delays!on!NC!150!west!of!US!21!and!on!I&77!between!Mooresville!and!I&485.!!Recent!improvements!to!
Brawley!School!Road!have!relieved!the!most!significant!local!traffic!problem!and!the!interchange!at!
Brawley!School!Rd!and!I&77!will!provide!some!but!limited!relief!to!NC!150.!!I&77!acts!as!a!barrier!through!
the!Town!as!there!are!limited!points!to!cross!the!interstate!in!the!12!mile!stretch!between!Davidson!and!
Troutman.!!!The!clogging!of!these!primary!access!points!within!Mooresville!is!a!limitation!to!commerce.!
The!lack!of!East/West!mobility!makes!it!extremely!difficult!for!businesses!to!serve!the!entire!local!
population!from!a!single!location.!
!
!!!!!!Future!
!!!!!!!!!!!!•!!!!!!!Highways!
There!are!four!elements!which!will!make!up!the!relief!of!existing!traffic!situation!and!address!the!future!
highway!transportation!needs.!
!
I&77!
The!widening!of!I&77!is!essential!to!meet!existing!demand!and!avoid!the!likelihood!of!poor!interstate!
service!having!a!negative!if!not!prohibitive!impact!of!future!development.!!While!the!widening!to!Exit!
36/NC!150!is!of!most!urgency,!widening!needs!to!be!completed!all!the!way!to!I&40!to!assure!adequate!
flow!of!commuter!traffic!and!freight!movement!in!the!future.!NCDOT!has!initiated!two!parallel!
processes!to!address!the!widening!of!I&77:!!conversion!of!the!HOV!lanes!to!managed!lanes!up!to!Exit!
28/Catawba!Ave!and!a!P3!study!from!the!I&277!loop!to!Exit!36/NC!150.!The!Town!of!Mooresville!recently!
submitted!a!project!request!for!conversion!of!the!interchange!at!Exit!36/NC!150!to!a!Diverging!Diamond!
as!a!short!term!means!of!relieving!congestion.!
!
Cornelius!Road!Interchange!
The!construction!of!the!Cornelius!Road!Interchange!at!I&77!is!necessary!to!assure!freight!movement!
from!the!industrial!areas!on!the!northern!side!of!Mooresville!and!to!relieve!congestion!at!NC!150!and!I&
77.!The!interconnection!of!Mazeppa!road!and!Cornelius!Road!is!also!necessary!to!complete!this!
northern!connector.!!
!
Overpasses!
The!creation!of!a!bridge!over!I&77!at!Fairview!Road!connecting!to!Alcove!Road/Exit!33!and!at!Oates!Road!
connecting!to!Bluefield!Road!would!significantly!improve!internal!circulation!within!Mooresville!
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and!relieve!congestion!at!the!existing!interchanges.!!The!Fairview!Road!facility!would!also!improve!
access!to!Lowes!Corporate!offices!and!Lake!Norman!Regional!Hospital.!!As!medical!facilities!continue!to!
become!a!greater!part!of!the!quality!of!life!in!the!area!as!well!as!an!economic!development!tool,!the!
value!of!these!overpasses!become!increasingly!important.!!
!
East&West!Connector!
This!roadway!would!connect!I&77!at!Langtree!Road!with!NC!3!near!Kannapolis.!!This!is!important!for!the!
development!of!the!southeastern!area!of!Mooresville!and!to!maximize!the!value!of!infrastructure!
improvements!which!are!planned!for!that!area.!!This!would!also!provide!access!to!a!future!commuter!
rail!station.!!!!!!!!
!
Widening!of!NC!150!!
!
NCDOT!has!plans!to!widen!NC!150!from!I&77!to!Lake!Norman.!!This!is!important!to!relieve!existing!traffic!
issues!and!address!continued!growth!along!NC!150!as!well!as!continued!retail!oriented!development!in!
this!area.!!This!improvement!is!scheduled!for!2019.!!The!Urban!Land!Institute!Study!which!was!
performed!in!2010!called!for!the!development!of!a!highway!system!parallel!to!I&77.!!This!would!provide!
a!local!traffic!alternative!to!I&77!and!allow!for!an!additional!development!corridor!
interconnecting!Huntersville,!Cornelius,!Davisdson!and!Mooresville.!Given!the!difficulty!of!construction,!
a!Lake!Norman!Regional!Transportation!Commission!study!recommends!upgrades!to!Shearers!Road,!!!
NC!3!and!Prosperity!Church!road!in!association!with!improvement!to!East/West!connections!as!an!
alternative!approach!for!improving!overall!mobility.!
!
!
!!!!!!•!!!!!!!Commuter!Rail!
!
Commuter!Rail!has!the!potential!to!help!address!existing!traffic!problems!and!add!to!future!
development.!!It!is!obvious!that!a!future!station!in!Mooresville!will!lead!to!substantial!development!
around!that!station.!The!proposed!location!near!the!future!East&West!Connector!road!would!make!this!a!
key!location!to!serve!the!areas!to!the!north!and!East!of!the!Langtree&115!area.!It!essentially!creates!a!
development!hub!in!the!currently!under&developed!area!between!Mooresville!and!Davidson!as!well!as!
encouraging!redevelopment!in!the!area!east!of!I&77.!Dependable!commuter!rail!service!will!help!relieve!
interstate!congestion!during!rush!hour!but!it!is!not!considered!a!substitute!for!interstate!widening.!!
When!the!widening!of!the!Panama!Canal!is!complete!and!the!Intermodal!Facility!at!Charlotte!Douglas!
International!Airport!is!finished,!demand!for!rail!service!in!the!region!will!increase.!!Track!upgrades!
associated!with!the!Red!Line!Regional!Rail!project!would!create!an!opportunity!for!feeder!line!freight!
users!in!the!region!with!the!potential!for!extension!of!the!line!to!I&40!in!Statesville!in!the!long!term.!
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! Air!
!
The!region!should!continue!to!support!efforts!to!upgrade!the!Charlotte!International!airport!to!
accommodate!more!flights!to!more!locations.!!A!bigger!threat!to!air!travel!is!traffic!congestion!along!the!
I&77!corridor!limiting!access!to!the!airport.!
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Process!Note:!!
During!the!CEDS!revision!process,!three!critical!deficits!were!identified!and!reported!to!the!MSIEDC!
Board!Chair!for!consideration:!!
! It!was!recommended,!based!on!personal!interviews!and!surveys,!that!the!Board!staff!the!
Existing!Industries!position!as!soon!as!possible.!!The!business!community!was!accustomed!to!the!
proactive!posture!of!the!Existing!Industries!representative!and!expressed!a!strong!desire!to!
retain!that!level!of!service.!!!
! Also,!the!lack!of!ready!to!build!industrial!property!was!of!critical!concern.!Additionally,!
developable!private!sites!lack!the!infrastructure!necessary!to!meet!the!time!to!operation!
demands!of!industrial!clients.!!
! Bank!financing!for!green&field!development!is!no!longer!available.!
The!MSIEDC!Board!authorized!the!Existing!Industries!position!and!that!position!has!been!filled.!!The!
MSIEDC!Board!also!formed!a!working!group!to!address!the!issue!of!available!industrial!land.!!That!
working!group!is!in!the!process!of!identifying!the!various!means!available!to!provide!product!in!the!
short,!mid!and!long!terms.!!For!the!short!term,!a!development!team!has!been!identified!for!project!
specific!delivery!of!sites!and!buildings.!
Recommendations!
Economic!Development:!
The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Economic!Development!Corporation!is!one!the!most!successful!Economic!
Development!entities!in!the!nation!and!has!been!recognized!numerous!times!by!Site&Selection!Magazine!
and!more!importantly!by!business!and!industry!–!as!they!continue!to!invest!in!the!community!by!
expanding!and/or!relocating!their!businesses!in!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!area.!!Success!in!Economic!
Development!allowed!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!area!to!become!an!employment!center.!!As!a!result,!
Mooresville!is!in!an!enviable!position!with!regard!to!the!sources!of!property!tax!revenue.!!Approximately!
67%!of!Mooresville’s!property!tax!revenues!come!from!the!commercial/industrial!sector!&!giving!
Mooresville!the!resources!necessary!to!improve!local!infrastructure!–!roads,!parks!and!recreation,!etc.!
and!enhance!the!quality!of!life!for!its!citizens.!There!are!challenges:!changing!demographics,!lack!of!
ready&to&occupy!buildings,!lack!of!ready&to&build!industrial!sites,!and!intense!competition!in!the!region!
and!the!nation.!!Recent!and!on&going!economic!conditions!reduce!the!ability!of!the!MSIEDC’s!private!
investors!to!help!fund!the!MSIEDC!just!when!it!is!needed!the!most.!Additionally,!the!public!sectors!
political!sensitivity!to!additional!funding!requests!makes!it!difficult!to!obtain!financial!resources.!!
Leadership!–!both!political!and!community!is!required:!!Courageous,!energetic,!principled!and!focused!
leadership!–!as!distinct!from!management,!to!lead!us!to!the!future!prosperity!we!all!desire.!
! CRITICAL:!It!is!recommended!that!the!SICDC!seek!to!partner!with!the!Town!of!Mooresville,!
Iredell!County,!the!private!sector,!electric!utilities!and!others!to!develop!a!comprehensive!
strategy!for!developing!the!various!categories!of!product!needed!to!implement!the!Economic!
Development!Plan.!!The!MSIEDC!should!be!responsible!for!overseeing!this!process!with!a!
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recommended!timeline!of!6!to!8!months.!(The!digital!resource!includes!a!site!selection!
presentation!prepared!by!McCallum&Sweeney!and!Duke!Energy.)!
! CRITICAL:!It!is!recommended!the!SICDC!hire!a!consultant!to!identify!the!types!of!product!
required!to!implement!the!Economic!Development!Plan!(Based!upon!existing!and!targeted!
industry!clusters.),!identify!infrastructure!deficiencies!and!identify!existing!or!planned!regional!
efforts!and!develop!recommendations!for!the!comprehensive!product!development!strategy.!!
The!timeline!is!recommended!not!to!exceed!1!year!for!this!project.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!SICDC!partner!with!the!Town!of!Mooresville!in!the!
creation!of!the!“Employment!Center!Catalyst!Fund.”!!The!purpose!of!the!fund!is!to!provide!a!
pool!of!loan!funds!for!deployment!of!infrastructure!in!identified!employment!centers!on!a!
project!specific!basis.!!A!fund!development!team!should!be!created!to!craft!the!fund!
components.!!Some!recommended!components!of!the!fund!are:!
!
! $3!million!&!$5!million!in!funds.!
! The!applicant!must!have!a!commitment!from!the!primary!lender!to!fund!vertical!
construction.!
! The!project!is!proposed!in!an!identified!employment!center.!
! The!applicant!agrees!to!use!local!contractors!where!reasonable.!
! The!loan!application!is!processed!by!and!is!administered!by!a!third&party!trustee!
such!as!the!Centralina!Council!of!Governments.!Monthly!reporting,!draw!
examinations,!and!annual!audit!requirements!apply.!!The!administration!fee!is!
paid!by!the!applicant.!
! The!loan!facility!is!negotiated!with!the!applicant,!the!primary!lenders,!the!SICDC!
and!includes!a!utility!or!development!services!agreement!with!the!Town!of!
Mooresville.!
! The!term!of!the!loan!is!limited!to!5!years!with!the!initial!term!of!2!years!interest!
only!at!market!rates.!
Recommended!team!members!include:!
! Robby!Carney,!MSIEDC!
! Mark!Brady,!South!Iredell!Community!Development!Corporation!
! Russ!Rogerson,!Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!
! Jim!Prosser,!Centralina!Council!of!Governments!
! Mike!Manis,!Centralina!Economic!Development!Commission!
! Erskine!Smith,!Town!of!Mooresville!
! Maia!Setzer,!Town!of!Mooresville!
! Kara!Millonzi,!UNC!School!of!Government!
! Tyler!Mulligan,!UNC!School!of!Government!
The!timeline!for!this!project!is!recommended!to!be!6!to!8!months.!
!
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Small!Business:!
Start&ups!and!small!businesses!are!job!generators.!!Mooresville&South!Iredell!lags!in!this!area.!!The!
Mooresville&South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce!has!done!a!good!job!of!supporting!small!business!with!
frequent!training!seminars!–!most!of!them!free!–!that!focus!on!marketing,!business!plan!creation,!access!
to!SBA!resources!and!Community!College!resources!along!with!many!networking!opportunities,!leads!
groups,!etc.!!These!efforts!have!been!funded!by!a!grant!from!the!Town!of!Mooresville!through!the!
Chamber!as!a!part!of!the!Town’s!overall!Economic!Development!effort!since!this!is!an!area!that!is!
outside!the!mission!of!the!MSIEDC.!
Identified!in!the!2006!plan!as!needing!a!stronger!support!system;!entrepreneurship!lives!in!Mooresville!
–!particularly!in!the!motorsports!industry.!!Efforts!made!thus!far,!while!beneficial,!are!more!iterative!in!
nature.!!To!be!successful!in!creating!an!enabling!environment!for!entrepreneurship,!a!transformational!
effort!needs!to!be!undertaken.!!Driving!entrepreneurship!in!the!community!requires!building!a!pipeline!
of!innovation!and!creativity!–!growing!it!in!the!community,!retaining!it!as!it!grows!and!actively!recruiting!
entrepreneurs.!!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!a!team!be!formed!to!identify!best!practices!from!around!the!
country!for!creating!and!sustaining!a!successful!entrepreneurial!environment.!!The!team!should!
be!tasked!with!investigating!incubators,!accelerators!and!any!other!proven!arrangement!that!
provides!the!energy,!innovative!and!creative!spirit!necessary!to!attract!and!support!a!vibrant!
entrepreneurial!community.!To!sustain!it,!there!has!to!be!a!commitment!from!the!community!
in!a!public&private!model!to!actively!support!the!process&platform!financially!and!as!an!
economic!development!necessity.!!Following!is!a!list!of!team!members!to!be!considered:!
! Jeff!Steiner!–!Owner!of!Five!Guys!
! Frank!Rader!–!Executive!Committee!member!of!a!traditional!incubator!
! Paul!Streeter!–!Local!business!person!who!has!researched!incubators!
! Robby!Carney!–!MSIEDC!Executive!Director!
! Kirk!Ballard!–!President!of!the!MSI!Chamber!of!Commerce!
! Mark!Edwards!–!Superintendent,!Mooresville!Graded!School!District!
The!project!scope!should!be!clearly!defined!along!with!any!specific!criteria,!such!as!linking!to!K&
12!education!and!the!Ben!Craig!Center.!!The!team!should!be!required!to!report!its!
recommendations!within!8!months!of!inception.!
!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!MSI!Chamber!of!Commerce!survey!the!membership!to!
determine:!1)!if!there!is!a!need!to!create!an!early!intervention!strike&team!to!assist!small!
businesses!experiencing!difficulties!before!the!situation!becomes!so!serious!the!chance!of!
success!is!diminished;!2)!the!disciplines!that!need!to!be!represented!and!the!resources!required!
for!the!team!–!operations,!finance,!marketing,!etc.!–!and!members!who!may!be!interested!
participating!on!the!team.!!!
!
!"#$%&'!""()*#$++)',"(-.(/' !"#$%
!
!$+ !
!
!
Workforce!Development:!
There!is!a!clear!and!present!need!–!identified!in!a!recent!survey!by!the!NC!Association!of!Workforce!
Development!Boards,!Closing!the!Gap!–!2012!Skills!Survey!of!North!Carolina!Employers!–!to!promote!the!
importance!of!a!skilled!workforce!and!the!need!for!the!community!to!focus!on!workforce!preparedness.!!
Manufacturing!has!the!greatest!skilled!worker!shortage!at!the!moment.!!61%!of!the!retail!sales!and!
services!sector!is!experiencing!difficulty!finding!employees!with!the!necessary!customer!service!and!
sales!skills.!!!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce!be!
tasked!with!forming!the!MSI!Education!&!Workforce!Alignment!Council.!!The!purpose!of!the!
Council!is!to!facilitate!the!alignment!of!the!K&12!and!Mitchell!Community!College!curriculum!
with!the!real!time!needs!of!employers,!audit!the!effectiveness!of!the!council,!adopt!the!
procedures!necessary!to!sustain!the!effort!and!report!annually!to!the!MSIEDC.!!It!is!
recommended!the!membership!include:!
!
! Mooresville!Area!Personnel!Association!representing!employers.!
! The!Mooresville!Graded!School!District.!
! The!Iredell&Statesville!School!System.!
! The!Employment!Security!Commission.!
! The!Centralina!Workforce!Development!Board.!
! Other!for!profit!and!not&for&profit!educational!entities.!
!
The!Board!should!be!limited!to!9!members.!
!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Mooresville!Town!Board!make!workforce!development!
and!workforce!preparedness!(Skills!training.)!a!priority.!!Examples!include!but!are!not!limited!to:!
!
! Host!skills!training!seminars!for!Town!employees!and!open!them!up!to!Mooresville!
residents!at!no!cost.!
! Make!continuing!education!a!requirement!for!more!Town!positions.!
! Require!an!annual!workforce!report!to!the!Board!from!the!MSIEDC.!
!
!
!
!
!
!"#$%&'!""()*#$++)',"(-.(/' !"#$%
!
!$" !
!
Transportation:!
Transportation!issues!could!make!all!other!recommendations!ineffective!if!not!
addressed.!!Traffic!problems!already!negatively!affect!the!community!and!failure!to!address!the!
transportation!needs!that!come!as!a!result!of!future!growth!could!destroy!that!growth.!There!is!nothing!
new!in!this!report.!All!of!these!recommendations!have!already!been!addressed!in!various!Town!
developed!studies.!!Readers!of!this!report!should!check!with!the!Town!frequently!to!stay!up&to&date.!It!is!
important!to!ensure!that!the!community!continues!to!recognize!the!importance!of!these!projects!and!
aggressively!seeks!state!funding!and!land!use!controls!to!assure!the!implementation!and!effectiveness!
of!the!improvements.!Transportation!is!a!regional!issue!with!local!impacts.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!the!Town!of!Mooresville!transportation!plan!focus!on!the!need!to!
facilitate!the!movement!of!people!and!products!from!the!industrial!parks!on!the!north!side!of!
town!to!I&77.!!This!requires!the!interconnection!of!Mazeppa!Road!and!Cornelius!Road!as!well!as!
construction!of!an!interchange!at!Cornelius!Rd!and!I!&77.!!Zoning!and!development!standards!
should!be!implemented!that!provide!for!the!free!flow!of!traffic!within!the!corridor!and!
especially!at!the!interchange.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Town!of!Mooresville!remain!engaged!regionally!with!the!
LNRPO,!MUMPO!and!the!LNTC!as!the!impacts!of!the!decisions!of!these!agencies!have!direct!and!
indirect!impacts!on!the!citizens!of!the!MSI!area.!!Access!to!state!and!federal!funds!frequently!
require!regional!benefits!and!co&operation.!!The!new!Mobility!Fund!is!an!example:!!to!qualify,!a!
project!has!to!be!of!“regional!significance,”!requiring!the!support!of!regional!organizations!when!
submitting!a!project!such!as!the!conversion!of!Exit!36/NC!150!interchange!to!a!diverging!
diamond.!!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!the!Town!of!Mooresville!and!Iredell!County!aggressively!advocate!
for!the!widening!of!I&77!from!Huntersville!to!at!least!Exit!42!and!preferably!to!Interstate!40.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!the!Town!continue!to!plan!for!the!development!of!two!significant!
east&west!corridors.!!The!widening!of!NC!150!to!allow!improved!East!West!movement!From!I&77!
to!the!western!edges!of!Mooresville,!on!to!points!west!of!the!lake,!is!currently!on!NCDOTs!
planning!list!but!is!not!funded.!!East&!West!movement!on!the!south!side!of!town!should!be!
addressed!by!the!East&!West!Connector!which!would!link!I&77!at!Langtree!Road!with!NC!3.!!Much!
of!this!corridor!would!be!built!as!a!part!of!future!development.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!Mooresville!and!Iredell!County!stay!engaged!in!the!planning!
for!commuter!rail!along!the!O!line.!!While!there!are!still!major!questions!about!the!development!
of!the!Red!Line!Regional!Rail!project,!the!community!must!continue!to!aggressively!examine!and!
track!the!feasibility!of!rail!service!to!assure!that!the!community!is!ready!to!move!forward!when!
rail!service!can!clearly!be!shown!to!be!viable;!environmentally!sound,!and!an!effective!
development!tool.!!While!the!rail!extension!may!not!be!feasible!at!this!time,!changes!in!fuel!
costs,!continued!traffic!growth!and!development!along!the!corridor!could!change!that!and!the!
community!needs!to!continue!to!be!alert!to!the!changes!and!ready!to!move!forward!when!
conditions!are!right!
!
!
!
!"#$%&'!""()*#$++)',"(-.(/' !"#$%
!
!$# !
!
Quality!of!Life!&!Business!Climate:!!!
The!business!climate!in!a!community!is!directly!affected!by!the!community’s!quality!of!life.!!Demography!
is!not!destiny!but!it!is!close.!!Mooresville&South!Iredell!will!continue!to!grow.!!Maintaining!the!vitality,!
energy!and!positive!outlook!that!distinguishes!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!area!from!so!many!others!
takes!a!lot!of!effort!from!the!entire!community.!!Active!engagement!of!citizens!in!maintaining!and!
enhancing!the!quality!of!life!is!critical!as!the!community!continues!to!grow.!!Growth!can!stress!
infrastructure,!institutions,!community!norms!and!the!spirit!of!a!community!if!it!is!not!actively!managed!
in!a!way!that!reduces!the!friction!between!the!old!and!the!new!–!rural!versus!urban.!!Local!government!
is!directly!responsible!for!the!planning!and!the!policies!that!guide!growth.!!Mooresville!has!done!a!good!
job!yet!challenges!remain.!!These!issues!need!to!be!faced!directly,!and!require!political!will.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Town!of!Mooresville!undertake!a!year&long!
review!of!existing!plans!–!land!use,!transportation,!recreation,!CIP!and!utility!service!
plans!in!a!series!of!workshops!that!involve!community!organizations,!citizens!
representing!a!variety!of!neighborhoods!–!including!those!outside!the!current!
municipal!boundaries!and!representatives!from!business!and!industry.!!The!purpose!of!
the!review!is!to!determine!the!plans!usefulness!and!to!educate!the!public.!A!consensus!
report!regarding!each!plan,!its!efficacy!and!any!recommendations!for!revision!would!be!
delivered!at!the!conclusion!of!the!review.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Town!of!Mooresville!step!up!code!enforcement!
with!the!express!purpose!of!improving!Mooresville’s!“first!impression”!or!visual!appeal.!!
Identifiable!residential!and!commercial!eyesores!need!to!be!addressed!via!a!list!
prioritized!based!upon!the!properties!that!have!the!greatest!negative!impact!on!the!
town’s!appearance.!Offenders!need!to!realize!the!code!will!be!enforced!and!that!there!
are!consequences!for!willfully!degrading!the!community.!!The!Town!should!support!
clean&up!efforts!during!an!amnesty!period!by!providing!dumpsters,!free!car!removal,!
additional!recycling!totes!and!pick&ups!neighborhood!by!neighborhood!on!a!rotating!
basis.!
! CRITICAL:!!It!is!recommended!that!the!Town!of!Mooresville!continue!to!expand!the!
efforts!undertaken!to!revitalize!and!rejuvenate!the!downtown!and!to!craft!an!overall!
vision!for!the!appearance!of!the!town.!
!
A!final!recommendation!that!should!be!implemented!before!the!preceding!recommendations!are!
adopted:!!Create!an!independent!Plan!Review!Team!–!The!plan!review!team!should!consist!of!citizens,!
business!people,!educators,!elected!officials,!community!non&profits!and!representatives!from!the!arts!
and!cultural!community.!!The!goal!of!the!PRT!is!to!discuss!the!plan,!its!recommendations!and!make!
suggestions!to!improve!it.!!As!the!plan!is!implemented,!the!PRT!would!change!its!focus!to!following!the!
progress!of!the!plan,!making!suggestions!for!“course!correction”!and!the!development!and!
implementation!of!an!annual!Economic!Development!Scorecard!for!presentation!to!the!community.!
!"#$%&'!""()*#$++)',"(-.(/' !"#$%
!
!$$ !
!
Acknowledgements:!
!
This!project!involved!many!people,!most!of!whom!volunteered!their!time!and!energy!over!much!of!2011!
and!part!of!2012.!!The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce!Public!Policy!Division!proposed!
the!project!to!the!Town!of!Mooresville!and!the!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Economic!Development!
Corporation.!!The!Town!of!Mooresville!agreed!to!fund!the!project!allocating!$25,000.!!!
Thanks!to:!
The!Town!of!Mooresville!
The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Chamber!of!Commerce!
The!Mooresville&South!Iredell!Economic!Development!Corporation!
The!North!Carolina!Department!of!Commerce!
The!Centralina!Economic!Development!Corporation!
The!Charlotte!Regional!Partnership!
Garner!Economics!
Rosenow!Spevacek!Group,!Inc.!(RSG)!
Warren!and!Associates!
Individual!Contributors:!!Grace!Phillips,!Frank!Rader,!Steve!Husemann,!Bill!Thunberg,!Karen!Shore,!Robby!
Carney!and!Mary!Speir.!
!
!