Vermillion Subdivision Huntersville, NC is still growing despite economic downturn.
Here is a recent article in the Charlotte Observer by Elisabeth Arriero.
Huntersville is booming.
Despite a construction slump in many other parts of the country, the town is experiencing strong growth in building permits issued for residential and commercial construction, with no sign the trend will slow anytime soon.
Huntersville officials said the number of residential housing permits issued increased 52 percent from 2010 to 2011, to 353 permits issued last year. “To date through February, we’ve had 59 through the first two months of this year,” said Huntersville Principal Planner Zac Gordon. “That’s an indication that in our micro region, we’re doing fairly well compared to other parts of the country.”
Bowman credited the increase in the town’s new construction homes to Huntersville’s numerous amenities as well as close proximity to Charlotte.
Nate Bowman, developer of Vermillion, a project that includes homes and commercial properties, agreed. “Huntersville has so many things to offer, especially with I-485, the lake, shopping, nicely designed communities,” he said.
He said new urbanists – people who want walkable neighborhoods with a mix of uses – are particularly attracted to Huntersville because there is so much developable land around the town center.
“We’re doing really well in a down market,” said Bowman. 
According to Gordon, single-family permits will likely hit 400 in 2012 and break 500 in the next few years. But while residential permits continue to rebound, it’s nonresidential growth that’s been a driving force.
Nonresidential permits, defined as commercial, office or upfit – meaning an existing, formerly empty space was changed to the needs of a new occupant, according to Gordon – have consistently increased annually. Between 2010 and 2011, the amount of money spent on new nonresidential construction in Huntersville more than doubled.
“That’s a pretty significant increase,” he said, projecting that nonresidential construction in 2012 will easily bring in at least $40 million.
“We have some big permits we know are coming. We’ve got a small company called Wal-Mart building in our jurisdiction,” Gordon joked, estimating the supercenter will cost about $15 million if the company builds at least a 150,000 square-foot facility.
On track to break ground in the Brighton development east of N.C. 115 and north of Interstate 485 “very soon,” Gordon said, Wal-Mart is slated to open in spring 2013.
“These are positive signs that at least locally we’re coming out of the (economic) doldrums. … The economy is coming out of a long slumber. And we’re poised.”
Huntersville officials expect more construction of multi-family housing, such as apartment complexes and condos, over the next decade, driven by the projected shift in demographics.
“The population is aging, though Huntersville is a very young community,” Gordon said, noting the town will likely see an increase in residents over over 65. “Folks moving into the area don’t necessarily want a single-family home.”
Since 2001, only one apartment complex – with 250 units – has been built in the town, he said. In the next 12 months alone, Huntersville could expect to see construction begin on 500 to 700 multi-family units, he said.
Though multi-family housing has traditionally only made up about 15 percent of the residences in Huntersville, Gordon expects that figure to grow to 25 percent by 2030.
“It’s because of our proximity to Charlotte and the expected and anticipated rail line,” Gordon said, noting the town would have three Red Line stations in its jurisdiction should the proposed 25-mile commuter and freight train come to fruition between Mooresville and Charlotte.
Trends also indicate that 2014 through 2019 will be “the second great wave of development in Huntersville, mainly commercial.”
Gordon emphasized they’re not anticipating the population boom that raised the population from 24,960 in 2000 to 46,773 in 2010, but the population will enjoy “modest growth.”
“We will continue to grow … in the next two, three, four years, we’ll see heavier numbers on the commercial side.”
Around the lake
North of Huntersville, the town of Cornelius is seeing more subdued growth. Becky Partin, communications specialist for the Cornelius Planning and Zoning Department, said the town hasn’t seen much commercial construction, but home-building has increased somewhat in the last two years.
“We have had very little, if any, new commercial building in the past couple of years. So far in 2012, we have issued about 40 new single-family building permits,” Partin said in an email.
Mooresville Zoning Administrator Tammy Heck said the total number of nonresidential permits issued – whether they were commercial, for adding signage, expanding a deck, adding a pool or garage addition – over the past three years has shown a “significant” increase and have reflected the economy.
“People were reusing what they already had, instead of building new, in the commercial realm anyway.”
Heck said the total number of permits for 2012 has “almost doubled” since 2011.
“We’ve seen a definite increase in activity in the last couple months,” she said.
In the Catawba Springs Township of Lincoln County, which includes the Denver area, construction has actually slowed in the last two years, according to county data. But Lincoln County Director of Planning and Inspections Kelly Atkins said he expects numbers will start to rally.
“There are many reasons that Catawba Springs is the fastest-growing area in Lincoln County: Its proximity to surrounding cities and counties, Lake Norman, lower taxes, good school reputation, several industrial businesses, the completion of Highway 16 and a committed Economic Development Association,” Atkins said in an email.
Catawba County Assistant Planning Director Mary George said that, much like Cornelius, permits for new commercial construction are low, as businesses typically opt to upfit an existing space. While she didn’t have specific nonresidential permit numbers for the west shore, George said there typically hasn’t been strong commercial interest in the area because there isn’t been readily-available commercial access to public sewers.
Davidson Planning Manager Lauren Blackburn said the number of building permits processed annually are seasonal and only a fraction of the other towns. “Basically because we are much smaller to begin with,” she said. “ I don’t see strong trend in changes between 2010 and 2011.”
Mike Carpino
Broker/Owner
2011 Charlotte Five Star Real Estate Agent
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704 301-9264
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