Anson Economic Development Corporation

Last week, I was asked to provide some economic projections based on the impacts of recently completed and proposed road construction in Anson County over the next 10 years. The three road projects specifically referenced are the Monroe Expressway, US74 Median and Wadesboro Bypass. Basically, I expect the population of Anson County to increase by 1% to 1.5% by 2025 based primarily on new residential and commercial development on the west side of the county. This increase will be almost entirely the result of the Monroe Expressway. We are also anticipating a similar level of growth in employment with the largest gains expected in Skilled and Semi-Skilled Construction Trades, Advanced Manufacturing Technology (especially as it relates to metal fabrication) and Logistics/Warehousing. The US74 Median project will likely have minimal impact on either population or employment, although the slight improvement in eastbound travel times from the eastern side of the county to the Port of Wi

On June 6th, Wadesboro hosted the last of three sessions with Diane Young, a consultant representing Downtown Strong, an offshoot of Governor Cooper's Hometown Strong initiative. The sessions,  which were attended by members of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, Anson County TDA, AnsonEDP and Uptown Wadesboro, focused on creating actionable plans for the revitalization of our uptown area. Notably, the meeting was held in the boardroom of the new REV Uptown development, a tangible example of just the sort of revitalization the initiative is trying to promote. In fact, Diane noted that Wadesboro is ahead of the curve in terms of redevelopment compared to some of the other communities she is working with. Still, there is much to be done. Diane's recommendations to the group centered on two main points, better cooperation between the property owners, community leaders and businesses; and better promotion and a more proactive approach to bringing new businesses to Uptown. T

It is probably an exaggeration to suggest that AnsonEDP, the Anson County Chamber of Commerce,  Uptown Wadesboro and the Anson County Tourism Development Authority brought coffee to Uptown Wadesboro--after all, a cup of joe has been readily available at several convenience stores and fast food restaurants along the US 74 corridor on the fringes of uptown--but those organizations are absolutely responsible for bringing the coffee "experience" to the community. "An Uptown coffee shop has been a priority of the Chamber since I started working here, " said Shelby Emrich, president and CEO of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, and we are so excited to finally see it happen. This is going to be a game-changer for Wadesboro." The "this" she speaks of is Speckled Paw Coffee, which opened this morning to a packed house in the new REV Uptown facility on West Wade Street. The REV project is an innovative concept in rural development which combines the c