Latest news with #BillDusch
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Concord mayor won't seek reelection. Two other candidates announce bids
Concord Mayor Bill Dusch told The Charlotte Observer Friday he will not seek reelection to the seat he has held since 2017. Dusch's seat will be up for grabs during Concord's municipal election on Nov. 4. Cities and Towns across North Carolina including Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews and Kannapolis will host elections for mayor on the same day. 'I've been involved with the city for 36 years… and been mayor for eight years,' Dusch told the Observer. 'At the age of 72, I think it's time to look at my next endeavors in life.' During his time as mayor, Dusch said he was most proud of the city's economic development, recreational improvements and the new businesses that were drawn into the developing downtown. He said he hopes whoever becomes the next mayor continues to work closely with city staff including City Manager Lloyd Payne and City Attorney VaLerie Kolczynski. 'I would love for whoever replaces me to continue the efforts and have the good teamwork we have with our council and with our city staff,' Dusch said. 'We work well together. I want to continue that.' Former Cabarrus County Commissioner Steve Morris announced Friday morning he would run for the mayoral seat. Morris, a Republican, served on the commission for 12 years and acted as chair for a decade. Morris has lived in Concord for over 40 years, he said.'I'm just extremely encouraged and excited about the future, both for me and for the city of Concord,' Morris told the Observer. Morris lost his bid for reelection to the commission in 2024, receiving 160 fewer votes than Commissioner Larry Pittman. In May, Commissioners Kenny Wortman and Lynn Shue both told The Observer they wanted Morris to fill a vacant seat on the commission. Ultimately the seat was filled by Jeff Jones. Wortman and Shue tend to vote opposite Pittman. Morris said in a news release his vision for the city includes improving transportation, expanding housing options and ensuring public safety. 'My top priority is something we don't talk about enough: a government that works,' Morris wrote. Concord City Councilwoman Lori Clay also announced she would run for the seat at a news conference Friday afternoon. If she won, Clay would be the first female mayor of Concord. 'It will be very historic for Concord to have a woman mayor. We have never had one. We've only ever had one other woman mayoral candidate,' Clay told the Observer. 'It's time for old Concord.' Clay, a Republican, took office in 2023 and is set to serve a four-year term on the council. Clay told the Observer her priorities if elected are managing growth, helping small businesses and being fiscally conservative. 'My sole focus is, and always will be, the citizens of the city,' she said.
Axios
28-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Shopping arcade to open in historic downtown Concord
A historic theatre in downtown Concord is being revived as a shopping and restaurant destination, similar to Uptown Charlotte's Latta Arcade. Why it matters: Set to open this summer, The District Exchange is the latest addition to a revitalized downtown Concord — an area becoming a hub for local entrepreneurs. Driving the news: The District Exchange will repurpose 20,000 square feet of unused space at 22 Union Street North for micro storefronts where small businesses can thrive. "It's going to be a magnet for all of us as we move back into the downtown area after this complete reconstruction," says Mayor Bill Dusch. Context: For years, downtown Concord has been a construction zone as century-old pipes were replaced, new apartments were developed and the streetscape was redesigned. COVID-related disruptions to the construction industry prolonged the presence of work crews and orange cones, stalling downtown's revival. Between the lines: Construction delays impacted long-time businesses like Gianni's Trattoria, which moved to nearby Gibson Mill last spring after more than 15 years in downtown Concord. Now, the area has hundreds of apartments bringing new residents, wider sidewalks, modern utilities and social district status to the area. Driving the news: Renovations began earlier this year at The District Exchange, with plans to recreate the building's original mezzanine level. The two-story building will have two restaurants (one on each floor), with 1,000 square feet of outdoor space on the ground floor. "We're really trying to make it feel like an extension of Union Street," says District Exchange property owner Kristen Harris Adamczuk. Four leases have already been signed, including Life is Sweet Candy Store and Barley Jean, a micro bakery that also makes dog treats. The big picture: Although its storefronts have struggled amid all the construction, downtown Concord is now emerging as an ideal place for small businesses to grow. The Palmetto Market, for example, is a gift shop that sells handmade items from growing businesses that may not be ready for an entire storefront. In 2020, Cabarrus Economic Development and Flywheel Coworking opened The Cabarrus Center downtown. The center supports startups and keeps them at home so they don't have to go to Charlotte in search of opportunities. Case in point: Barley Jean is one of the businesses that came out of the center. Owner Melissa Allen went through Retail Lab, a six-week boot camp at the center that helps pre-launch retail businesses. Now she's opening her shop just down the street. Allen says her small storefront at The District Exchange is just enough space for shelves to line with baked snack mixes and breads, a dog treat display and a cookie counter. "I just feel so excited about the buzz and the energy that I think the building itself is going to have," Allen says. Zoom out: Harris Adamczuk also redeveloped 2 Union Street, where she brought on five tenants: The Palmetto Market, Cut at an Angle florist, the honey shop Cannon Honey Mill, the office of drone delivery company Zipline and Cellar Door Wine Shop. While curating those tenants, Harris Adamczuk says she saw the demand for micro retail in Concord. The District Exchange will offer 16 retail bays, ranging between 140 and 410 square feet. Harris Adamczuk says they simplify the intimidating real estate process for new storeowners by including shared restrooms, common areas, utilities, internet and maintenance. "We see it as a community," Harris Adamczuk says. "You're stronger together than if you were a brick-and-mortar store standing alone." Flashback: Initially, the site of the District Exchange was a ten-room house with tailors and a bootmaker. Then, in the 1930s, the theatre was built. It was the first in Cabarrus County with air conditioning, according to The Charlotte Observer archives. In the '80s, Concord National Bank took over and gutted the theatre, installed steel beams and turned the mezzanine level into a closed-off second floor. Much of the original theatre was lost — one council member famously saved the theatre doors from the bank's trash, according to a 1980 story in The Charlotte Observer. Harris Adamczuk and her husband bought the property in 2019. She says the building was "a blank slate," but they intend to keep structural elements reminiscent of the theatre days. They'll also have history walls to show pictures of what it used to look like 100 years ago.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Avelo Airlines adds three more East Coast destinations from Concord
CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — If you have friends or family in D.C., Detroit, or Long Island and have been struggling to find nonstop finds, Avelo has you covered. There will soon be nonstop flights to those three destinations (IAD, DTW, and ISP) courtesy of Avelo from Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA), the airline announced on Tuesday. One-way fares from USA start at $39. 'We continue to Inspire Travel by growing our service in Concord/Charlotte with these three new routes, offering our customers even more choices. As the only airline offering nonstop service to these destinations from USA, we are making it more convenient and affordable for our Queen City Customers to enjoy,' Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said. New, cheap nonstop Concord flights feature Orlando and New England Washington, D.C. (IAD)- Starts May 23, 2025, with service on Mondays and Fridays Detroit, Michigan (DTW)- Starts June 13, 2025, with service on Mondays and Fridays Long Island, New York (ISP)- Starts May 22, 2025, with service on Thursdays and Sundays 'We are honored Avelo continues to grow with us – and adding three new routes from Concord to Detroit, MI, Washington, DC, and Long Island, NY. With eleven exciting destinations to choose from, residents and businesses have more options for affordable and convenient air travel direct from their hometown to communities up and down the East Coast from New England to Florida and now to the Midwest too, thanks to Avelo,' Concord Mayor Bill Dusch said. These flights will utilize Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, officials said. For Avelo flight information, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
