May 5. Kannapolis is asking would-be developers to submit proposals for the 200 West Avenue Demonstration Project by June 24. The downtown revitalization  project, in total, consists of 50 acres of land and buildings in the downtown core.

The Demonstration Project is the first step in the master development plan and would include apartments, a parking deck, retail and restaurant space. The marketing and site analysis demonstrated that residential units are sought after and needed to generate a core of people who will then drive more retail and dining growth in downtown.

Here is the link to the RFP Document:

http://www.kannapolisnc.gov/Portals/0/Departments/Administration/Documents/Kannapolis%20RFP%20Final%204%2029%2016%20-%20200%20West-%20Demo%20Project.pdf

The City is looking for developers to purchase the land and to construct the buildings. The City’s investment would be construction of the parking deck. “Our research has shown this project will be a key igniter for our downtown revitalization. People who are living in a downtown drive the economy by expecting to have shops, restaurants and entertainment options with walking distance,” commented Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg. “We look forward to reviewing the RFPs and moving forward with the project.”

A master development plan has been underway since that time with the city completing a market analysis, a site analysis and a financial analysis. The complete downtown master development plan is expected to be completed this June.

For more information contact Michelle Audette-Bauman, with the Development Finance Initiative, at [email protected].