Saturday, November 2, 2024
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Free Daily Headlines
After more than two decades at the same location, Narnia Studios will cross Main Street and relocate to the historic Ewbank building at 408 N. Main Street on March 1, owner Barbara Hughes announced. Designed by Erle Stillwell and built in 1923 by Ernest Lucas Ewbank and sons Frank and Harry, the Ewbank & Ewbank building was home to the family insurance and real estate business until 2004. The building was last home of The Fountainhead bookstore. The climate-controlled shop is located in the heart of downtown right next door to another Stilwell building, the Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society and mineral museum, which was built as State Trust Bank. Founded in 1995, Narnia Studios is a fresh flower florist as well as a source for artwork from over 50 different local artists and potters. Narnia Studios will have the same selection of goods in an even more welcoming environment. “We appreciate every purchase by our long time and brand new Narnia friends," Hughes said. "We know how important it is for our customers to have a shop they can rely on year after year. Now we will have space to better serve Hendersonville and its visitors." Read Story »
Q. Do we have any prime industrial sites left in Henderson County and if so where are they? Yes, we still have sites, actually a bunch. I sat down with Brittany Brady, president of the Partnership (also known as the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development). Brady said there are 17 industrial sites actively being promoted by the Partnership. For this story I chose five that I consider prime sites because they have some or all utilities in place, good road access and are 15 acres or greater. Let's take a look. The Hudgens site encompasses 107 acres on McMurray Road near Bloomfield's (dish barn). It is plainly visible from the Interstate. It offers both water and sewer and more than half of the tract is already zoned industrial. Beverly-Hanks has the site listed for $18,360,000 (recently reduced). The property is about as flat as you can find here and can easily be developed. The Garrison Lane site includes 48 acres located behind Cracker Barrel and Appleland Business Park on Upward Road. It has access to water and sewer. You may know this property as High Hope Dirt and Mulch, a 50-year old business operated by the Garrison family. There is a high hill in the middle of the property with a lot of dirt missing. The sales price is $4.8 million. Ferncliff Park in Mills River has two prominent tenants — Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and GF Linamar. Ferncliff has 76 acres available that can be split into three or four industrial sites. Once part of the vast land holdings of the Westfeldt family of Rugby Grange, the property contained a summer home the family called Ferncliff. One of the parcels has "back door" access to the Asheville Regional Airport, which is a rare amenity. All sites are "NC Certified" which means they have passed a rigorous prequalification process. You can buy the whole 76 acres for a cool $9 million. Broadpointe Industrial Park on Fanning Field Road off N.C. 280 has a 15-acre combined industrial site for sale. It's use for a large industry is somewhat hindered because of the power line that bisects the property. The price tag is $1.4 million. Taproot Dairy Farm on Butler Bridge Road is a mega-site totaling 320 acres although 90 are in the flood plain. It's zoned commercial and would need to be rezoned for industry. The site is easily viewable from I-26. Taproot has utilities either on site or nearby but road access for 18-wheelers may be problematic without a new interchange. That aside, the property can be subdivided and it has long been called "a developers dream." Taproot is currently owned by the Johnston family and the asking price is a cool $20 million. The next closest mega industrial site in the state is in the Greensboro area. Sites are important but new industry likes workforce skills and convenience too. Brady said that a potential industry frequently asks, "What's your 30-minute drive time?" This is because, while the commuting time for production workers is typically 20 to 30 minutes, higher paying workers will drive 45 to 60 minutes. Brady's staff can easily plot out commuting distances for an interested party. Job training is an issue locally because of the labor shortage. "Employers look for trainable workers who can move up the ladder quickly," said Brady. "The high schools and BRCC are part of the pipeline for filling those jobs." * * * * * Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com. Read Story »
SmartFinancial Inc., the parent company of SmartBank, and Entegra Financial Corp., the parent company of Entegra Bank, have signed a merger agreement under which Entegra will combine with SmartFinancial in a strategic merger of equals. Read Story »
After negotiating changes to ensure sustained hospital facilities in rural counties and greater geographic representation of a new health care trust, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced Wednesday that he would not object to HCA’s acquisition of Mission Health System’s assets. Read Story »
Pardee UNC Health Care physicians Chris Parsons and James M. Radford have been named among the Best Doctors in America for 2017-2018. The prestigious recognition marks the second and eighth times, respectively, that Drs. Parsons and Radford have earned this honor. Read Story »
The city could allow overnight dog boarding closer to homes if the Hendersonville City Council OKs a zoning code amendment. Read Story »
The first clue that Mariscos is unlike its sister restaurants is what’s missing. When you sit down, no basket of tortilla chips arrives, nor bowls of sauce. What’s up? Read Story »
As mayor of Laurel Park, Carey O’Cain helped guide the development of Rhododendron Lake Nature Park. The Audubon Society and National Geographic had designated 2018 as the Year of the Bird, O’Cain noted early last year as he talked about the large variety of birds visiting the lake and the bluebird boxes that attracted nesting birds. Lutrelle O’Cain’s work focused on four-legged animals, as executive director of the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Read Story »
Steve Bevins has cooked everything from fast food to high-end steaks to upscale Chinese. Until recently he ran his own kitchen, as the head chef at Carolina Bistro at Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club. Read Story »
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