About Gastonia
A three-time All-America City and recipient of the U.S. Conference of Mayors top Livability Award, Gastonia is recognized as one of the area’s best places to live and work with an ideal combination of location, size, and quality of life. Those factors, combined with the City’s strategic location, just minutes west of Charlotte and midway between Atlanta and North Carolina’s Research Triangle, attracts business and industry looking for an ideal site to locate, re-locate, or expand.
With major highways, interstates, railroads, and airports all within a 15-minute drive, Gastonia surely understands the importance in ease of transportation for its local businesses and residents. We continue to stay proactive by pushing plans for light rail and commuter trains.
Additionally, our city council and staff understand the importance of Gastonia being a destination for people to be active, enjoy, and stay. This is why our city is investing in the FUSE District, Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment District, between Loray Mills and our Downtown.
The FUSE District is more than a sports and entertainment complex. It is the heart of a growing commercial district that features the best of urban living: residential choices, sports and entertainment options, offices, restaurants, retail shops, services, green spaces and more. The FUSE sports and entertainment complex will be home to a variety of venues and events. It can accommodate an array of sports – baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, even ice-skating – as well as concerts, fairs, and more.
Our Location
Gastonia is located in the heart of the Piedmont section of the State of North Carolina, approximately 22 miles west of Charlotte and covers an area of approximately 51.69 square miles. Also, it is the third largest city in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as identified by the United States Census Bureau.
An effective transportation system is critical to the economic and social well-being of the community. The City of Gastonia recognizes the importance of developing an efficient transportation system that is environmentally sensitive and fiscally responsible, while being responsive to the community’s needs, remaining consistent with land use plans, and fostering economic vitality. The goal is to achieve a balanced system that meets the needs of people of all ages and abilities, while also meeting the needs of businesses, industry, and area employers.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is less than a 30-minute drive away, which provides a portal for business and leisure around the world. Furthermore, the City of Gastonia Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport, is only a short drive from our downtown. The airport serves a growing number of corporate and personal aircraft’s powerful and quiet enough to utilize our convenient and economical facility.
Interstate 85 and US Highway 321 provide our residents and industries with the ability to be in the mountain quickly or to ship a product efficiently.
Strategic Goals
- Complete the construction of a multi-use sports/entertainment venue in the FUSE District along with the successful recruitment of significant private investment in surrounding properties. Also, complete the successful execution of the management services agreement, all individual economic development agreements/projects, and have a successful ribbon cutting and opening.
- Increase multi-family opportunities Downtown and increase Downtown residential and commercial occupancy rates.
- Partner with the Akers Center, Eastridge Mall, Parkdale Mill, and Loray Mill site owners and management companies to invest and redevelop the properties to maximize value.
- Recruit satellite higher education facilities to Downtown Gastonia to create additional educational opportunities, create jobs, and spur additional foot traffic.
- Identify and budget for attainable projects specified in the Highway 7 corridor project.
- Update the Economic Development Strategic Plan.
