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Executive Summary of the NC-73 Small Area Land Use and Economic Development Plan The following information was taken directly from the first Chapter of the NC-73 document. Background The NC 73 corridor extends for over 30 miles from 1-85 in Cabarrus County to Lincolnton in Lincoln County. According to the NC 73 Transportation and Land Use Corridor Study completed in December 2003, the entire 35-mile corridor anticipates population increases in the range of 50% to 230% by 2025, which could result in increased traffic pressures at key intersections in the range of 50,000 to 60,000 cars per day. The study area for this masterplan includes an approximate 3-% mile stretch of NC 73 from Davidson-Concord Road to Poplar Tent, traversing the jurisdictions of Davidson, Huntersville and Cabarrus County. According to the NC 73 Transportation and Land Use Corridor Study, this portion of NC 73 is planned to be 4 lanes and anticipates 32,000 cars per day at the Davidson-Concord Road intersection, 38,000 cars per day at McCauley Road, and 30,000 cars per day at Poplar Tent by the year 2025. Presently, according to the NC 73 Transportation and Land Use Corridor Study, these intersections have 15,000, 16,000 and 15,000 cars per day, respectively. Today, the traffic along NC 73 within this 3-% mile stretch includes both regional through traffic traveling east-west as well as local traffic that must use NC 73 to travel north-south because the north south corridors do not continue as they intersect with NC 73. For instance, Davidson- Concord Road, Ramah Church Road and McCauley Road all end in T-intersections, requiring travelers to continue along NC 73 even if their intention is not to go east or west. Purpose The NC 73 Transportation and Land Use Corridor Study completed in December 2003 recognized unique dynamics within the Davidson-Concord corridor and recommended a small area plan for this 3-% mile stretch of NC 73. The purpose of this plan is to establish strategic land use recommendations that will help to further support and define specific NC 73 improvements needed in this study area. Additionally, the plan: 1. Establishes a long-term vision for this corridor, 2. Enables the jurisdictions to establish policy to support this vision, and 3. Serves to define and guide qualitative aspects of development along the corridor. Cabarrus County will mostly be involved in the Poplar Center portion of the plan. Poplar Center: The master plan includes an important employment center, Poplar Center, which is planned to have a range of office, retail, and housing. The plan could generate as much as 6 to 8 million square feet of employment if the plan and building heights were built to the maximum allowed in the plan. Conservatively, if about a third of the buildings planned for Poplar Center are 4-story commercial buildings, the plan could include about 4.5 million square feet of employment and generate upwards of 12,000 jobs. Importantly, Poplar Center should not be a single-use district. Housing, retail, restaurants and services, such as day care, dry cleaners, drug store, dental and medical offices, as well as civic and cultural uses should be provided so that workers and residents don't need to commute long distances, can use local roads and will not add unnecessary trips and vehicle miles on NC 73 to meet these needs. E-cPJ