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1~. THE STUDY PROCESS The Cabarrus County Water and Sewer Study Commission adopted a study process that included a review of the following topics: growth pressures in Cabarrus County, the general plan for the development of water and sewer facilities in the county~ the relationship of the proposed water facility extensions with the general plan, the water supply issue, and financing options for both the immediate proposal and for long-range water and sewer facility development. P~ The Growth Issue Dr. 3ira Clay and Mr. Alan Black of the Urban Institute made presentations to the Study Commission on the growth issue. Dr. Clay's presentation centered on the University City development in Northeast Mecklenburg County and the pressures that growth might bring on the western townships of Cabarrus County. The University City complex includes the University, the Research Park, and University Place, a proposed mixed-use development for a 2t~0 acre site located between U.S. 29 and 1-85 and along Harris Boulevard. The University located in Northeast Mecklenburg County in 1963 on a 1,000 acre site lying generally between U.S. 29 and N.C. t~9. The University now has over 10,000 students and employs approximately 1~300 faculty and staff. While the rapid growth of the last twenty years is not likely to be sustained in the future, a steady rate ol growth is predicted. The University Research Park was established over ten year~ ago by The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Greater Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. After an initial spurt of activity which saw Collins & Aikman~ Reeves Brothers, and Allstate locate office and research facilities in the Park, a dormant period ensued that was ended by the announcement by IBM in the late 1970% of a major faciltiy in the Park. This announcement spurred a period of phenomenal growth that has continued to the present day. During the past five years, in addition to IBM, Dow 3ones, Union Oil~ Verbatim, Automatic Data Processing~ Southern Bell, Fairfax Properties~ and the Electric Power Research Institute have announced plans for building facilities in the Park. Most of these projects have been completed and the Park now contains 2,500 acres, #,000,000 sq. ft. of utilized space, and more than 6~000 employees. All of these figures are expected to increase substantially in the near future. Projections developed by the Urban Institute show that by the end of this decade total employment opportunities, both basic and non- basic, in the University Research Park - UNCC - Phillip Morris Corridor will be approximately 30~000. These employment figures in turn project to a potential of approximately 60,000 in population increase in the corridor. University Place is viewed as the service and to some degree housing area tor this burgeoning employment and population growth. The following descriptive material is taken lrom a brochure announcing the choice of a developer for University Place.