Nantz Road is to the left in this site plan

Dec. 5. By Dave Vieser. Almost five years to the day after rezoning was first approved by the town, site work has begun on a retail/convenience store complex on the east side of West Catawba opposite Nantz Road.

Convenience Development Partners, with offices in South Carolina and Florida, is the developer.

“We have finally started work on this project after a long delay due to permitting issues” said co-owner Evan Walton. “We’re hoping to have it open by the end of next year, and it should be a great development for the residents of Cornelius.”

Details

The Cornelius project encompasses nine acres that were previously undeveloped except for two vacant homes which were recently demolished. The project will include a 7-11 convenience store
with gas pumps and a car wash, as well as two commercial/retail buildings totaling 9,400 square feet fronting West Catawba Avenue.

Original plans also called for a 45,000 square foot office building, but Walton said the demand for such space has dramatically dropped since COVID. “We’re now looking at a day care center instead for that location” he added.

Also included with this project is the extension of Nantz Road east of West Catawba Avenue, which will be paid for by the developer.

The front edge of the development will be set back sufficiently to coincide with the planned widening of West Catawba Avenue, currently planned to be widened by 2029.

Convenience Development Partners, established in 2016, focused on new store development within the convenience store and retail fuel industries targeting a very specific client base. To date, they have developed over 75 convenience stores, truck stops, and single/multi-tenant retail centers for a number of clients in the Southeast USA including 7-11, QT, and Wawa.