Gas line repaired downtown / Photo: Cornelius Police Facebook page

Sept. 1. There was another gas leak near the Cain Center resulting in the temporary closure of Catawba Avenue. Town officials said old, unmarked gas lines nearby are to blame. “So with digging and heavy machinery close to the unmarked lines, sometimes they will crack or get crushed,” said Tyler Beardsley, assistant town manager.

The fix

Dominion Gas capped the leak last night; today they will be permanently abandoning the service line that was hit.

“This will take place in near the sidewalk, so there will be a lane shift on Catawba, but no detour,” Beardsley said.

Background

Natural gas lines once serviced the old Farmers Co. buildings. Apparently the utilities were not marked.

The Town of Cornelius signed an agreement to buy the 1.85 acre parcel downtown for a new arts center back in 2016. The price tag was about $1.5 million.

The Cain Center for the Arts is expected to be completed late this year, with Christian Sands kicking off the inaugural season in the new facility Jan. 14.