‘It’s a problem’: Cornelius residents voice concern over business park development

CORNELIUS, N.C. — A Charlotte company will be in Cornelius next week to ask commissioners for approval to develop 36 acres of land for a business park.

The proposed business park near Bailey Road would add 250 jobs to the area, but neighbors told Channel 9’s Erika Jackson that there’s already too much traffic there.

Cornelius local, Dylan Blake, said there’s many things to do in town which means many drivers on the road.

While it is a busy part of Cornelius, developers say their plan would actually ease traffic.

Most people who live in Cornelius work out of town and are adding to the traffic problem there, Drew Thigpen, vice president of development for Greenberg Gibbons Properties, said.

He’s asking Cornelius commissioners to rezone dozens of acres on Bailey Road near Old Statesville Road to build four commercial buildings to keep workers closer to home.

The proposed Cornelius Business Park on Bailey Road near N.C. 115 would include four buildings, its developer said.

“This is about allowing those businesses to actually be located here, keep that tax revenue here and keep people off the roads,” Thigpen said.

GGP withdrew its original proposal for the project in 2023 after concerns from residents. Now, their plans include one less building and the remaining ones are smaller. They also added plans to “ease” traffic around the new development.

“That’s what we heard most consistently from people, was concerns around the traffic, and so we’re actually adding a third turn lane here on Bailey road at 115,” Thigpen said.

Blake believes any improvements would be years away.

“They gotta build it and everywhere they’re building, so it’s always traffic, it’s always construction,” Blake said. “It might help later on down the road, but in the meantime, it’s still gonna suck.”

Commissioners will vote on the rezoning at town hall Monday at 6 p.m. in Cornelius.

Channel 9 has reported extensively on city growth and development.

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