Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

118 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 The new Pfeiffer University Health Sciences Center is changing the landscape of rural healthcare in North Carolina – starting right here in downtown Albemarle. The City of Albemarle and the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation are proud to be partners with Pfeiffer University in its mission to improve rural healthcare in our region. The City of Albemarle, North Carolina | Economic Development Department PO Box 190, Albemarle, NC 28002 | Phone: 704.984.9419 | www.albemarlenc.gov One Mission. One Purpose. One Community. The City contracts with Retail Strategies to assist in retail recruitment, not only in the downtown but in the entire community. Over the past four years, Albemarle has experienced unprecedented retail growth and that is continuing. The City is currently developing a new business center to attract large and small business and industry; construction will start later in 2021. Tunnell notes, “We own the electric company, the water, the sewer, and the landfill, so we have control of all the utilities. And we’re reinvesting some of those profits into a new 282-acre industrial park on NC 24-27 that also fronts on US Hwy 52. That industrial park will try to recruit new business and industry; bring in manufacturing jobs that were lost in the textile and aluminum industries several years ago. The city is reinvesting in economic development and job creation through that industrial park.” The Mayor describes Albemarle as “a full With communication and advice from City and County staff and the Stanly Community College’s Small Business Center, Garrett’s concept is coming to fruition, with a mid-June opening.” One of the first recommendations Ferris made as City Manager was for the Council to embark on a downtown streetscape master plan – providing a vision and direction for the downtown that focused on developing a sense of place and community. He confirms, “Through our efforts and investment, we’ve created an environment where others can be successful and want to invest.” In that regard, Almond adds, “We are blessed to have Uwharrie Bank headquartered in downtown Albemarle, not only as a major employer, but also a company that so graciously invests money and sweat equity into projects, activities and events for the betterment of our community.”