Business View Magazine | September 2020

267 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020 WATAUGA COUNTY , NORTH CAROL INA rehab and we’ve got the facility and the mindset around elevating that more.” Some other recent projects in the County include a multi-hundred-million-dollar investment by Appalachian State University to update some of its dormitory facilities, and the brand new 100,000-sq.-ft. Watauga County Recreation Center that features a wide variety of rec spaces, including a six-lane competition pool and leisure pool, four full-size gymnasiums, a multipurpose studio, an events classroom, a fitness center with weight and exercise rooms, two birthday party rooms, and an elevated jogging track. “Unfortunately it can’t open yet,” says Furman, “but once it does, it will be quite an addition. The County also invested, as has Boone, in greenways and the County has invested in paddle access projects for both the Watauga and New Rivers. Regarding building and growth in the County, Furman says that even during the pandemic, development has continued to increase: “That leads me to believe, along with what I’ve heard from the real estate community, that people are continuing to try and move here as a direct result of the coronavirus in order to get out of cities. They’ve found that they can work remotely a lot more than maybe they knew. It’s a perfect destination for many folks, and a great place to live and do business.” Jackson agrees. “This is not the same place it was 20 or 30 years ago,” he states. “It’s grown up a lot, and in a very positive way. There have been a number of infrastructure investments here - better roads leading in, waterlines being developed to better service the next generation of needs within the town of Boone and immediately surrounding it. There are people that live in places like the suburban Atlanta area and have a 90-minute drive into work every day and here, in 90 minutes, you can be in Charlotte, you can be in the Greensboro-Piedmont Triad area, you can be in Raleigh in less than three