Shopping arcade to open in historic downtown Concord

Driving the news: The District Exchange will repurpose 20,000 square feet of unused space at 22 Union Street North for micro storefronts where small businesses can thrive.

• "It's going to be a magnet for all of us as we move back into the downtown area after this complete reconstruction," says Mayor Bill Dusch.

Context: For years, downtown Concord has been a construction zone as century-old pipes were replaced, new apartments were developed and the streetscape was redesigned.

• COVID-related disruptions to the construction industry prolonged the presence of work crews and orange cones, stalling downtown's revival.

Between the lines: Construction delays impacted long-time businesses like Gianni's Trattoria, which moved to nearby Gibson Mill last spring after more than 15 years in downtown Concord.

Now, the area has hundreds of apartments bringing new residents, wider sidewalks, modern utilities and social district status to the area.

• Concord will celebrate downtown's grand reopening with a block party on May 3.

Renovations began earlier this year at The District Exchange, with plans to recreate the building's original mezzanine level.

• The two-story building will have two restaurants (one on each floor), with 1,000 square feet of outdoor space on the ground floor.
• "We're really trying to make it feel like an extension of Union Street," says District Exchange property owner Kristen Harris Adamczuk.
• Four leases have already been signed, including Life is Sweet Candy Store and Barley Jean, a micro bakery that also makes dog treats.

The big picture: Although its storefronts have struggled amid all the construction, downtown Concord is now emerging as an ideal place for small businesses to grow.

• The Palmetto Market, for example, is a gift shop that sells handmade items from growing businesses that may not be ready for an entire storefront.
• In 2020, Cabarrus Economic Development and Flywheel Coworking opened The Cabarrus Center downtown. The center supports startups and keeps them at home so they don't have to go to Charlotte in search of opportunities.

Case in point: Barley Jean is one of the businesses that came out of the center. Owner Melissa Allen went through Retail Lab, a six-week boot camp at the center that helps pre-launch retail businesses. Now she's opening her shop just down the street.

• Allen says her small storefront at The District Exchange is just enough space for shelves to line with baked snack mixes and breads, a dog treat display and a cookie counter.
• "I just feel so excited about the buzz and the energy that I think the building itself is going to have," Allen says.

Zoom out: Harris Adamczuk also redeveloped 2 Union Street, where she brought on five tenants: The Palmetto Market, Cut at an Angle florist, the honey shop Cannon Honey Mill, the office of drone delivery company Zipline and Cellar Door Wine Shop.

• While curating those tenants, Harris Adamczuk says she saw the demand for micro retail in Concord.
• The District Exchange will offer 17 retail bays, ranging between 140 and 410 square feet. Harris Adamczuk says they simplify the intimidating real estate process for new storeowners by including shared restrooms, common areas, utilities, internet and maintenance.
• "We see it as a community," Harris Adamczuk says. "You're stronger together than if you were a brick-and-mortar store standing alone."

Flashback: Initially, the site of the District Exchange was a ten-room house with tailors and a bootmaker.

• Then, in the 1930s, the theatre was built. It was the first in Cabarrus County with air conditioning, according to The Charlotte Observer archives.
• In the '80s, Concord National Bank took over and gutted the theatre, installed steel beams and turned the mezzanine level into a closed-off second floor. Much of the original theatre was lost — one council member famously saved the theatre doors from the bank's trash, according to a 1980 story in The Charlotte Observer.
• Harris Adamczuk and her husband bought the property in 2019. She says the building was "a blank slate," but they intend to keep structural elements reminiscent of the theatre days. They'll also have history walls to show pictures of what it used to look like 100 years ago.

What's next: The District Exchange is currently under construction. It's expected to open this summer.