Orthodontist in Kannapolis NC

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Chick-fil-A announced Tuesday that it would build a major distribution facility at the former site of the ballpark where the Kannapolis Intimidators played baseball.

Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply spoke exclusively to WBTV, saying “Chick-fil-A Supply provides our local restaurant owner/operators with the same high level of service they provide their guests. Joining the Kannapolis community allows us to create jobs that offer competitive compensation and benefits, comprehensive training and professional development opportunities.”

The Rowan County Economic Development Council, Rowan County, and the City of Kannapolis have been working on the project, codenamed “Project Swarm,” for several months.

Officials with the office of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed that the project will be built in the Lakeshore Corporate Park just off Interstate 85. It is expected to bring approximately 115 jobs to the area.

“Chick-fil-A’s expansion is good for Kannapolis along with Rowan and surrounding counties,” Cooper said. “We appreciate their vote of confidence in North Carolina and the strength of our workforce and infrastructure.”

“The City of Kannapolis is excited to welcome Chick-fil-A Supply and their staff. With over 100 jobs, salaries above the county average and their substantial investment the company will be a significant employer in our City and Rowan County. They have selected a beautiful premier location, overlooking I-85 and Lake Fisher. It reflects the strong corporate presence for which they are known and is expected to make an immediate positive impact in our City,” Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant said. “We are very pleased that they have selected Kannapolis as their new distribution center locale and thus are helping us continue the revitalization momentum and healthy economic job growth we are experiencing.”

“The transformation of the Intimidators baseball field into a hub of economic vitality demonstrates Rowan County’s growth and adaptability. We commend Fortius Capital Partners for their visionary investment in the community, with the three spec buildings poised to spur significant economic activity,” Rowan EDC President Rod Crider said. “Known as Project Swarm, with this project we’re not only capitalizing on the strategic advantage Interstate 85 offers for distribution and logistics but companies also breathing new life into a location rich in local history.”

In 2021, Fortius Capital Partners purchased the former Kannapolis Intimidators Stadium for $3 million. The 55-acre site is located on Lane Street near the I-85 Exit 63 interchange. The property is next to Lake Fisher, which is a protected reservoir.

“We appreciate the partnership with the City of Kannapolis, Rowan County, and the state who have worked together with us to transform this property into a Class A corporate park. This park is designed to attract great companies, like Chick-fil-A Supply. We are so pleased Chick-fil-A Supply selected Lakeshore as their preferred base to support their expanding operations in this region,” Dave Davis with Fortius Capital Partners said.

Known for its original chicken sandwich and signature hospitality, Chick-fil-A has grown to be one of the nation’s highest-volume quick-service restaurants since opening in 1967. Chick-fil-A Supply ensures restaurants have the food and products they need through a seamless delivery experience that extends the Chick-fil-A culture of care.

The new 120,000-square-foot distribution center will serve around 100 restaurants in the Charlotte region. The company plans to open the facility in the third quarter of 2024. Chick-fil-A Supply currently operates four distribution centers, including a 180,000-square-foot distribution center in Mebane.

“Chick-fil-A Supply is committed to investing in local communities like Kannapolis to create jobs and grow our supply chain operation,” Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply, said. “We look forward to growing our Chick-fil-A Supply family in North Carolina and know they will complete deliveries with care to serve our franchise operators, licensees and team members.”

New positions being created by the company include drivers, managers, office staff, and warehouse personnel. Although wages will vary by position, the average annual wage is estimated to be $58,574, which exceeds the Rowan County average of $50,138. These new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $4.8 million for the region.

“North Carolina has the fourth largest food and beverage industry in the United States and is within a day’s drive of 150 million customers,” N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said. “When well-known companies like Chick-fil-A reinvest in North Carolina, it affirms our reputation as the best state to do business.”

A performance-based grant of $200,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with Chick-fil-A Supply’s location to North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment.

Chick-fil-A Supply must create 82 jobs to receive One NC grant payments. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

Rowan County Commission Chairman Greg Edds expressed his enthusiasm about the substantial economic benefits of Chick-fil-A Supply’s new center.

“Chick-fil-A, a beloved American company and a name that resonates with so many, choosing to establish their distribution center here is a testament to Rowan County’s growing appeal to major employers,” he said. “The introduction of 112 jobs not only signifies robust economic growth but also promises stability and progress for our residents. It’s an honor and a thrill to welcome such a significant investment from a brand everyone knows and loves to our county.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Chick-fil-A to Rowan County,” N.C. Senator Paul Newton said. “These new jobs and investments will be great additions to our community and it’s part of our mission to help them grow.”

“This is fantastic news for the City of Kannapolis and the state,” N.C. Representative Kevin Crutchfield said. “We appreciate the collaboration of local and state partners that recruited such an outstanding company to the region.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina Community College System, Rowan County, Rowan County Economic Development Council, City of Kannapolis, and Duke Energy.

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Several roads in Kannapolis were closed due to flooding. County officials have shut off power in the flooded areas for safety reasons.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Heavy rainfall in Cabarrus County forced dozens of people to be evacuated from their homes on Tuesday.

Officials said 30 people were evacuated around Tiffany Drive in Kannapolis Tuesday afternoon due to excessive flooding. No injuries were reported.

RELATED: Flash flood warning issued due to heavy rains in Charlotte area

Many residents trapped by the water were rescued by boat.

"It had already reached my third step and front door," Clivette Daningburg said.

"We rafted all the way out here," neighbor Joanie Ledbetter added.

Flooding is common in low-elevation areas near Kannapolis Lake and surrounding creeks, neighbors said. However, Daningburg and Ledbetter said Tuesday's flash flood was the worst they've seen in their four years of living there.

"It covered the road real fast and the water rose within minutes," Ledbetter described.

Cabarrus and Rowan Counties are under a flash flood warning until Thursday. This photo was taken in Kannapolis around 6 pm, where the city reports about 30 people have been rescued today. Some neighborhoods in low-elevation areas have been evacuated. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/YAF0U3WKu7

— Julia Kauffman (@JuliaKauffmanTV) June 20, 2023

A city spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte an emergency shelter was opened at Fred Wilson Elementary in response to the flooding, but everyone found alternate accommodations so the shelter was able to close and no assistance was needed from the American Red Cross.

Several roads in Kannapolis were closed due to flooding. As of Wednesday, city officials said only W 22nd Street and Cadillac Street remained closed.

On Wednesday, the City of Kannapolis said they are working closely with Cabarrus County, N.C. Emergency Management, and other officials to access the homes on Tiffany Drive. Residents are being asked to evacuate due to unsafe conditions from damage to the homes.

City officials say that the Cabarrus County Building Inspections Department requested the power be shut off in the area due to safety concerns.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

A city spokesperson said the homes have been located on the floodplain property prior to the incorporation of the City of Kannapolis in 1984.

Daningburg said she lives on a fixed income and has no other place to call home.

“Where we gonna move to cause a lot of us don’t have other places to go," Daningburg said.

The city says they are working to help residents with their short-term and long-term goals. The Red Cross and other local nonprofits are also assisting.

Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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WCNC Charlotte’s Weather IQ YouTube channel gives detailed explainers from the WCNC Charlotte meteorologists to help you learn and understand weather, climate and science. Watch previous stories where you can raise your Weather IQ in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Crews rescued more than two dozen residents after heavy rainfall in Kannapolis Tuesday.

(PHOTOS: Kannapolis neighborhood underwater after heavy flooding)

>> To stay on top of changing weather conditions, be sure to download our free WSOC-TV weather app.

According to a spokesperson for the City of Kannapolis, about 30 people were rescued around 3:45 p.m. off Tiffany Drive. The area is west of the city’s baseball field.

I’m in Kannapolis where the Irish Buffalo creek has come way outside of its banks. A nearby mobile home community is being evacuated. I’ll be live at 5/6 on Channel 9 with what I find out pic.twitter.com/tPCiym8HN9

— Meteorologist Austin Chaney WSOC (@AChaneyWSOC) June 20, 2023

Several homes in the Town and Country mobile home park were surrounded by several feet of floodwater. It reached the tops of several cars’ tires parked at the homes. Irish Buffalo Creek appeared to have flooded its banks and the water ran through the woods that lined the creek.

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Fred L. Wilson Elementary School is being used as a triage area, and the Red Cross is helping people who need housing.

Both Rowan and Cabarrus and counties were put under a Flood Warning Tuesday until 9:15 p.m. and 10 p.m. respectively. The counties were also placed on a Flood Watch until Thursday.

Channel 9 Meteorologist Austin Chaney could see water rushing through Pine Street and Fred Wilson Drive, covering most of a playground and submerging a park bench. It nearly reached the top of a chain link fence.

Chaney learned some people would be allowed to return to their homes Tuesday night, but others would need to stay with family or be assisted by the Red Cross.

The city spokesperson said there were no reports of water-related injuries.

The Rocky River and Irish Buffalo Creek greenways, along with Safrit Park, were closed due to flooding. The Village Park carousel, splashpad, and train were also closed.

Officials instructed people in the area not to walk or drive through flooded roads. They also told residents to be aware that streets are closed in various low-lying areas around the city, including Louise, Marie, Waldorf, Mable, 22nd, Pine, Tiffany, Cadillac, and Pump Station Road.

Though the water started to recede by nightfall, residents didn’t want to let their guards down. With more rain expected, fire officials warn it won’t take much to send Kannapolis Lake and Irish Buffalo Creek over their banks again.

“We knew that it was raining but really it just hit quickly,” said Nivia Alarcon, who was displaced from her home. “The creek filled up with water and the trailers flooded.”

Residents like Alarcon told Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe she had mere minutes to evacuate.

“What was your first thought?” Lowe asked.

“Get my kids out,” she replied.

Some neighbors were cut off from safety as flood waters engulfed the park’s only way out.

“Only thing that I could do is just sit and wait until the rescue people came,” said Clivette Daninburg, another displaced resident.

“I was scared to death to come out that door, but I had no choice ‘cause the water was all the way to door,” said displaced resident Joni Ledbetter.

Ledbetter couldn’t shake the shock of the situation. He was worried whether they would have anything to salvage.

“I have animals as well and my possessions -- yes they are material things, they can be replaced, I have insurance -- but that’s not the point of it all,” he said.

Daninburg, her neighbor, said she planned to take matters into her own hands.

“I’m going to walk right back in to my house,” Daninburg said. “I can’t leave. I have no where else to go.”

“Are you going to walk through that water?” Lowe asked.

“Yes I am,” she said.

Meanwhile, Alarcon had already made that treacherous trip.

“Not safely, and I shouldn’t have done it, but I did,” she said.

Lowe saw her trek through the floodwaters to retrieve one thing -- her insulin.

“What did you see in your house?” Lowe asked.

“There’s a lot destroyed, a lot,” Alarcon said.

She’s lived there for five years and said this is the third time it’s flooded.

“The whole bottoms of the trailers are all ripped off, mine is just -- it’s bad, this time it was really bad,” Alarcon said. “The other time we had to be evacuated too, but within a couple of hours it was down, and this still isn’t.”

Despite a strong spirit of survival, there’s still concern about how many there will rebound from the devastation.

“I hope to God that the owner of this trailer park will take into consideration these are low-income people,” Alarcon said. “A lot of us are on disability, or this is where we just have the choice live.”

Residents who wanted to stayed the night at a nearby shelter.

The only injury report was for a Kannapolis firefighter who was treated for fire ant bites. It’s one of those odds things that happens during flood emergencies -- the ants float to the top of the water.

That firefighter is expected to be OK.

(WATCH RELATED: Flash flooding possible in NC mountains as rain continues)

Leaders are in talks with families about the decision to have their homes condemned.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (WBTV) - Some families living in the Kannapolis mobile home park hit hard by last week’s flooding will have to find a new home.

To make matters worse, finding an affordable place to call home has not been easy.

No official notice has come from the city yet, but leaders are in talks with families about the decision to have their homes condemned. It’s a decision some speculated about last week.

Flooding in this area has always been a problem in the past, but last Tuesday may have been the final straw.

Related: ‘I think it should be bulldozed down’: Flooded Kannapolis community located in floodplain

“We’re having to uproot everything that we know that we’ve come to build here and now we don’t know what to do with ourselves,” Clivette Daningburg, who lives in the mobile home park, said.

The reality of moving from their homes is not sitting well with people in the Town and Country Mobile Home Park.

Richard Keister found out he would have to move although his home wasn’t damaged by the flood.

“No one’s to be on that side of the street whatsoever, so all of the trailers have to be moved off that side of the trailer park. He said if they want to, they can move from over here to over there if he’s got an empty lot, but nothing can be over here,” said Keister.

That will impact about 18 mobile homes and families closest to the creek that flooded last week.

“I’m disabled, and I have to be uprooted and it’s not fun. It’s not fun at all,” Daningburg said.

“What they told me is it’s going to be a discretion deal between us and the landowner, so basically he can either have our trailer moved from that side of the street over here or put it out or help us pay for something else, but he doesn’t have to,” Keister added.

The Red Cross of Southern Piedmont says 12 people are staying in the emergency shelter, and about 30 people are coming daily for resources and food.

The organization could make a decision on how long the shelter will remain open this weekend, but it depends on the families finding a permanent place to live.

People living in the mobile home park said it’s a financial burden looking for a new place to stay.

“We really have no place to stay, and we have no money for an apartment. Like I said, the only place we really have any money is immediately paying my bills. I live paycheck to paycheck,” said Keister.

“I’m having to move in with my sister because I can’t find anywhere else to stay because the rent is too high, so yeah, I’m struggling just trying to stay positive through it all,” Daningburg said.

According to the city of Kannapolis, they’re telling homeowners individually they’ll have to find another place to live since the area had flooded frequently.

Homeowners said there’s no timeline for when people will have to leave their homes. According to an employee with the mobile home park, they’re working on a long-term solution.

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Several Kannapolis residents are expected to evacuate after flooding damaged homes in their neighborhood.

What You Need To Know

On Tuesday night, residents in the Town and Country Mobile Home Park were forced to leave their homes due to extreme flooding.

Several returned to their homes Wednesday.

The city of Kannapolis released a statement advising residents in that neighborhood to evacuate again due to safety concerns:

"The City of Kannapolis is working closely with Cabarrus County, N.C. Emergency Management, and other officials to access the homes on Tiffany Drive. Residents are being asked to evacuate due to unsafe conditions in regard to damage to the homes. These homes have been located on this floodplain property prior to the incorporation of the City of Kannapolis in 1984. We will continue to work closely with residents over the next few hours to determine their temporary and long-term needs. If there is a need for temporary sheltering the City will work with the American Red Cross and area non-profits to assist residents."

Nivia Alarcon has been living in Town and Country Mobile Home Park for years.

She says this was the third time her mobile home has experienced a flooding event. But she says this flood was more severe than the others.

She says due to the intense rain, water from the nearby creek began rising fast.

"Scary," she said. "We were all in the house, it started raining really heavy. We noticed it was filling up, and we knew we had to get out."

Alarcon and her children returned to their home Wednesday morning.

She estimates the flood will cost her at least $4,000.

"There's a lot of damage [including] underneath, the power box," Alarcon said.

She says her top priority is keeping her kids safe in the aftermath of the flood. But like many of her neighbors, she's trying to figure out what steps to take next.

"I'm worried because I got to get it all fixed and everything and make sure it's safe for the kids to live in," Alarcon said.

Alarcon says it's unclear how soon she will be able to return and remain in her home without having to evacuate again.