COMING SOON

By William F. West

Rocky Mount seems to be on a roll now with future retail and hotel development.

One immediately visible work site is on the northwest side of the city, off Benvenue Road at the former Peoples National Bank office, which crews are transforming into a Dairy Queen. That will put the restaurant on the northeast side of the Golden East Crossing mall.

Additionally, plans on file at City Hall show Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Panera Bread and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen intend to build on the northeast side of the interchange of Wesleyan Boulevard and Sunset Avenue. That will put the three restaurants on what presently is the grassy part of the interchange by Sam’s Club at the former Tarrytown Mall.

City spokesman Jessie H. Nunery said the local developmental review committee approved the site development plans for Popeyes on Sept. 17, 2018, for Freddy’s on May 29 and for Panera Bread on June 6. The committee is comprised of officials from a variety of departments and offices.

Meantime, Freddy’s franchise owner Dave Dreiling, in a recent statement through a spokesperson, said, “We’re currently working through the permitting phase in Rocky Mount and hope to start construction in the coming weeks to open by the end of the year.

“It’s always fun when we get to announce that we’re coming to a new area and reach new guests who may not have tried our concept before,” Dreiling said. “We look forward to getting to know and serving the Rocky Mount community.”

Freddy’s serves hot dogs, sandwiches, steakburgers and combo-meals, as well as custards, ice cream and sundaes.

On the northwest side of the city, construction of a future Fairfield Inn is in progress off Wellspring Drive, just north of the U.S. 64 and Winstead Avenue interchange.

On the southeast side of the interchange, crews have started work on a future Tru by Hilton, while the InterContinental Hotels Group has confirmed intentions to build an avid hotel.

Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Farris said he and his team believe the development is part of an ongoing trend for the last couple of years, as people continue to discover Rocky Mount.

Farris also said the greater Rocky Mount area continues to rebound economically from the nationwide downturn of 2007-08.

“And a lot of businesses like Panera Bread and Popeyes and Dairy Queen have looked at it as well,” Farris said. “They’ve done their research on our community and they, like so many others, believe in it.”

Farris also noted Nash County is 15th

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highest in visitor spending in North Carolina.

He was referring to the 2017 report on the economic impact of travel in the state, as prepared for VisitNC by the U.S. Travel Association.

“And other hotels are looking at us,” he said. “And with our athletic complex and the event center and all the other business that’s taken place here now, we need more hotels. And that’s surprising to a lot of people. But we need it and we’ve helped with recruiting it.”

He was referring to the Rocky Mount Sports Complex, which is just north of the interchange of U.S. 64 and Church Street, and the Rocky Mount Event Center, which is the new massive indoor multipurpose facility downtown.

Farris has credited Alan Matthews, the Chamber’s economic development director, with being instrumental in working with Freddy’s, Panera Bread and Popeyes.

Carolinas Gateway President and CEO Norris Tolson said he and fellow officials and leaders have been saying there is a real hum of activity in Rocky Mount and said he believes this is going to change the landscape of the city.

“And we believe that it is being driven by a lot of things. One, the Mill project itself is certainly driving a lot of that,” Tolson said in reference to the Rocky Mount Mills development northwest of downtown.

“The Event Center is helping with that, helping drive that activity level,” Tolson said.

Tolson also said he believes the industrial development going on is adding to that image of, “Hey, there’s a lot of good stuff going on in Rocky Mount. Maybe it’s time to jump in the water and get going with it.”

He was referring to Triangle Tire’s plans to open a massive plant at the Kingsboro Megasite in rural Edgecombe County. Close by, but not in the megasite, Corning, a world-leading innovator in material science but mainly known for glass, plans to open a distribution center.

Tolson said he absolutely believes there is going to be retail development around the Kingsboro area and Tarboro.

“We are working really hard now to talk to as many people as we can about commercial activity on the Kingsboro site or adjacent to the Kingsboro site,” Tolson said

Tolson said he believes the bottom line is with the subsequent coming of the beehive of activity from customers and people having business in the Kingsboro area, people are going to need food, gasoline, lodging and services.

“All of that says to me is that you had better get ready to service those needs with amenities that people like that are going to need,” he said.

It’s always fun when we get to announce that we’re coming to a new area and reach new guests who may not have tried our concept before. We look forward to getting to know and serving the Rocky Mount community.

- Dave Dreiling,

Freddy ’s FranChise owner

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