I-85 in Rowan and Davidson now the site of increased economic development

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Rowan EDC says the opening of Chewy’s 700,000 square foot distribution center at exit 81 was perhaps the first domino to fall along the Interstate-85 corridor, while Macy’s recent announcement of a 1.4 million sf facility at exit 68 has been the biggest.

Another large domino fell recently as Nucor Corporation, the largest producer of steel in the country, will invest $350 million in a new facility in Lexington off exit 96, just north of Rowan County.

”We are very excited to grow our steel business here in our home state of North Carolina,” Leon Topalian, President & Chief Executive Officer of Nucor, in a press release. “The corridor between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing regions in our nation, and new federal spending for infrastructure will further increase demand for rebar in the region.”

In Rowan County alone, there are more than 20 buildings and approximately 15 million sf of industrial space under development, setting the stage for significantly more growth ahead.