Redevelopment of the property is complex and likely will require public participation to ensure viability. The project will cause demand for offstreet parking to rise and the city is best positioned to address this increased need. Likewise, pedestrian activity will grow in the area and new sidewalk construction to serve the development and an enhanced pedestrian crossing on South Church Street will be warranted. The need for improved drainage infrastructure via new curb, gutter and catch basins also is anticipated. In addition, assurances for public safety through modifications of the former industrial power supply and timely service delivery, including emergency service, are essential and the city should assist with the required electric conversion and pursue public access from Academy Street to the project. Finally, public support in the form of grants and construction financing can provide essential gap funding. PROJECT #2: ACME-MCCRARY EAST MIXED-USE PROPERTY OWNER: ACME-MCCRARY CORPORATION TIMEFRAME: 2019-2023 The Acme-McCrary Corporation has deep roots in Asheboro and owns more than three acres of property in the Redevelopment Area. The company began manufacturing hosiery in 1909 and its manufacturing portfolio recently was acquired by MAS Holdings, a Sri-Lankan based apparel manufacturer. The acquisition leaves Acme-McCrary with its downtown real estate assets, including a historic building and smokestack that were added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2014. According to the NRHP registration, the oldest part of the structure is a two-story, heavy-timber-frame, brick mill on the east side of the railroad. Subsequent expansions to the original building include two- and three-story brick, heavy-timber, structural-steel, and reinforced-concrete-framed dye house, mill, and warehouse additions that extend west toward the railroad and south to commercial buildings on Sunset Avenue's north side. In 2012, the city partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify smart growth approaches that can incorporate mixed income housing, redevelopment and revitalization for the downtown area through the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program. An analysis of the Acme-McCrary complex found that preservation and adaptive reuse potential exists due to the size and layout of the building floor plate. That effort recommended, and this plan concurs, that the first step in the pursuit of potential redevelopment options for the property should be a public-private partnership to prepare a feasibility study that includes an environmental and structural evaluation.
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