Commissioners Notebook: April 2024

Published on April 12, 2024

Work is progressing on Cabarrus County’s combination Library/Active Living Center construction projects.  

During the April 2 Board of Commissioners Work Session, Assistant County Manager Kelly Sifford and Design and Construction Director Michael Miller gave updates on the Library and Active Living Center at Afton Ridge and the Mt. Pleasant Library and Active Living Center.

According to Miller, the building steel is up at the Afton facility and exterior framing and sheathing is about 90% complete. Also, waterproofing around the building is about 30% complete. The parking lot is currently being graded in preparation for curb and gutter installation. 

Inside the building, installation has begun for the overhead mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection. 

In the coming weeks, crews will start to frame the interior and work on the roof and windows. Also, the interior wall electrical and plumbing will begin, and the curb and gutter is expected to be finalized.

Sifford told commissioners the facility is scheduled to open in February 2025.

The roughly 40,000-square-foot hybrid facility will create access to a variety of reading materials and will feature private study rooms along with space for dance classes, yoga, tai chi, games and more.  

Officials broke ground on the facility October 2023. 

A similar facility broke ground in Mt. Pleasant in August 2023. That project is on track to open later this year in conjunction with Virginia Foil Park, which features a playground, three lighted ballfields, restrooms, a loop walking trail with fitness stations and a concession stand.   

Masonry work on the 20,000-square-foot Mt. Pleasant facility is complete, while site utility installation continues and sheetrock is being installed. At the park, fine grading is underway at the ballfields, according to Miller.  

Also, during the April Work Session, commissioners: 

• Heard the 2023 State of our Children Report from members of Cabarrus County’s Child Protection and Fatality Team (CPFT). The team is a group of community representatives who meet regularly to address child abuse and neglect in the county. CPFT Chair Paula Yost, District Attorney Ashley Shanley and others presented the report findings, which include information about child fatalities, homelessness, substance use rates at local schools and other items. At the request of commissioners, CPFT members will return to share the presentation at the Regular Meeting on Monday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. Watch the report presentation via livestream at cabarruscounty.us or YouTube (@CabarrusCounty) or view on CabCo TV (Spectrum Cable Channel 22).  

• Heard from Emergency Management Director Jason Burnett on a state grant awarded to his department. The NC Tier II grant provides Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) with funding to expand the scope of their hazardous materials emergency preparedness programs through response planning, training and related exercises. The grant award is $2,000 and does not require a match. Funding will provide lunch-and-learn-style training opportunities for the county’s LEPC, which meets quarterly. 

To watch the full April 2 Work Session, visit youtube.com/cabarruscounty. 

The Regular Meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Monday (April 15) at the Cabarrus County Government Center in downtown Concord.  

Residents can watch commissioner meetings on the Cabarrus County livestream at cabarruscounty.us, on YouTube (@CabarrusCounty) and on CabCo TV (Spectrum Cable Channel 22).  

Stay updated on these and all County programs and projects by visiting cabarruscounty.us and following Cabarrus County at facebook.com/cabarruscounty and on Twitter and Instagram @CabarrusCounty.