Kenny Hardin, Salisbury
♦ Is anyone really surprised at the closing of the Hotel Salisbury and the Books-A-Million store? I don’t understand the business and economic development plan of this City. I was sitting beside Mayor Woodson in a meeting yesterday when he attributed a lot of the gang activity and violence to the lack of job opportunities here. Well, that’s part of it.
To me, the mindset of this City is to only allow a few to corner the market and have the monopoly on building wealth and economic prosperity here to the detriment of everyone else and the growth of this City. This mindset is resulting in Salisbury drowning in its own selfish waters.
Do we really need another 200 unit apartment complex? Are we so desperate to maintain this false, little historic idyllic persona, which is only a fake layer that covers a city seething with crime and violence, that we will continue to run off businesses that currently exist and scare others from the thought of relocating here?
Acceptance of this bedroom mentality for Charlotte and Greensboro has done nothing but clog up Jake Alexander Blvd and made Innes Street a joke and not worth the effort to try to maneuver. People that actually live here and support the businesses regularly are left irritated and frustrated and forced to dine and shop in neighboring Cities.
If I’m going to drive 20 miles round trip for entertainment, food and hardware needs down by the Interstate, I might as well jump on the Interstate and go to Concord. Is Salisbury a destination City? No. What is the draw to visit here? Not much. How can a motel do viable business when this is nothing more than a drive through city? Why would I spend a weekend coming here and staying overnight?
Too many questions and not enough answers.
