Kannapolis, Revitalized

When the City of Kannapolis, North Carolina, sought to revitalize its downtown, city leaders turned to experts at the UNC School of Government.

The school’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI) team helped the town develop a plan and provided guidance in how to implement it. Today, a new park serves as a gathering space connecting Kannapolis’ many downtown attractions, including: a new ballpark for the Cannon Ballers; renovated storefronts; new apartments; a 1930s era movie theater; the North Carolina Research Campus – home to the UNC Nutrition Research Institute – and more.

“We have fulfilled dreams for people who worked in the mill all their lives, who lived in this community and saw the mill disappear, who saw their downtown and everything else disappear,” said Milton Darrell Hinnant ’69, ’70 (M.A.T.), mayor of Kannapolis. “This was for them, and they are thrilled to death.”

Watch the video above to learn more about Kannapolis’ revitalization and the role of the Development Finance Initiative.

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