KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Go to Cannon Village and you can't help but notice the quiet.
Not that many people.
Stores that have come and gone.
"There are a lot of empty store fronts," business owner Melanie Keziah said.
Now, there are new plans to breathe life back into downtown Kannapolis.
It comes with a multi-million dollar price tag that could have taxpayers footing the bill and possibly facing a tax increase. City officials say short term pain will mean long term gain.
The current state of the area is a far cry from what it used to be back in the Cannon Mills/Pillowtex days, when 5,000 people a day working at the mill made downtown bustle.
Neighbors say it's never really recovered since the mill shut down years ago.
A new revitalization plan calls for the city spending $5.5 million to buy 46 downtown area acres currently owned by David Murdock, who once ran the mill. Then, spending another $14 million in upgrades to make places like the Gem Theatre, city hall, police station and store fronts enticing to developers.
"There's the possibility of a tax increase, there's no doubt," Mike Legg, Kannapolis city manager, said.
He believes it's about spending now to reap the rewards later.
Buying all those acres means taking them off tax rolls until they're re-sold.
The tax value is now $23 million.
Legg says the city will recoup that and then some over time.
"That original tax value should double or triple or more with new investment and that's really the goal. We want to put this back on the tax rolls as quickly as we can."
Keziah's clothing store, Virginia's, has been here nearly 30 years.
She's watched plenty of others struggle then close.
She's okay with the city using bonds to pay for a downtown re-do, even if tax rates rise.
"I feel this will give us a shot in the arm, give us an opportunity to become who we need to be," she said.
And that, officials say, is turning Cannon Village into a "people generator," like it used to be.
But this time, fueled in large part by apartments.
City leaders plan to sign the letter of intent to do the deal next week.
