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Opinions sought on redevelopment plan for abandoned factory

fr drexelA draft plan to revamp the old Drexel furniture factory property in Whittier into an agricultural center will be presented at a community meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, at Smoky Mountain Elementary School.

The meeting will begin with dinner and an informal question-and-answer session. A formal presentation will follow, and attendees will have a chance to give their thoughts on the plan. Community input will be incorporated into the master plan guiding the property’s redevelopment.

SEE ALSO: Development plan

The old factory has been shuttered since the 1990s and has been the subject of multiple community meetings since falling into county ownership. This latest stab at rebirth comes from a $10,000 grant from the Southwestern Commission to create a master plan reimagining the 36-acre property alongside the Tuckasegee River as the Smoky Mountain Agricultural Development Station. The funds came from the Commission’s Toolbox Implementation Fund program and the Appalachian Regional Commission. 

Gerald Green, 828.631.2255 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. www.jacksonnc.org/planning.html.

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