Demolition on Grandfather Mountain’s Top Shop, located next to the Mile High Swinging Bridge, began Wednesday, April 23. The crew began tearing down the side of the building located closest to the switchbacks up the Mountain. The new shop is scheduled to be completed in 2009

Click here for the article in the Blowing Rocket

Click here for an overview of the proposed ASU facility updates

Update: New photo of East Gate stands

Several projects are set to begin pretty soon around the High Country, here’s a list:

Bamboo Road — Pavement through gravel area
Payne Branch Road — New bridge over Middle Fork
Baird’s Creek near Willow Valley — New bridge
US 321 (phase II) — 6.6 mile section (est. May 15, 2009)
US 321 (phase III) — 4.3 mile section between Blackberry Rd. and Tanger Outlets (est. May 15, 2010)
King Street — Widening Grove St./Hardin St.
King Street — 6 lane divided highway between NC 105 Ext. and NC 194

Click here to read more in the Watauga Democrat

Lots of people are really interested in the new Watauga High School.

Here’s some facts:

• The town has set a price tag of $60 Million
• The groundbreaking began September 20, 2007
• The town will borrow $70 Million Read More
• The school will be 274,000 sqft
• the new campus is 94 acres (20 more than current site)
• the estimated traffic flow is 40% west and 60% east
• Students that live outside watauga county will pay tuition Read More
• There will be 972 parking spaces.
• The project is scheduled for completion spring of 2010
• Classes begin fall 2010

Click here to see exactly where the campus will be via Google maps

Click here for a blog dedicated to the new highschool

Update: Concrete being poured 4/13/08

Beginning in April 2008, and continuing until December 2009, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway will be closed while renovations occur on The Goshen Creek Bridge. The bridge is located between Aho road and Bamboo road.

Update: Goshen Creek Bridge changes

Here’s the Watauga Democrat article

Three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin is bringing his golf course design expertise to Caldwell County.

Irwin will design a new golf course at The Coves at Round Mountain development, according to information released by The Archer Group, the company behind the 3,600-acre project that stretches from Collettsville toward Gamewell.

Click here for the article in the News Topic

“Coman and other land conservationists believe the housing slump is creating a window of opportunity for land trusts as development slows down and people either desire tax breaks from donation easements or are willing to sell their land at a reduced rate in order to conserve it.”

Click here for the article in the Watauga Democrat

Click here to visit the Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust website

Completion of the widening of U.S. 321 from Lenoir to Blowing Rock likely won’t come until spring 2009, more than six months behind schedule, transportation officials said Monday.

Here’s the article from the Hickory Daily Record

Here are photos of the proposed highway

The Watauga County Tourism Development Authority is exploring a regional trail-mapping project that’s designed to capitalize on the tourism value of scenery and outdoor recreation.

Click here to read the article from the Watauga Democrat

More than $1.5 million could be on the way to help North Carolina communities upgrade their water systems.Gov. Mike Easley has signed off on federal-state grants for projects in Marshall, Mars Hill, Tryon, Valdese, Lenoir and Blowing Rock, his office announced today.

Click here to read more from the Asheville Citizen

The corner of King Street and Appalachian Street in downtown Boone is about to get gourmet. A franchise of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is coming to Boone by the end of the summer and will be located in the former home of Carolina Business Machines at 525 West King Street.

Here’s the article from the High Country Press

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

Jimmy John’s Menu

The Blowing Rock Town Council on Tuesday voted 3 to 2 to award a $1.08 million contract to Kearey Builders of Statesville to build a two-story, 62- by 200-foot parking deck in downtown Blowing Rock.

Here’s the article from High Country Press

Supporters of a $7.5 million school-bond package in Alleghany County have been making calls and writing letters that urge voters to back a plan to build the county’s first middle school, saying it would ease crowding.

But opponents are firing back with a campaign against the school bonds, which would require a property-tax rate increase of 9 to 10 cents, about a 20 percent increase in this small, rural county.

The referendum will be Tuesday.

Here’s the WS-Journal Article

FROM THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES – The state Environmental Review Commission will hold a second public hearing on a proposed new law for development on steep mountain slopes.

The meeting will take place from 4-7 p.m. Monday in Boone, according to Rep. Ray Rapp, a sponsor of the bill that would require local governments to regulate steep-slope construction.

The meeting is in the county commissioners’ board room in the Watauga County Administration Building, 814 W. King St.

A big road. Here they are, in case you haven’t seen them yet, the state released computer mock-ups of the new highway 321.

Boone Point, The new mixed use development on the 105 ext. will be 40k square ft and offer 10 condominiums above several businesses such as a Cold Stone Creamery. The project began last September and is scheduled for completion this fall.

Here’s a link from the Appalachian

The DOT is planning to remove the row of shops on the Dan’l Boone Inn corner, to allow a new right turn lane.

According to the Uniform Relocation Act, tenants will be eligible to collect up to $10,000 in reestablishment expenses, up to $2,500 in search expenses and will also be reimbursed for any and all moving costs. Tenants could also choose to settle for a single, one-time payout of $20,000 to cover all moving and reestablishment expenses.

Here’s the High Country Press article

In case you missed it, Simm’s Furniture will be replaced by TJ-Maxx. Barry Nicholson, spokesman for H.L. Libby Corp., which bought the mall about two years ago, said the off-price retailer has signed a lease and should be open by fall.

Click here for the Watauga Democrat article

The resolution notes the county doesn’t expect property tax increases to repay the loan, since it is selling the current high school property. The construction price for facilities is set at a guaranteed maximum of $47.2 million, with another $11.2 million committed in land purchases, site testing, studies and design work. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for the next regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19.

Click here for the Mountain times article

Plans are in action for a 250ft radio tower. Here’s a link to the Charlotte Observer.