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Alright Everybody So I have been thinking, I feel like Eastern North Carolina & The Cities,Counties, & Towns that is surrounded around I-95 can do alot better. I understand that it is most agricultural region of the state. I think the Area around Selma-Smithfield could bring some attractions maybe a Waterpark,Amusement park or something fun for Interstate travelers. I mean that is my Honest opinion & I feel like it would be something to do for the Residents of ENC & The Counties around I-95 So what do you all think????
Alright Everybody So I have been thinking, I feel like Eastern North Carolina & The Cities,Counties, & Towns that is surrounded around I-95 can do alot better. I understand that it is most agricultural region of the state. I think the Area around Selma-Smithfield could bring some attractions maybe a Waterpark,Amusement park or something fun for Interstate travelers. I mean that is my Honest opinion & I feel like it would be something to do for the Residents of ENC & The Counties around I-95 So what do you all think????
Kind of like South of the Border? You might have to compete with "Pedro"...
I don't really reference the I-95 corridor as eastern NC, although I know technically it is. The issue that corridor has is I-95. Not only is the road obsolete, but for the commerce the road brought with it to its many cities, it also brought problems...like easy access to drugs and out of state criminals. Just about every exit needs a good amount of redevelopment...not sure the State of NC has ever tried to tackle that.
FWIW, I look at getting east of I-95 as Eastern NC, which in a lot of cases is more of an "unspoiled" area....which is a direct reference to the I-95 corridor, which is "spoiled" IMO.
Of course Eastern Carolina can be better. But it takes money to do it.
It's a chicken vs. the egg argument here in Eastern NC. Population is small because there aren't many "things" to do or have , but there aren't "things" to do or have because the population is small .
It's fairly tough to get around as well. It has gotten better , But trying to get from each larger city (Like Rocky Mount to Greenville or Greenville to New Bern) can still be troublesome with limited highway access. I wouldn't mind seeing a spur off 95 that would connect Rocky Mount and New Bern (cutting through Greenville, of course.)
An amusement/water park would be a great idea, since there really isn't one from Kings Dominion in VA all the way to Orlando on I-95. The Smithfield-Selma area would work well and benefit from it and would pull in 50% of North Carolina that wouldn't want to drive 3-5 hours to Carowinds or King's Dominion or Busch Gardens. Benson, NC would be a great spot since it would intersect with two major interstates. But it would take a world class major developer to bring a park to Eastern NC.
Also, every town over 20k in population in Eastern NC seems to be fighting each other over resources. Of course they all want to grow, but sometimes it seems like these cities would be better off working together to bring things to the area.
Last edited by michealbond; 06-03-2014 at 09:44 AM..
An amusement park would never come to I-95...if one was built it would be between the Triangle and the Triad, where there is more potential daily traffic. I-95 traffic is pass through...many people are heading to Disney, they have no need for stopping at some NC amusement park.
What the State of NC needs to do is shrink the amount of exits on I-95, widen the road to three lanes the whole way and greatly improve the amenities of the exits it leaves. This would reduce the drug trade stuff/criminal activity, improve the aesthetics and encourage more traffic...with the remaining exits getting greater commerce. The exit at Wilson is a good example of a "good" exit that brings money in. It is the only exit so therefore, it creates traffic and improved amenities. The outlets in Smithfield are a nice stopping point as well. The Kenly exit is a good example of needing redevelopment.
Tolls have been a hot topic, but without them there is no way for the State to generate money to improve the corridor. And since NC is competing with VA, SC among others to get folks to stop in NC, it can't use localized gas taxes or hotel taxes, because folks would just drive on through and not stop, further hurting commerce along the corridor. What the State can do is come up with a redevelopment plan and then work with the various counties along the corridor to implement it...problem is then it will become political and lots of property owners will be screaming that own land along I-95. In NC, many times the people are their own worst enemy when it comes to progress.
I should add that NC should also be setting up redevelopment areas around its train stations to try and encourage more train traffic. These stops can also pump money into the local economies along the corridor. Most folks from out of state do not want to stop in NC whether it be by road or train...mostly because of appearances.
I have long been a proponent of giving the Lumbee's the ability to put a Casino on I-95 in Robeson County. But those politics I referenced keep it from happening...you have the religious right that will fight it, and no one else along the I-95 corridor to support it because it could take commerce away from them. But, IMO it's the right thing to do if the Cherokee's can have one for the tribe itself.
Of course Eastern Carolina can be better. But it takes money to do it.
It's a chicken vs. the egg argument here in Eastern NC. Population is small because there aren't many "things" to do or have , but there aren't "things" to do or have because the population is small .
It's fairly tough to get around as well. It has gotten better , But trying to get from each larger city (Like Rocky Mount to Greenville or Greenville to New Bern) can still be troublesome with limited highway access. I wouldn't mind seeing a spur off 95 that would connect Rocky Mount and New Bern (cutting through Greenville, of course.)
An amusement/water park would be a great idea, since there really isn't one from Kings Dominion in VA all the way to Orlando on I-95. The Smithfield-Selma area would work well and benefit from it and would pull in 50% of North Carolina that wouldn't want to drive 3-5 hours to Carowinds or King's Dominion or Busch Gardens. Benson, NC would be a great spot since it would intersect with two major interstates. But it would take a world class major developer to bring a park to Eastern NC.
Also, every town over 20k in population in Eastern NC seems to be fighting each other over resources. Of course they all want to grow, but sometimes it seems like these cities would be better off working together to bring things to the area.
That is it! The same 8 ish town fight for the same scraps. And instead of it working, (almost) every town just stays in a perpetual state.
I have long been a proponent of giving the Lumbee's the ability to put a Casino on I-95 in Robeson County. But those politics I referenced keep it from happening...you have the religious right that will fight it, and no one else along the I-95 corridor to support it because it could take commerce away from them. But, IMO it's the right thing to do if the Cherokee's can have one for the tribe itself.
Agree that the politics has stopped the Lumbees from getting a casino, as well as the deep prejudices against them.
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