By Kerry Lamson, Candidate for Town of Matthews Board of Commissioners
As Matthews grows and evolves, we face a choice: allow aging commercial areas to sit idle or proactively redevelop them into vibrant, people-focused places. From outdated strip malls to tired office parks, smart commercial redevelopment offers a way forward—reenergizing underused sites with small businesses, housing, green space, and walkable design.
Redevelopment is not about unchecked growth. It’s about thoughtful reinvestment that builds on what makes Matthews special. With the right tools and leadership, we can reshape key corridors while protecting our town’s charm, character, and economic vitality.
Where Matthews Stands Today
While Matthews does not currently operate formal redevelopment zones or commercial tax abatement districts, the town already uses several tools that could serve as a foundation for a stronger strategy:
Business Investment Program (BIP) Incentive Grants
Performance-based grants that return a portion of new tax revenue to businesses creating jobs and investing in Matthews. These could be expanded to reward projects that include redevelopment, housing, green infrastructure, or small business incubation.
Facade Improvement Grants
Currently limited to Downtown, these grants help property owners enhance building exteriors and restore historic elements. Expanding this program to key corridors like Monroe Road or Hwy 51 could incentivize private investment in tired retail strips.
Tourism Grants
Used to support events and marketing that drive foot traffic to Downtown. These could be paired with small business incentives to activate storefronts and adjacent areas.
Infrastructure Investment
Recent voter-approved bonds support greenways, transportation upgrades, and improved streetscapes—all of which make nearby commercial areas more attractive for reinvestment.
Tools Matthews Should Be Using
Many towns across North Carolina are revitalizing commercial corridors through a broader set of tools. Matthews should consider the following proven strategies:
Redevelopment Overlay Districts
Designate key corridors—such as Independence Blvd, Monroe Rd, and Hwy 51—for overlay zoning that allows more flexible uses, walkability, and mixed-use development. Streamline approvals and offer bonus incentives for projects meeting public goals.
Example: Mooresville uses overlays to speed up redevelopment in targeted areas. Gastonia applies overlay zoning to encourage walkable infill projects.
Targeted Tax Abatement
Offer temporary, performance-based property tax rebates for redevelopment projects that meet community goals like affordable housing, energy efficiency, or reuse of obsolete commercial properties.
Example: Apex and Gastonia use tax rebates to attract high-impact mixed-use and housing projects while tying incentives to public benefit.
LIHTC and Workforce Housing Partnerships
Partner with developers pursuing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to transform aging commercial parcels into affordable or senior housing. Matthews can support these efforts with zoning flexibility, infrastructure upgrades, or site preparation.
Example: Gastonia successfully converted aging retail sites into housing with LIHTC-backed developments, helping essential workers live closer to jobs.
Aggressive Grant Seeking
Matthews should aggressively pursue state and federal grants to fund planning, remediation, and infrastructure for redevelopment:
- EPA Brownfield Grants: Environmental cleanup for reuse of old commercial sites
- Community Development Block Grants: Small business support and corridor revitalization
- US DOT RAISE or TOD Planning Grants: Support for transit-connected redevelopment
- NC Rural Infrastructure Grants: Fund public improvements that catalyze private investment
Real Opportunities in Our Corridors
Independence Blvd Corridor
- Challenge: Underused big-box stores, auto-centric layout
- Opportunity: Redevelopment Overlay + EPA cleanup grants + BIP incentives for mixed-use housing and retail
Matthews Township Pkwy (Hwy 51)
- Challenge: Strip centers with excessive parking
- Opportunity: Façade and retrofit grants + zoning updates to support smaller commercial footprints or housing conversion
Monroe Road (Silver Line Transit Area)
- Challenge: Fragmented uses, aging light industrial
- Opportunity: TOD Overlay + LIHTC-supported housing + RAISE planning grants for transit-ready neighborhoods
East John St / Charles St Fringe
- Challenge: Small lots near Downtown without recent investment
- Opportunity: Expanded façade and tourism grants to support café, retail, and services that activate pedestrian traffic
Best Practices from NC Towns
Davidson
Uses small-area plans and strict design standards to replace strip malls with walkable, community-scaled development.
Mooresville
Employs revitalization overlays and incentive zones to turn outdated sites into mixed-use, high-value districts.
Concord
Runs a matching grant program for downtown property improvements that has attracted both small businesses and new residents.
Fuquay-Varina
Offers targeted redevelopment grants to business owners, successfully stimulating reinvestment in older commercial areas.
Gastonia
The city’s housing authority has focused on revitalizing historic areas, encouraging homeownership, and increasing public and private investment in neighborhoods.
A Smart Redevelopment Agenda for Matthews
With vision and commitment, Matthews can:
- Identify key corridors ready for transformation
- Expand and adapt existing incentive programs
- Create redevelopment overlays with flexible zoning
- Pilot targeted tax abatements tied to community benefit
- Actively pursue state and federal grant funding
- Partner on LIHTC housing, adaptive reuse, and energy retrofits
- Focus on walkability, sustainability, and inclusive growth
Let’s not wait for decline. Let’s lead—by reimagining aging commercial sites as thriving, people-focused places that reflect the Matthews we believe in.
Because smart redevelopment isn’t just about buildings—it’s about the people who live, work, and build their futures here.