The Franklin Boulevard corridor in Gastonia is both a gateway and center to the history, culture, and economic fortunes of the city. Its success as a community focal point, as well as a through-route, depends on creating a lively mix of civic and cultural spaces, places where people are comfortable walking, and design elements that convey a sense of arrival. The corridor should connect the adjacent neighborhoods and downtown along it, rather than serve as a barrier between them.
In August 2006, the Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) contracted with Renaissance Planning Group to prepare a corridor study and master plan for the Franklin Boulevard corridor from Redbud Drive at the municipal line with Lowell on the east through downtown to the municipal line at Barney Castle Road on the west side. The study area includes properties within 1/4 mile of Franklin Boulevard on both the north and south side of the roadway. From an access and connectivity perspective, the consultant team examined a broader travel demand market that included most of the city of Gastonia and immediately surrounding areas.
The goal of the Franklin Boulevard Corridor Study and Master Plan is to integrate the land use, transportation, and urban design elements along the corridor in a manner that fosters redevelopment and improved personal mobility. What is now a disconnected hodgepodge of aging hotels, stately churches, fenced-off industrial uses, vacant storefronts, institutional land uses, as well as new suburban retail and residential development can be transformed into a cohesive, interconnected corridor that includes a mix of residential, commercial and open space that enhances the surrounding areas. This Master Plan serves as a guide for the community to complete that transformation in a manner that unifies the corridor while celebrating the unique character and history within each segment along it.