By Mark Wineka Salisbury Post Bank of North Carolina will be the first to build in Salisbury Village, the large mixed-use development planned for Jake Alexander Boulevard, east of N.C. 150. It will be Bank of North Carolina's first structure in Rowan County. The Thomasville-based company has been leasing its downtown Salisbury location for the past year. Bank of North Carolina plans a two-story, 9,965-square-foot facility along Jake Alexander Boulevard near Castlewood Drive. Mark Lewis, senior vice president/regional executive of Bank of North Carolina, said Tuesday that contractors will be "ready to go vertical" as soon as the weather allows and other details are worked out. "This is kind of an announcement, I guess," Lewis said at Tuesday's Salisbury Planning Board meeting. The planners voted 9-0 for the bank's site plan, which next goes to Salisbury City Council for final approval. Lewis also serves on City Council. In explaining the company's plans for the Salisbury Village site, Lewis said he wanted to make it pedestrian friendly and customer efficient. He also sought to meet the policies of the Salisbury Vision 2020 growth plan and be as sensitive as possible to the neighbors in Castlewood, Lewis said. The site plan calls for sidewalks and street trees along Jake Alexander Boulevard and Castlewood Drive. The drive-through window will be placed on the building side farthest from the Castlewood subdivision. Lewis said the plan also moves the building footprint as far as possible away from Castlewood Drive and sacrifices about 10 parking spaces for more grass and trees. "It was pretty much a no-brainer on my part," Lewis said of the choice between unneeded parking spaces or more landscaping. Lewis said he will try to make sure contractors do not use Castlewood Drive as an entrance during the building's construction. The bank also will try to keep light pollution from the site low and screen the dumpster as well as possible, Lewis said. Many of the trees on the formerly forested tract that will be Salisbury Village have been cleared in recent weeks. Developer Lane Yates hopes to develop outparcels along Jake Alexander Boulevard and N.C. 150 first, followed by apartments toward the back of the 26-acre tract. A third, middle phase will include some 65,000 square feet of retail and office space. When entirely built out, Yates said Monday, Salisbury Village could represent $50 million in investment. Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or mwineka@salisburypost.com.
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