Parks and greenway to cover train ditch in Gastonia?

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Good morning Gaston County! David here.

Today is August 11th, 2026.

So today- August 11th- is the last day of the “dog days of summer”. Traditionally the dog days are July 3 through August 11th, and they refer to the hottest, most sweltering weeks of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So does that mean temperatures will plummet starting tomorrow? Hardly. We may be out of the dog days of summer, but we are probably going to have an Indian Summer, which means we will probably still be wearing shorts and t-shirts until Christmas. Welcome to the south…

Have a great Tuesday!

Today's weather: Partly sunny and warm, widely separated afternoon thunderstorms. The high will be 96.

Tonight: An evening thunderstorm, otherwise partly cloudy. The low will be 71.

Gastonia pre Big Ditch

Gastonia pre “big ditch”, and Project Change

If you have ever been to downtown Gastonia (DTG) you have crossed, or certainly know about “The Big Ditch”. “The Big Ditch”, refers to the railroad ditch—a 1.4-mile depressed trench running through Downtown Gastonia that houses the Norfolk Southern railway tracks.

Planned in the 1970s and constructed during the mid-to-late 1980s, the "Grade Crossing Elimination Project" lowered active train tracks into a deep trench and moved them slightly north to eliminate dangerous at-grade railroad crossings along downtown streets. But the construction forced the relocation or closure of 67 businesses and 77 homes, causing significant economic disruption in the core of the city.

The trench created a physical and economic barrier that effectively separated Downtown Gastonia from the historically African American Highland Community to the north. While areas to the south experienced growth, especially recently, neighborhoods to the north suffered economic isolation and disinvestment.

The City of Gastonia launched an initiative called Project Change (Connecting Highland: Access, Neighborhood Growth, Equity) to evaluate the feasibility of capping the trench with a plaza or greenway lid. Instead of an open trench with freight trains audible and visible below, the surface could host public amenities, green space, multi-use parks, and more.

Randi Gates, Director of Transportation with the City of Gastonia, had this to say ". On June 1st, we submitted a Request for Qualifications for the Project CHANGE Feasibility and Connectivity study with statements of qualifications due on July 31st. We received 10 submittals and are currently assessing each one. Our goal is to select a team and issue a notice to proceed by the end of the calendar year.

This could be life changing for the residents and businesses, and the overall image of downtown Gastonia.

That Daimler Truck…

Last week we asked the question- what is Daimler Truck up to? They are closing their Portland facilities and had said they were moving that work to the Carolinas.

Daimler Truck North America has now announced that they are going to build a new state-of-the-art plant that wold create thousands of jobs. However, it is not clear if Metro Charlotte or Gaston County are being considered as a potential location. DTNA currently has locations in Mount Holly, Gastonia, High Point, Cleveland, and Gaffney.

In a press release, DTNA said their new facility “"will leverage advanced manufacturing technologies, highly adaptable assembly processes, and modern production equipment to efficiently build a broad range of vehicle configurations while responding to changing market demands."

If chosen, the new facility would certainly be a boon to Gaston County.

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Icons Beauty Group will potentially add hundreds of jobs here in Dallas

In 2023 a Singapore based private equity firm bought an underused manufacturing and distribution plan in Gastonia Technology Park, as part of it’s acquisition of CLTpack US.

Now the company goes by Icons America, and could bring hundreds of jobs here to Dallas. The company makes tube packaging for companies like L’Oreal, Clinique, Joico, and Australian Gold.

Scott Lingren became CEO in late 2025 to drive expansion, and to move the companies headquarters from Taiwan to Dallas. Lingren says that although the factory is automated, they will still need process technician and engineers. The company will partner with Gaston College to train for those positions, according to Lingren. Wages for those positions will be 37% higher than the Gaston County average. He also says the company is expanding, and is looking at a timeline of 5 years or less.

Southern Living magazine features Belmont

On Saturday, Southern Living online did a really nice feature on some of the best of cool, trendy, Belmont. They mentioned the Farmer’s Market, Cherub’s Cafe, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, and much more.

Although they left out some of my favorites-Stone Fired Social - all in all they did a great job of capturing a lot of what makes Belmont special. There is no pay wall-you can check it out here…

Loray Mill Lofts renovation moving along

The west side of Loray Mill Lofts in Gastonia is being renovated, which is great to see. Construction crews were working on a Saturday recently.

At Miami Fusion in Lowell we have the best Cuban food- and we cater! Publishers note: They have the best Tres Leches ever! Your mouth will be having a party! Below is their shrimp & grits-yum!

Did you know we serve breakfast until 2 PM?

New strip mall on South New Hope

A month or so ago, we told you about a new strip mall on South New Hope at Titman Road. So far it looks like there is a Bruster’s ice cream, Einstein Bagels, a Project Lean Nation (pre packaged meals), a Pilates studio, and a weight loss clinic.

Have you been to Shelli’s She Shed yet?

Shelli's She Shed is a home decor boutique full of floral stems & arrangements and unique, vintage, antique, retro, farmhouse styles and the perfect gift items.

New Hours: Fri & Sat 10am-3pm
980-318-3816

106 W. Dallas Rd.. Stanley , NC 28164

Check us out!