Concord's Logan Center reopens | Charlotte Observer

The 60-year-old Logan Multi-Purpose Center has reopened after months of renovations.

City officials and residents celebrated the reopening of the community recreation center at 151 Rone Ave. with an open house and "neighborhood welcoming ceremony" Thursday.

The refurbished center has more activity rooms, new restrooms with showers, upgraded heating and air conditioning systems, a new color scheme and other features.

Concord provided $300,000 for interior improvements. Exterior work was made possible by $200,000 in federal stimulus funds.

The interior work also included a new front desk and office near the front door to improve supervision and safety, Concord Parks and Recreation Director Bob Dowless said.

All the walls, old fixtures and plumbing were removed in the old showers, freeing the space for new restrooms, each with a shower, and additional space for the center, Dowless said.

The wing of the building that housed the multi-purpose and arts-and-crafts rooms also was overhauled. Workers removed the permanent wall between the rooms to create a much-needed larger space with a capacity of 150. Movable partition walls were installed to allow for separating it into three smaller rooms, meaning the center now has up to five activity rooms, compared with the original two.

The space used by the Cabarrus County Department of Aging's Lunch Plus program was expanded to allow for a better kitchen and more storage for events and the Lunch Plus program.

A major part of the project involved demolishing much of the interior, including load-bearing walls. Workers used extensive temporary shoring to support the building structure during the work. New steel framework was designed, built and installed, allowing for a much more open interior.

The exterior was updated with a new color scheme and energy-efficient glass. All the windows and doors were replaced, and an automatic accordion (bi-fold) door was installed at the main entrance to make it easier for senior adults to enter and leave the building.

The center offers several of the city's signature recreation programs, including the Southwest Karate Academy, Treat Night, Cross-Court Basketball, health-related programs, billiards tournaments, adult day trips, youth basketball and the Vibe Tennis Program.

Lucky Leaf Gardens to triple operation

HARRISBURG Lucky Leaf Gardens plans to break ground in June on a 2,000-square-foot greenhouse that will triple its growing operation and help meet demand for its microgreens, tiny organic edible greens known for their intense flavors.

Owned by Kate Brun, the home-based business recently received a $6,100 grant for the expansion from Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA.

Lucky Leaf Gardens supplies 40 types of microgreens to about 30 restaurants, grocers, community-supported agriculture programs and buying clubs in the Charlotte area, including the Speedway Club, Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge, Harvest Moon Grille and North Harbor Club in Davidson.

Microgreens are produced from vegetable, herb and plant seeds and have been grown in the U.S. since the mid-1990s, beginning in Southern California.

Construction will total about $25,000, Brun said. The grant will go toward building materials for the greenhouse, she said.

Students complete Concord gateway structure

CONCORD Students in Central Cabarrus High School's masonry program have completed a brick structure for a new Concord gateway welcome sign near the new CVS store at Union Street and Warren C. Coleman Boulevard.

When finished, the sign will be the first in Concord to feature the branding adopted by the city in 2007. The former wood sign at the location was typical of those installed at gateways in the mid-1990s, said David Ratchford, Concord buildings and grounds director. It also was surrounded by heavy vegetation.

The developer of the CVS site agreed to pay for materials needed for a new brick sign that will complement the design of the store and enhance the entry gateway, Ratchford said. Ratchford contacted the school masonry program about doing the brick structure.