WHAT’S GOING ON? Construction Near The Old Watauga High School Property: A $10M Development

Photo by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

Sept. 20, 2012. Have you noticed the recent $10 million development in the works near the old Watauga High School property while driving on N.C. 105?

Up until recently, there used to be a house amidst many trees. Today, a backhoe was scooping dirt that rotating Eggers Construction dump trucks were hauling from the 15-acre property owned by Mountaineer Crossing, LLC, of Greensboro.

In late August, Eggers Construction began “site development,” according to Mountaineer Crossing co-owner Randy Dixon, for the mixed-use development that will comprise retail space and student housing.

Dixon and his partners began talking to Town of Boone staff two years ago about this development, which will be called Mountaineer Crossing, and the Boone Town Council and the Boone Area Planning Commission approved the terraced development and rezoning of the property last summer.

The three-building property is zoned Conditional District B-3 General Business, Conditional District R-3 Multi-Family and Conditional District R-A Residential/Agriculture.

Photo by Jesse Wood

According to minutes from an August Boone Town Council meeting, one four-story building will be mixed-use with the ground floor being commercial space and the upper floors residential. The project also contains two multi-family apartment buildings, one being three stories and the other four stories.

The remaining undeveloped property has been placed under the Conditional District R-A Residential Agricultural for passive recreation for the development along with a conservation easement, according to Boone Town Council minutes.

All in all, Dixon said the development will have 204 bedrooms with a parking space per bedroom, and more than 10,000 square feet of retail space – which includes a free-standing retail building.

View from the road leading to the old Watauga High School. Photo by Jesse Wood

The 75-acre old Watauga High School property owned by Watauga County is adjacent to this development. Watauga County Commissioners and the Watauga County Economic Development Commission have begun preliminary discussion about the possibility of turning that into a business park.

“We’ve been working with city staff to make this look very nice,” Dixon said.

Dixon said that Mountaineer Crossing will be a “front door” to whatever happens to that property, whether it becomes a business park or something else. Although, he did add that a business park would be “good for Boone, good for Watauga County” and would hopefully bring industries to the area.

The project is estimated to be completed by next spring or summer.