Downtown Concord: How Its Historic Core Is Coming Back to Life
- Solo Faith Church Inc.
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
At the corner of Union Street and Cabarrus Avenue, something is happening in Concord that mirrors the city's founding promise. Concord was established in 1796 — its very name a declaration of harmony, chosen to settle a dispute between two rival communities. More than 225 years later, that same spirit is at work again, as the city's historic downtown core undergoes its most significant transformation in generations.
Named for Harmony, Built for Community
The story of Concord begins with a disagreement. In the late 1700s, two groups of early settlers — German and Scots-Irish communities — could not agree on where to place the county seat of the newly formed Cabarrus County. Rather than let the dispute divide them, they found common ground, chose a 26-acre site as a compromise, and named their new city "Concord" — the Latin word for harmony. It is a founding story that still echoes in how Downtown Concord operates today.
What's Happening on Union Street Right Now
Walk Union Street on a Friday evening and you will find Havana Carolina filled with live music, Borinquen Kombucha hosting Latin Nights, and neighbors stopping in at Lil Robert's Place for a late set. On Saturday mornings, the Farmers Market at Rotary Square draws local growers and small businesses to 111 Union Street South, where freshly grown produce and handmade goods are laid out by farmers who live right here in Cabarrus County. This is not a downtown trying to become something — this is a downtown that has found its rhythm.
The District Exchange — a thriving mixed-use destination in the heart of downtown — brings together local boutiques, dining, and creative spaces across two levels. New businesses are finding their footing here regularly, and community events like the New Harmony Nights Summer Concert Series (free on Union Street, beginning June 6) are drawing families and first-time visitors in growing numbers.
Six Years and 22-Foot Sidewalks: The Streetscape That Changed Everything
The most visible sign of Downtown Concord's revival is the new streetscape completed in 2025 — the product of nearly a decade of planning, public input, and civic commitment. The project began with an interactive public demonstration in May and June of 2019, when the City of Concord temporarily transformed a section of Union Street near Gianni's Trattoria and Cabarrus Creamery. Residents walked wider sidewalks, sat at mock outdoor dining spaces, and left feedback that directly shaped the final design. More outdoor dining, trees, connectivity, and public gathering space topped the community's wish list — and every one of those priorities made it into the finished project.
The completed streetscape features 22-foot wide sidewalks, new smart light poles, decorative lighting, brick paver accents, expanded ADA accessible parking, public art installations, and designated outdoor dining and café zones. The Downtown Master Plan — adopted by City Council in August 2016 — specifically noted that a renewed streetscape would send a positive signal to the private market, incentivizing new restaurants, retailers, and residential reuse of upper-floor buildings. It did exactly that.
A Main Street Community, by Designation and by Heart
Downtown Concord carries an official designation: it is a North Carolina Main Street community, recognized by the NC Department of Commerce for its commitment to preservation-based economic development. The NC Main Street program — active across the state since 1980 — has helped revitalize more than 111 communities, generating $2.3 billion in new investment, creating more than 19,800 net new jobs, and rehabilitating 5,500 historic buildings statewide, according to the Downtown Concord Main Street Program page.
The approach is deliberate and community-driven, built around four priorities: strengthening local organizations and leadership, promoting the district as a destination, improving its visual and design character, and growing the economic vitality of existing businesses while attracting new investment. Walk through Downtown Concord today and you can see all four at work.
How to Visit Downtown Concord
The Downtown Concord office is located at 30 Cabarrus Avenue W., Concord, NC 28026 (phone: 704-920-6130). Union Street is the main corridor — most restaurants, shops, and event spaces are within easy walking distance once you arrive. Parking is available on Union Street including two ADA accessible spaces, with additional accessible parking on Barbrick Avenue and designated drop-off zones throughout.
At Solo Faith Church — located at 587 Old Charlotte Rd SW in Concord — we love helping our congregation and neighbors discover what is already thriving right here in Cabarrus County. To explore everything Downtown Concord has to offer, visit Downtown Concord NC directly, or browse their Downtown Business Directory and Event Calendar to plan your visit.
Solo Faith Church spotlights Downtown Concord in our Solo Faith Directory because the vitality of a city's historic core is inseparable from the dignity and opportunity of the families who live there — and many of the neighbors our food pantry and DoorDash delivery program serves call this community home. A downtown worth coming back to is a neighborhood worth knowing about.
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Community Support Note: This spotlight is part of Solo Faith Church's local community directory initiative to uplift Concord neighbors. Information was responsibly compiled from the Downtown Concord official website (downtownconcordnc.com) and its publicly available pages — including the organization's history, streetscape project documentation, and Main Street Program information — to help our congregation and community learn about and engage with Downtown Concord.
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