The tranquil character of Gastonia, North Carolina, is facing an unprecedented transformation as a wave of massive housing developments sweeps across the city, sparking fierce debate among its 85,000 residents.
Avalon Leads a Surge of New Construction
At the heart of the controversy is the planned Avalon community, a colossal development set to replace a vast grove of trees with 30,000 new homes, ranging from ranch-style to two-storey properties. The project promises amenities including a pool with cabanas, pickleball courts, a playground, and a dog park.
This is not an isolated case. According to Jamie Kanboroglu, Director of Planning and Zoning for Gaston County, the area is currently juggling 220 developments that have either been proposed or already approved. "The projects coming in are some of the biggest that this county has ever seen," confirmed Wil Neumann, a former North Carolina state representative.
Resident Anger Over a Vanishing Way of Life
For long-term residents, the rapid expansion feels like a betrayal. David Keim, who bought a house on the edge of the Avalon site twenty years ago with retirement in mind, told local media he feels "cheated." His once-secluded property will gain thousands of new neighbours by next year.
The sentiment is widespread. "We have a lot of neighbors that are moving out," Keim added. Resident April Jakel lamented the erasure of familiar landmarks, stating, "You drive down the road and you don’t know if you are on the right street because everything that looked familiar to you is gone."
On social media, frustration boils over. One Facebook user, who moved to Gastonia three years ago, pleaded for a halt to the construction, arguing it is "killing so many acres of trees and the beauty of the areas." Another resident exclaimed, "This is bull!!! We definitely don't need any more neighbourhoods... We moved out this way so we can get away from traffic, away from people."
The Charlotte Effect and a Real Estate Gold Rush
The catalyst for this boom is Gastonia's proximity to Charlotte, located just 20 miles to the east. Dubbed the 'Wall Street of the South,' Charlotte was recently revealed by the US Census Bureau to be the sixth fastest-growing city in the United States, adding 23,423 residents between July 2023 and July 2024.
As Charlotte's finance sector expands, its population is spilling into surrounding areas like Gastonia, attracted by a lower cost of living and an easy commute. Local realtor Buddy Harper, a 70-year resident, notes that most of his new clients are "overflowing" from Charlotte, with some even coming from New York City and California.
From a business perspective, it's a boom. Harper's current listings average around $300,000 for three-bedroom homes. "They're not building all of these homes not to sell them," he remarked, predicting a huge spring season. While he is personally unfazed by the change, he acknowledges his neighbours are not, reporting hearing complaints like, "They shouldn't let people move here."
Authorities are scrambling to adapt, with infrastructure projects like the widening of the I-85 highway underway to ease future congestion. For now, Gastonia stands as a stark example of the profound tensions between economic opportunity and community preservation in America's rapidly growing Sun Belt.
