CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/17354
NOT-SO SMALL TOWN By Mysti Koontz Hope Mills adds amenities without losing its charm H Old Fashioned, New Flavors | Hope Mills adds new homes and new businesses, like Tuttimelon (following page) OPE MILLS – The exotic yogurt and gelato shop known as Tuttimelon is only available in the United States in two places: California and, you guessed it, right here. Surrounded by open spaces and farmland, this small town was once known for its cotton mills; today is it is one of the fastest-growing communities in southeastern North Carolina. “While the rest of the country has fallen into a recession,” said Mike Bailey, city planner, “that has definitely not been the case for Hope Mills.” His office has issued residential permits for 349 houses since January 2009 and permits for numerous commercial projects including: a five-story hotel, 14-screen movie theater, multiple shopping centers, a large storage facility, auto parts store, credit union and a state-of-the-art day care. More projects are underway: a bank, amusement park and two-story medical center. And there’s even more yet to come: two new grocery stores and Lowe’s Home Improvement, slated to begin construction in 2011. To say Hope Mills is growing may be an understatement. But the city has not forgotten its roots, far from it. This month, while facing a future brimming with change, residents will celebrate their heritage with an old-fashioned gala. The annual Ole Mills Day festival will welcome guests with the simmering smell of chili as contestants for the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce’s annual cook-off spoon up a bit of scrumptious competition. It’s just one of many scheduled activities in a jam-packed day – Hope Mills residents have much to celebrate. Jan Spell is the Chamber’s president and a “local” since 1983, back CityViewNC.com | 47