CityView Magazine

52 | April 2017 P PICTURE THIS. In addition to Fayetteville's own Cape Fear Botanical Garden, its renowned Airborne & Special Operations Museum, its notable historic downtown center and its Arts Council, Fayetteville also becomes home to a minor league baseball stadium, a Civil War History Center and a world-class Performing Arts Center. is is what the founders and board members of Vision 2026 envision in the not-so-distant future—by 2026, to be exact. It is also what they call a game changer—for all of Cumberland County. "A victory for one is a victory for all, and we're using Vision 2026 as a catalyst for unity," said John McCauley, Vision 2026's President, Spokesperson and owner of Fayetteville-based Highland Paving. "We represent all groups from all over. And this is simply where we call home." With the goal of providing "cooperative solutions to local issues," Vision 2026, a non-partisan non-profit, launched officially at the start of the new year. So, who's behind this established think tank? "We're your friends and neighbors, we're business people and tax payers," said McCauley to a swelling crowd of nearly 200 at Vision 2026's launch party in February. "We got together because we realized, as a county, we're not reaching our full potential. We have concerns, and we have a vision on how we can make things better." At a Crossroad e Economic Development Alliance of Fayetteville, which officially separated from the City's Chamber of Commerce in 2015, has a primary responsibility of industrial recruiting for the area. ey are also heavily subsidized by local government spending. e Chamber, on the other hand, is fueled by membership fees and focuses more heavily on its charter to provide programming and advocate for existing local businesses. With their separation, and bonds of a lifetime on the line – in March 2016, Fayetteville was granted a $35 million parks and recreation bond – it was clear to some community activists and business leaders a real need VISION 2026: One County, Big Plans BY BRIT TNEY MURRAY F E A T U R E

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