THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120606
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce plans to establish a satellite office on Currituck County's mainland.
``As soon as we find a location, we'll be there,'' John Bone, executive vice president of the chamber, said Thursday before a presentation to the county's economic development commission.
Chamber officials would like to locate between Grandy and Barco, where U.S. Route 158 narrows to two-lane North Carolina Route 168. Expansion of Route 168 is expected to begin next year.
The main chamber office, which serves Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties, is located near the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.
A future office on Hatteras Island also is being considered, Bone said.
Currituck economic development officials hailed the announcement as good news for all of the Albemarle.
``I'm enthusiastic about it because I've always said that for us to move forward, we have to move forward as a region,'' said Charles Hartig, Currituck's economic development director. ``And, in this area, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is the regional force that can move us all together.''
Most literature and inquiries about Currituck County, which includes the northern Outer Banks, have been handled by two local business agencies.
``I'm confident the chamber will work closely with both the Currituck Business Association and the Corolla Business Association to move the county forward,'' Hartig said.
The new office also is an indication of Currituck's growing role as a player in the local economy.
One of the fastest growing counties in North Carolina, Currituck has seen a surge in business and residential growth during the past couple of years.
Commercial development rose 42 percent between March 1993 and May 1994. The number of single-family residential building permits was 85 percent higher than permits issued nine years ago.
This year's housing permits are expected to equal or surpass that amount, Jack Simoneau, director of the county's planning and inspections department, said.
Although most of the growth has been at the north and south ends of the county, placing a Chamber of Commerce office midway between the two makes the most sense, officials said.
``I think the mainland is the ideal location because the 168-158 corridor is the gateway to the Outer Banks,'' Hartig said. ``And people are going to stop when they know there's information on the Outer Banks available here.'' by CNB