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New businesses open, traffic issues remain |
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Thursday, 16 August 2007 |
 A construction worker halts traffic headed south on U.S. Highway 321.
| Derek DeSha | The Appalachian
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by JILLIAN SWORDS
Intern News Reporter
While the majority of Appalachian State University students left for their summer holidays, Boone continued to grow with multiple businesses opening.
President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Dan Meyer said summer was a time of strong commercial growth for the town.
Restaurants
GOL Express opened at 179 Howard St. in June, offering Brazilian food and drink. They serve 50 types of wine, 20 beers on tap and “caipirinhas,” the national drink of Brazil.
Panera Bread opened in the Boone Mall on Blowing Rock Road, serving pastries, bagels, soups, salads, sandwiches and bread baked fresh daily. They also have specialty teas and coffees.
Wings to Go, a sports bar and restaurant, opened at 203 Boone Heights Drive in June.
Apparel
Goodwill
Industries, now open at 237 Boone Heights Drive, offers secondhand
clothing and household items. All of the store’s locations accept
donations, and Goodwill proceeds go to training programs that help the
unemployed find jobs.
Tanner Ladies Outlet opened at the Shops at Shadowline, offering classic apparel and accessories.
Other
A-1 Vacuum Solutions in the Shops at Shadowline sells, services and installs vacuums and accessories.
 Panera Bread Company opened another of its more than 1,000 stores in Boone on May 21. Located in the Boone Mall, the new location serves 600 customers daily.
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| Trey Mahoney | The Appalachian
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Enterprise Rent-A-Car is now open at 1435 U.S. Highway 105.
The Fabric Shoppe opened in the Shops at Shadowline.
Jeffrey W. Lineberry, DDS, P.L.L.C. is a new dentist’s office at 450 New Market Blvd.
Maudlin Family Chiropractic is now open in the Shops at Shadowline.
Mountain Home & Hearth, Inc. at 4912 U.S. Highway 421 carries wood
and gas stoves, fireplaces, and antique-style appliances.
Sleep Inn opened at 163 U.S. Highway 105 Ext. and offers a free deluxe
continental breakfast, heated outdoor pool, high-speed internet access,
and a game room.
While new businesses have abounded in Boone, the U.S. Highway 321 construction has not changed.
The highway will continue to be closed every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 2 p.m.
Frank J. Gioscio, resident engineer for the project for the North
Carolina Department of Transportation, said that the road does not
completely close during any other times except in emergency situations,
such as landslides.
“Since 2005, [such an emergency] has only happened three or four times,” he said.
If the road is closed, for normal reasons or otherwise, Gioscio advised
students to simply take another route rather than waiting because
traffic blocks up so badly.
He said taking N.C. Route 18 around to the N.C. 18/ U.S. Highway 421
intersection in Wilkesboro and continuing straight into Boone was the
fastest detour he was aware of.
The 6.5 mile U.S. Highway 321 project, with its three and a half year
timeline for completion, was contractually set to be finished in August
2008.
However, Gioscio said his team is not likely to finish until November or December of that year.
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