HICKORY, N.C. — A new Riverwalk opened in Hickory on Thursday.
It’s in northwest Hickory near Highway 321. The Riverwalk is part of a $40 million bond referendum to spur economic growth and attract visitors.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty has closely followed the impact of the bond referendum over the last 10 years and was there as the first people went out on the Riverwalk Thursday. There were so many people who wanted to go to the opening they actually had to be bused in to the parking area.
An overwater bridge that’s part of the Riverwalk spans more than 500 feet of Lake Hickory and highlights a 2.5-mile trail that stretches along the lake.
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Diane Straley and Louise Judd were some of the first people to venture out on the bridge.
“This is a big deal,” Straley said. “We’ve watched it under construction for years -- tickled to see this. And this walks up to my house.”
It’s all part of the Hickory Trail project that will connect more than 10 miles of walkways through Hickory.
City leaders say the City Walk in downtown Hickory, which opened in 2021, has spurred growth. It goes through downtown Hickory to Lenoir-Rhyne University, where city leaders say businesses have invested more than $30 million.
Right now, there are more than 2,600 houses and apartments under construction in Hickory, including hundreds planned along the walkway.
“It grows our population, it grows our economy, and, of course, it grows our tax base,” Mayor Hank Guess said. “And it’s good amenities for folks to have here.”
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Faherty also visited some of the other walkways under construction, like the Aviation Walk that goes to the Hickory Regional Airport. Construction is more than 50% completed, along with the Historic Ridgeview Walk south of downtown.
Part of the bond referendum also went to building a 300-acre business park that city leaders say has created hundreds of jobs in Catawba County.
Muriel Gabriel believes the money has been well spent.
“It’s my tax dollars. I live here, have a home here. So I’m very glad to see that they have put the money to great use,” Gabriel said.
The city hopes all of the walkways, including a fifth walkway called the Ollie Art Walk that broke ground Thursday morning, will all be completed over the next two years.
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