Shelby City Pavilion
Origins of the Shelby City Pavilion.
Shelby is a small town and the county seat in rural North Carolina. Agriculture has long played a central role in the community. For years, the local Farmers’ Market lacked a dedicated space to gather, so each Saturday, a section of uptown streets was closed off to make room for vendors.
The project began as an effort to create a covered, open-air market—designed with community at its heart. The City donated a large parking lot just two blocks from the Court Square, located in a part of town that was ripe for revitalization. The lot had a gentle but noticeable slope, which posed both design challenges and opportunities.
As planning progressed, the community began to see the site's broader potential. What started as a simple shelter for the Farmers’ Market quickly evolved into the Shelby City Pavilion—a versatile, communal venue that could host concerts, gatherings, City events, and more. It became a true local landmark, something the City could take pride in.
The final design is a multi-purpose outdoor events arena capable of accommodating nearly 1,000 people.
Huge boost to uptown.
The beautiful new events space immediately began bringing scores of people to the area nearly every day. Within just a couple of years, two new restaurants and several new businesses opened on the same block or across the street. The success of this project served as a catalyst for great economic growth and much desired neighborhood revitalization.
"Best Outdoor Space Improvement."
In 2017 this project was presented the Award of Merit for “Best Outdoor Space Improvement” by North Carolina Main Street Center. Revitalization of rural uptown neighborhoods is very important in North Carolina, and Shelby is one of the leaders in the State. Upland is proud to have been a part of making this dream a reality for the City of Shelby. We look forward to continue working alongside the Shelby community to realize the City's fullest potential.
USDA rural development loan.
What made this project possible was the collaboration of over ten different public and private entities. One of those was a long-term, very low interest loan provided by the USDA Rural Development program. To qualify for these loans the design team plays an integral part during the design process, approval process and construction process. These long-term low interest loans are sometimes the difference between being able to bring a vision to life or not.
What does this mean for you?
Upland Architects has the expertise and experience to navigate the waters of loans furnished by the USDA Rural Development Program. Also, we love being a part of bringing your community projects to life!
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