The retiring captain sits comfortably at an empty desk, enjoying his final working day. Brown at desk
Brown at desk
The retiring captain sits comfortably at an empty desk, enjoying his final working day. Brown at desk
Brown at desk
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Business
New restaurant, The Union, moves forward in former Bella Vino building in Morganton
A new rendering provided by Cranford Hospitality shows the vision for the bar area on the mezzanine floor.
Demolition is complete and construction permits are in hand as Cranford Hospitality moves forward with plans to open The Union, a new American grill in downtown Morganton.
The restaurant, in the former Bella Vino building at 112 W. Union St., is the Cranford family’s first business in Morganton. The family is known for their brands throughout the Hickory Metro, from the classic Granny’s Country Kitchen to the Standard Oyster Company.
Contractors have removed the downstairs lunch counter, gutted the kitchen’s sagging floors, and demolished the bar top upstairs. Behind it, they uncovered a rare glass brick bar feature that the Cranfords had planned to incorporate in their original designs.
Zack Cranford (left), Kent Cranford, and Tucker Cranford (right) have been busy creating their family company’s newest restaurant, The Union.
The Union will be Cranford Hospitality’s ninth project, Zack Cranford said. The company specializes in repurposing existing buildings to create new spaces for the communities they serve.
“All our concepts are different. A lot of companies will get a concept and put it in a box,” Zack said. “We let the building kind of speak to us, the flow, and then also we look at what’s missing and what the gaps are in the marketplace because ultimately we want something that’s going to have a lasting impact.”
Creating different brands and concepts also gives the company the opportunity to grow locally instead of having to spread out with one concept, Tucker Cranford said. Involved in the project are Architect Stan Winstead, General Contractor Jarred Thomas Co., Interior Designer Karen Stinson, and Graphic Designer Matt Everly.
Cranford Hospitality purchased the building for $425,000 from the City of Morganton at the end of December 2025, with conditions outlined in a development agreement. Demolition work, which had to be completed by Saturday, Feb. 28, was completed earlier this week, according to Zack Cranford.
The company received permits from the city to start construction. Under the development agreement, construction must be substantially complete by the end of 2026, allowing the restaurant to open by March 1, 2027. He said the Cranford Hospitality team is working through their budget with their general contractor and that crews expect to begin major construction work within 60 to 90 days.
“The good news is there’s a lot of existing infrastructure here, so we’re not having to put a new water tap or sewer tap in, but we are going to have to cut the floor up, get things exactly where we want them,” Zack Cranford said.
During interior demolition, the Cranfords were surprised to find an existing glass brick bar, which they had plans for in their original designs.
“The messy, dusty phase comes first,” Cranford said. “Once we get through that, we can start making it look pretty and move into the finishing touches.”
Meanwhile, the Cranfords have been working through weekly tastings with their culinary team to get the menu squared away. The family has also been getting involved in events throughout the Morganton community. From catering food for an Elected Officials Recognition Reception at CoMMA to entering the ACC Chili Cook Off’s commercial division, the Cranfords said it’s important to them to be involved in the community where they grew up.
“We want to be a part of the community, not just a business in the community,” Kent Cranford said, adding that the project will not only bring new life to a prominent vacant storefront, but will also bring in about 30 new jobs.
While an exact opening date hasn’t been announced, Zack Cranford said the team is ahead of schedule and eager to bring the new concept to downtown Morganton.
An excavator began demo on the FoxBuilt building last week.
If you’ve traveled down West Union Street since Feb. 20, you may have noticed an excavator among a pile of wreckage where FoxBuilt Construction used to stand near the intersection with Fleming Drive.
Demolition is finally underway again over two years after the initial fire. The permit for demolition, originally set to expire Feb. 28, this year, has been extended, with no specific deadline to finish.
“We are currently working with the owner to set up a next inspection date,” City of Morganton Public Information Officer Jonelle Sigmon said. “The city works with each permit specific to the needs of that site.”
No inspection dates are set, according to Sigmon.
Owner Larry Wendell Fox declined to comment.
POTENTIAL ARSON
The Morganton Department of Public Safety (MDPS) deemed the Jan. 30, 2024, fire as arson when it occurred.
Although the case is now considered inactive, MDPS Professional Standards Lieutenant Tayler Alexander said it is not closed.
“Investigators do believe this fire was a case of arson,” Alexander explained, “But at this time there is not enough to charge any specific person(s) with that crime.”
While demolition limits future physical evidence collection, officers typically gather the majority of their evidence immediately after the incident.
According to previous reports, Fox had been named as a person of interest when the fire initially consumed the building.
BACKGROUND ON THE FIRE
Investigator C. Storie with the MDPS filed for search warrants with the Burke County court, which were issued on Jan. 31, the night of the fire, and Feb. 5.
The warrants revealed a discussion with Fox, where the owner claimed the county owed him money for work FoxBuilt had done on the Jonas Ridge Convenience Center, and that he had filed for loans from outside sources to compensate.
Not long after receiving the loans, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2023. According to the report, Fox began receiving threatening phone calls and text messages, and a white BMW started following him around town.
The court dismissed his filing for bankruptcy on Jan. 26, making him responsible for all of his debts.
Following the fire, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) joined the case, looking for items associated with fire-starting and documentation.
During the investigation, authorities located a room that “had a strong odor of an ignitable liquid.” The officers traced the odor to a rug in the room and collected it as evidence.
“Fox is the only person of interest in this case because he is the only one identified through the investigation who had the means, motive, and opportunity, and would benefit from an insurance payout based on the fire insurance he had on the building,” the warrant stated.
News
Leadership shift marks new chapter for The Industrial Commons in Morganton
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Allen VanNoppen
Publisher
A leadership change in Burke County’s most visible nonprofit economic development organization signals what its board describes as an evolution in strategy as The Industrial Commons prepares for its next phase of growth.
Based in Morganton, The Industrial Commons (TIC) eight-member Board of Directors voted Feb. 23 to dissolve its co-executive director model and appoint co-founder Molly Hemstreet as interim executive director.
The move follows the Jan. 30 sudden departure of co-founder Sara Chester, who had served alongside Hemstreet in the shared leadership role since the nonprofit’s inception in 2015.
In a written statement dated Feb. 23, the board said the change comes as the organization “continues to grow and expand its work” and positions itself to carry forward its mission of advancing “a diverse working class through locally rooted wealth” and strengthening the communities it serves.
The Industrial Commons Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director Molly Hemstreet.
Chester
The board did not elaborate on the specific strategic changes that led to the dissolution of the co-executive director model. Its statement expressed gratitude for the “dedication of its leadership, staff, partners, and supporters” and emphasized continuity in mission and programming.
“This was a board decision,” Hemstreet said. “We have put a lot of thought into (this). .... We’re really excited about the direction of the organization and the good things we can bring to our county.”
Chester said she could not comment on the development. Hemstreet.
TIC Board Chair Debbie Sigmon said she couldn’t comment beyond the TIC statement.
Hemstreet, who now serves as interim executive director, has long been a public face of the organization and its efforts to reshape the regional textile industry through community ownership structures and processes where materials are reused, repaired, and recycled instead of being thrown away.
The board’s statement highlighted more than $30 million in current investments in manufacturing facilities in Morganton. That includes renovations to its Hopewell Road headquarters and environmental remediation, as well as planned new construction at the former Drexel 3 and 5 site in Morganton, expected to begin in fall 2026.
Combined, those projects would return more than 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space to productive use.
Planning is also underway for a 10-acre parcel on Dixon Street north of the Drexel site that would create 20 to 30 units of workforce housing aimed at working-class families seeking a path to homeownership.
In addition to facilities investments, TIC has expanded its workforce development initiatives. In the past year, nearly 5,000 public high school students across North Carolina were enrolled in the textile curriculum supported by the organization, according to the board’s statement. Eighty-five Career and Technical Education teachers received training, and more than 200 workers completed customized industry training programs.
The leadership transition comes amid dramatic financial growth for the nonprofit over the past eight years. IRS 990 tax filings report revenues of $8 million in 2024, up from $102,143 in 2017.
By 2018, revenue had grown to more than $1.3 million. After fluctuations in 2019, the organization reported $3.47 million in revenue in 2020 and $4.55 million in 2021.
In 2023, revenue surged to $11.6 million, driven largely by contributions, which accounted for more than 94% of total revenue that year. Net assets climbed to more than $15.7 million. The most recent available filing for 2024 shows net assets of $20.16 million.
Contributions have consistently made up the majority of the organization’s revenue, supplemented by program service income and investment income. Executive compensation has also increased over time, reflecting the organization’s growth.
In 2018, Hemstreet reported compensation of $31,384 and Chester $10,500. By 2024, Hemstreet’s reported compensation was $124,125 and Chester’s $107,925, according to IRS summaries.
In its 2024 Annual Report, TIC stated it began reshaping its internal structure as part of what leaders described as an effort to ensure sustainable growth.
In the report, then-Co-Executive Directors Sara Chester and Molly Hemstreet wrote that, “To meet our vision and accomplish our goals, TIC worked this year to build an organizational structure to foster leadership and ensure sustainable growth well into the future. We said goodbye to the ‘Pie’ and crafted a new framework, called the ‘Field Guide,’ to organize the Programs and Enterprises of our ecosystem.”
The shift was intended to foster leadership development and position the organization for long-term stability as it expands its work.
For Morganton and Burke County, TIC’s projects represent both economic ambition and a test case for whether nonprofit-led industrial revitalization can take root in a region long defined by the rise and fall of textile manufacturing.
With new construction planned, workforce programs expanding and a leadership structure now consolidated under one interim executive director, The Industrial Commons enters its second decade at a scale far larger than when it began.
