New and returning tenants signal steady recovery at River Village

A year and a half after Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters engulfed Morganton’s River Village Shopping Center, new businesses are moving in and longtime tenants are returning, signaling a steady comeback along the Catawba River.

For the co-owner of the shopping center, L.H. Kirksey, the progress has been slow, but steady.

“It took us about a year to build each building,” said Kirksey, who owns River Village with his brothers Carl and Lee. “You don’t just wave a magic wand, and they come back in one day.”

When Hurricane Helene flooded the area, water reached the tops of the doorways, leaving extensive damage across the shopping center. About seven tenants haven’t returned following the storm, Kirksey said. Since then, about eight have come back, and two new businesses are stepping in to fill the gaps. While a few spaces remain vacant, no building currently sits completely empty.

One of the newest additions is Overmountain Cycles, an established Morganton business, which is relocating from North Green Street to 355 Sanford Drive, the final building across from Town Tavern.

Owner Michael Lowther said the move brings his business closer to the heart of Morganton’s outdoor activity, along the Catawba River Greenway and within a mile of the newly opened mountain bike trails at Catawba Meadows Park.

Electricians are currently working on the space, and Lowther expects to open sometime in April. The new location is designed to be more than a bike shop, but a gathering for locals and visitors alike.

“I would like to have events down here, some music occasionally, a food truck on certain nights,” Lowther said.

The new shop will feature a bar area where visitors can grab a beer, coffee, or a sweet treat. Customers will still be able to browse bikes, accessories, and apparel, along with bringing in bikes for service. As warmer weather approaches, Lowther said the busy season is already here, with service appointments booked about two weeks out.

“We really just want to be where the action is,” Lowther said. “The greenway is very popular. There’s regulars that walk it and bike it every day, and really just to be next to the mountain bike trails.”

The new location, he said, will also make it easier for families and beginners to enjoy Morganton’s outdoor scene.

“Families can come down here and park, get a coffee, drink, hang out, and then go for a ride,” Lowther said. “It’s just a nice community space. I just love the community. I love people getting together. That’s really what the shop is about.”

While new and returning businesses are helping revive the shopping center, Kirksey said one key piece is still missing: the boardwalk.

“It was pretty much a major draw for River Village,” he said. “With the boardwalk gone, it’s been a missing hole for us.”

While residents and visitors still use the greenway, Kirksey said the experience is not the same. Visitors have to walk under the bridge and across the parking lot instead of along the riverfront.

“They had a really good sense that they were about as close to the river as they could be,” Kirksey said.

That’s expected to change within the matter of months.

Construction on the new riverfront boardwalk is expected to begin this spring. The Morganton City Council approved a nearly $3 million contract in mid-February with Wilkie Construction Company Southeast, LLC, of Lenoir, to complete the project. City officials estimate the project will be completed in October.