Rowan County asks ADW Architects to study moving several county offices to former JCPenney site

Rowan County commissioners voted July 21 to ask ADW Architects to prepare a preliminary master plan exploring relocation of several county offices to the former JCPenney space at the Rowan Community Center. The approval authorizes staff to request a task order from ADW that would include an exploratory study evaluating whether county departments now at the 402 Building — including tax assessment, tax collections, building inspections, planning and the register of deeds — could be moved to the community center. The county emphasized the study is preliminary and does not commit Salisbury or any county department to a final move. The county manager’s staff member, Mr. Powers, told the board that the city of Salisbury had expressed interest in partnering to create a “one‑stop” site for permitting and land‑management services and that the county would negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the city if the study proceeded. Powers said the task order would include cost‑sharing language and that any eventual construction, rental rates and final approvals would require additional design work and subsequent commissioner votes. Commissioners asked for alternatives and multiple design options rather than a single floor plan. A commissioner said past planning for the community center presented only one concept and asked ADW to provide several alternatives. Commissioners also discussed parking constraints downtown and the potential benefit to developers of a consolidated permitting location. The motion — recorded as a motion to approve ADW working on a master plan — passed after a second with all commissioners voting aye. If the study proceeds, staff said the next steps would include scope definition, design alternatives, a memorandum of understanding with Salisbury if it participates, and later commissioner approvals before any relocation or construction funding is committed.