South Piedmont Community College will begin drafting designs for its Center for Entrepreneurship. The Center will be located on the Old Charlotte Highway campus, in the heart of Union County.
“This is an exciting first step not just for South Piedmont but for the community as a whole. The Center for Entrepreneurship will be transformational. Within the walls of this facility, ideas will become realities, small start-ups will become sustainable and job-generating operations, and innovation will know no bounds,” said South Piedmont President Dr. Maria Pharr.
“We can’t wait to break ground, open the doors, and usher in a new era of entrepreneurship for our community.”
The Center for Entrepreneurship will support a vital segment of the local economy. The number of new businesses in the state has risen sharply in recent years. New businesses are one of the state’s primary sources of new jobs, but they also typically need support and resources to become established and grow.
The Center for Entrepreneurship will centralize local small business resources, making it easier for small business owners to connect with the help that they need. The building will house the South Piedmont Small Business Center and a robust lineup of programming including classes, workshops, seminars, and credential programs, designed to support local small businesses and entrepreneurs.
In 2022, Union County voters passed a $32.7 million general obligation bond to support the Center for Entrepreneurship.
“We remain deeply grateful for the voters’ support of this project and trust in the College,” Pharr said. “Their investment will pay off in new business creations, job growth, and innovations. At the Center for Entrepreneurship, we will build the future of Union County’s local economy.”
The College had hoped to locate the new facility on a parcel of land it owns near the Waxhaw Parkway in the Town of Waxhaw. However, in light of wastewater capacity issues in Waxhaw, the Board of Trustees has decided to locate the building in Monroe.
“Given the wastewater capacity limitation issues in western Union County, realistically, the timeline for constructing this building in Waxhaw would have been 6-7 years. Our community has an immediate need for this facility. Building in Monroe is the most expeditious path forward for this vital project,” Pharr said.
South Piedmont looks to have a physical footprint in the Town of Waxhaw once infrastructure is in place to support such an expansion.
“We value the Town of Waxhaw’s partnership, and we look forward to determining the best use of that land to serve western Union County in the future,” Pharr said.
The Center for Entrepreneurship is expected to open at the Old Charlotte Highway campus in late 2026.
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