ROCKINGHAM — Members of the Chalk’s Landing community gathered together on Saturday for the groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited amenities pavilion.
The pavilion has been a work-in-progress since the community was established in 2006, and has faced several setbacks along the way, including the economic crash of 2008 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
It will feature a spacious shelter, which will be used for outdoor gatherings and picnics, as well as the amenities center, which will house restrooms and outdoor showers. Due to the current costs of building and materials, construction will take place in phases, with hopes of a community kitchen with pantry, office area, attic and storage space being built in the future.
Julie Poplin, current president of the property owners association board, said she grew up on the Anson county side of the river. Her mother, a former teacher, still lives there as one of the earliest residents of the Chalk’s Landing region.
Poplin recalled spending time at an earlier pavilion, an amenities center built by the power company, as a child. That pavilion consisted of a boarding house for the power plant workers, a club house, and a pier, Poplin said.
Poplin moved back to the region after being gone for three decades to be with her aging parents.
“We landed here, we love it, it’s a great spot” said Poplin.
Originally sold out in 2008, the development was a casualty of the 2008 market crash, with several early property owners selling their undeveloped lots. Along with the houses, the pavilion was also left undeveloped. Today, the new owners are excited to develop the lots and move in.
Construction began on the new pavilion on May 27 and is hoped to be completed by March, according to Amenities Committee Chair Janet Weyant. The pavilion is being built by Southern Builders of Rockingham.
