April 13. By Dave Vieser. Cornelius commissioners approved a joint project with Mecklenburg County to restore Dana’s Branch Stream, just west of I-77 near McDowell Creek Greenway.

The project will restore approximately 4,800 linear feet of town-maintained stream and up to 5,800 linear feet of county-maintained stream, according to Assistant Town Manager Tyler Beardsley.

Photo by Jason Benavides

McDowell Creek Greenway runs from Westmoreland to Birkdale Village behind the Robbins Park development and the theater.

After issuing requests for proposals, the town and county selected Wildlands Engineering of Charlotte as the most qualified to perform the improvements.

The Town’s portion of the design and property acquisition is $616,045, while the County’s portion could run as much as $520,109, for a total design contract of $1,136,155.

Cornelius already has a capital reserve fund set up for the project. Stormwater fee revenues, a state grant, and ARP-supplanted funds are being used to pay for much of the project costs and town officials will continue to seek additional grant funds for this project to further reduce the overall cost.

Wildlands is ready to start immediately. The first step, which will be the Design and Easement acquisition will take approximately 12-18 months with construction scheduled to start in 2025.