A two-story shopping and dining hub is coming to downtown Concord this summer. The District Exchange will revive a former theater and capitalize on the city's social district designation to grow Union Street as a gathering place for years to come.

"It's a really unique space for businesses and restaurants to be and we want it to feel like a community," Kristen Adamczuk, owner of The District Exchange, told CLTtoday.
Renovations began in March on the 20,000-sqft building set to transform the former Cabarrus Theater, honoring its history as a theater and bank. The District Exchange will resemble Uptown's The Alley at Latta Arcade, offering 17 micro-retail spaces, ranging from 200 to 400 sqft, with two anchor restaurants.

Editor's note: A restaurant will be found on the first floor, with a tavern or bar-type space expected for the second floor.

Four tenants have signed leases and two — Life is Sweet Candy Store and Barley Jean — have already been announced as the first to join the space.

"We're trying to curate makers, bakers, and creators and pair it with a restaurant and tavern," explained Adamczuk. "Hopefully, we'll bring a really unique space for historic downtown Concord."