FUSE District (Downtown Gastonia)
Gastonia's Ballpark District, Rebuilding Downtown One Block at a Time
The FUSE District, short for Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment, is downtown Gastonia's biggest reinvention project in decades. The city assembled roughly 16 acres of old industrial and commercial land along Franklin Boulevard, including a shuttered Sears department store, and built CaroMont Health Park in its place, a 5,000-seat, $28.8 million stadium that opened in 2021 and now hosts the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League alongside concerts, soccer, and other events. The district connects downtown Gastonia to the historic Loray Mill neighborhood along Franklin Boulevard, stitching together two parts of the city that had been cut off from each other for decades.
The residential piece is still being built out in phases. The Dillinger, a loft conversion of the old Choice USA Beverage (Coke) bottling building on East Franklin Boulevard, and Hangar 618, a retail and classic-car display space next door, are adding new units and storefronts to the district, with more apartments expected through 2028. A short walk away, the century-old Loray Mill, once the largest textile mill in the South, has already been converted into 189 loft apartments and ground-floor retail. Buying or renting here means getting in on a neighborhood that's actively under construction, not a finished product.
Details on the Area
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A 5,000-seat, $28.8 million multi-purpose stadium that opened in 2021, home to the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League and host to concerts, soccer, lacrosse, and football throughout the year.
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A 600,000-square-foot, 1902 textile mill, once the largest in the South, converted into 189 loft apartments and ground-floor retail, with units running from about 882 to 1,488 square feet.
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The former Choice USA Beverage (Coke) bottling building on East Franklin Boulevard is being converted into a loft complex called The Dillinger, paired with Hangar 618, a retail, restaurant, and classic-car display space next door.
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The FUSE District's roughly 16 acres connect Gastonia's downtown core to the historic Loray Mill neighborhood along Franklin Boulevard, reconnecting two parts of the city that had been separated for decades.
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Phase 2 apartment buildings in the district are progressing toward completion around 2028, so buyers and renters are getting in while the district is still taking shape rather than a finished product.
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Webb Custom Kitchen, set inside a restored 1920s theater, and other Franklin Boulevard restaurants sit within a few blocks, alongside the fountain and event lawn at Rotary Centennial Pavilion.
HOMES FOR SALE IN FUSE DISTRICT (DOWNTOWN GASTONIA)
The FUSE District doesn't have its own sales history yet, it's too new for that, so here's what the surrounding Gastonia market and the district's own lofts actually cost right now.
The Housing Market
Gastonia median sale price
$255,000
Citywide, Q1 2026
Year-over-year price change
+4.8%
Q1 2026, NC REALTORS via Canopy MLS
Median days on market
21
Q1 2026, citywide
Months of inventory
1.4
Q1 2026, well below NC's ~5-month statewide average
Typical price range
$140K–$450K
Gastonia citywide, 'affordable metro' tier
Loray Mill Lofts 1-BR rent
From $1,400/mo
882–1,488 sq ft units, loraymilllofts.com
The FUSE District itself is too new to have its own subdivision-level sale comps, so these figures blend Gastonia citywide data (NC REALTORS via Canopy MLS, Oasis Realty Group market report, Q1 2026) with published Loray Mill Lofts rental pricing (loraymilllofts.com, 2026). Figures move with the market and the district is actively being built out; verify current values for any specific address or unit.
Schools In the FUSE District
Gaston County Schools, not Charlotte-Mecklenburg, runs the classrooms here. Here's what's commonly zoned for downtown Gastonia addresses, factual and sourced, plus what to double-check before you buy or rent.
Lingerfeldt Elementary
York Chester Middle
Hunter Huss High
Downtown Gastonia addresses, including the FUSE District, most commonly show Lingerfeldt Elementary, York Chester Middle, and Hunter Huss High as the zoned schools, but the district covers a mix of new and older parcels rather than one platted subdivision, and Gaston County Schools boundaries can shift. Confirm the zoned elementary, middle, and high school for your exact address through Gaston County Schools (gaston.k12.nc.us) before you buy or rent; this is Gaston County Schools, not the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) assignment lookup.
HOA & Community Amenities
The FUSE District isn't governed by a single homeowners association. It's a city-led redevelopment project built largely on land the City of Gastonia assembled, and CaroMont Health Park itself is owned by the city and operated by Velocity Companies. The residential buildings inside the district, like Loray Mill Lofts and the planned units at The Dillinger, are run as managed apartment communities with their own leasing offices rather than resident-elected HOA boards.
That means there's no single dues figure to quote for living in the FUSE District the way there would be for a platted subdivision. Rent, included amenities, and any building-specific fees vary property by property, so confirm what a specific building or unit actually includes and charges before signing a lease or making an offer.
Location & Lifestyle
The FUSE District sits in the heart of downtown Gastonia, Gaston County, centered on Franklin Boulevard between South Hill Street and the Loray Mill Historic District to the west. CaroMont Health Park anchors the district with Gastonia Ghost Peppers games and a busy events calendar, while Loray Mill Lofts and the emerging Dillinger and Hangar 618 buildings add brick, industrial-style housing and retail just steps away. Webb Custom Kitchen, an upscale steakhouse inside a restored 1920s theater, and the Rotary Centennial Pavilion, downtown's fountain and festival green space, both sit within easy walking distance.
Uptown Charlotte is roughly 25 to 30 minutes east via I-85 and Franklin Boulevard depending on traffic, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is about 25 minutes away, and CaroMont Regional Medical Center, the stadium's naming-rights partner and Gaston County's main hospital, is a short drive north. Downtown Gastonia continues to fill in with new restaurants and small businesses around the district, making this one of the fastest-changing blocks in Gaston County.
Places to explore in FUSE District (Downtown Gastonia)
Frequently Asked Questions
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In the heart of downtown Gastonia, NC, Gaston County, centered on Franklin Boulevard between South Hill Street and the Loray Mill Historic District. It sits in the 28052 zip code, about 25 to 30 minutes west of uptown Charlotte.
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FUSE stands for Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment. The city assembled about 16 acres of old industrial land downtown to build CaroMont Health Park, a 5,000-seat stadium that opened in 2021 and is now home to the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, alongside new loft housing and retail like The Dillinger and Hangar 618.
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Downtown Gastonia addresses are commonly zoned for Lingerfeldt Elementary, York Chester Middle, and Hunter Huss High, all part of Gaston County Schools rather than Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Because the district covers a mix of new and older parcels, verify the zoned schools for your exact address through Gaston County Schools before you buy or rent.
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The FUSE District is too new to have its own sales history, but citywide Gastonia home prices ran a median of about $255,000 in Q1 2026, and Loray Mill Lofts, the district's converted historic mill apartments, start around $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom. Verify current pricing, since both the housing market and the district's new construction are moving quickly.
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No. The FUSE District is a city-led redevelopment rather than a platted subdivision, and its residential buildings, like Loray Mill Lofts, are run as managed apartment communities with their own leasing terms instead of a homeowners association. Confirm what a specific building includes and charges before signing a lease or making an offer.
