Licensed North Carolina Real Estate Broker — Affiliated with G Brokerage

Sell Your Commercial Property in Kannapolis, NC

Kannapolis is experiencing a downtown transformation that is reshaping its commercial real estate market. The North Carolina Research Campus — a $1.5 billion biotech and nutrition research hub on the former Pillowtex/Cannon Mills site — has catalyzed investment that is converting a historic mill town into a science-driven economy. Combined with the Atrium Health Ballpark (home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers), new residential construction, and I-85 industrial corridor growth, Kannapolis offers property owners a rare opportunity: selling into a market mid-transformation when property values are adjusting upward but haven't yet fully priced in the new growth trajectory.

No upfront feesConfidential process$500K - $10M+ properties
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Day Avg. to Offer
Well-priced properties with strong financials attract fast offers.
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Success-based fees only. You pay nothing until your property sells.
Market Intelligence

Kannapolis Commercial Real Estate Market

Kannapolis is arguably the most interesting transformation story in the Charlotte metro. The NC Research Campus — occupying 350 acres of the former Cannon Mills textile complex — has attracted research operations from UNC, NC State, Duke, NC A&T, Appalachian State, and several biotech companies focused on nutrition science, food safety, and genomics. This institutional investment is catalyzing a downtown renaissance that includes the Cannon Ballers minor league ballpark, new multifamily construction, and emerging restaurant and retail demand that is fundamentally changing the city's commercial real estate dynamics.

Beyond the Research Campus, Kannapolis benefits from I-85 access connecting Charlotte (20 miles south) and the Piedmont Triad. Industrial and distribution tenants seeking Charlotte metro logistics at significantly lower rents are targeting the I-85 corridor through Kannapolis and Concord. Atrium Health continues expanding its Cabarrus County footprint, supporting medical office demand. The city's affordable housing stock relative to Charlotte and Concord attracts younger families and first-time buyers, driving population growth that generates downstream commercial need.

For sellers, Kannapolis presents a timing opportunity: the Research Campus has generated enough momentum to validate the growth story, but property values haven't yet fully caught up to the infrastructure investment. Investors who understand transformation economics — buying into improving markets before cap rates fully compress — are actively seeking Kannapolis exposure. Properties near the Research Campus, the ballpark district, and along the I-85 corridor attract the most sophisticated buyer interest.

53,000+
Population
1.5% annually
Annual Growth
45000
Median Income
0.035
Unemployment
Major Employers: NC Research Campus, Atrium Health, Dole Foods, Corning, Cabarrus County Schools
Economic Drivers: Research & Biotech, Healthcare, Sports & Entertainment, Manufacturing, Retail
What's Selling

Top Property Types in Kannapolis

01

Retail & Restaurant

Kannapolis's NC Research Campus has created specialized demand for laboratory, research, and flex-office properties that is unique among Charlotte suburbs. Biotech firms, university research programs, and nutrition science companies need properties with appropriate power, HVAC, ventilation, and laboratory infrastructure. The Research Campus area also generates secondary demand for housing, retail, and services supporting researchers and staff — creating opportunities across multiple property types in the immediate campus vicinity.

02

Industrial & Warehouse

The I-85 corridor through Kannapolis offers industrial tenants Charlotte metro logistics connectivity at rents 20-35% below Charlotte proper. Legacy manufacturing buildings are being repurposed for modern distribution, e-commerce, and light manufacturing operations. New speculative construction along the corridor targets regional distribution tenants. Properties with modern clear heights, dock-high loading, and direct I-85 access trade most competitively, attracting both owner-occupants and institutional investors seeking yield in the Charlotte metro's northern industrial tier.

03

Office & Research

The Atrium Health Ballpark and NC Research Campus are catalyzing downtown Kannapolis restaurant, retail, and entertainment demand that didn't exist five years ago. Game day traffic, research campus employees, and new downtown residents create a customer base for restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and specialty retail. Properties in the ballpark district and along West Avenue are seeing the most dramatic value increases as the downtown transformation accelerates. Early investors in this area are capturing significant appreciation.

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Market Data

Kannapolis Cap Rate Ranges

Property TypeTypical Cap Rate
Industrial7.0% - 9.0%
Retail7.0% - 9.5%
Office7.5% - 10.0%
Mixed-Use6.5% - 9.0%
NNN Lease5.5% - 7.0%

Cap rates in Kannapolis are trending downward as redevelopment improves fundamentals.

Your Advisor

Why Kannapolis Property Owners Work With John Salony

Dual Expertise

Most CRE agents don't understand business valuations. Most business brokers don't do real estate. John does both, giving you a complete picture of your property's value.

No Wasted Time

Pre-qualified buyers. Realistic pricing from day one. Clean financials and marketing materials that attract serious offers, not tire-kickers.

Confidential Process

Your tenants, employees, and competitors won't know you're selling until you're ready. Every step is managed with discretion.

Success-Based Fee

You pay nothing upfront. John's fee is earned only when your property sells. Your interests are fully aligned.

Common Questions

Selling Commercial Property in Kannapolis

Downtown retail near the stadium and industrial on I-85 are the emerging performers.
Most sales take 4 to 10 months. Downtown properties benefit from redevelopment momentum.
Kannapolis cap rates are in transition — compressing as the Research Campus and ballpark investment mature but still offering 100 to 200 basis points above comparable Concord properties. Industrial along I-85 trades at 6.5% to 8.5%. Downtown retail near the ballpark trades at 6.0% to 8.0%, with newer properties at the lower end. Medical office ranges from 6.5% to 8.5%. Research-adjacent flex and lab space trades at 6.0% to 8.0% depending on buildout quality. Values are moving as the transformation accelerates.
Yes — and Kannapolis's transformation creates unique combined transaction dynamics. Businesses that have operated through the city's transition period may hold both operational value and real estate that has appreciated due to Research Campus and ballpark proximity. John Salony structures combined deals that capture the transformation premium — the gap between legacy valuations and the market's improving trajectory — through sale-leaseback and bundle transaction structures.
The NC Research Campus continues attracting new tenants and research programs, the Cannon Ballers ballpark has activated downtown, and new residential construction is filling in around both anchors. Kannapolis is mid-transformation — property values are adjusting upward but haven't yet fully priced in the institutional investment already in the ground. For sellers, this creates a window to capture appreciation that more mature markets can't offer. A confidential consultation can help you understand your property's position in Kannapolis's evolving valuation landscape.
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