Morrisville attracts business
Staff Photo by Gary Allen
Commuters travel N.C. 54 in Morrisville in western Wake County.

By KYLE YORK SPENCER, Staff Writer for the Raleigh News & Observer


     MORRISVILLE -- About a year and a half ago, a multiscreen movie theater turned Morrisville from a strictly daytime town into a little pocket of country night life.
     Morrisville has a reputation as a place to work but not to live. While homes were being built in Cary, Morrisville officials were busy attracting thriving businesses such as USA Today, Kaiser Permanente, AT&T, Radian and MCI.
     But the 16-screen Carmike Cinema draws folks to Morrisville from across the Triangle, especially on nights and weekends. And new homes, apartments, and hotels are going up all over town.
     Just off Interstate 40, Morrisville's commercial growth includes Triangle Factory Shops, a mall with more than 50 manufacturer-owned outlet stores. The Northern Wake Expressway, a new highway that will move traffic from Raleigh-Durham International Airport around the capital faster, also promises to add further polish to Morrisville's image as a hub of business.
     But Morrisville is not all business.
     With Raleigh-Durham International Airport for a neighbor, Morrisville is about 13.2 square miles in area, has five parks on 51 acres providing the town's 2,123 residents with the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities.
     And for those who like flowers, there is a greenhouse close to downtown where orchards bloom year-round.
     Civil War buffs can gaze at two shells displayed in the town's newly renovated town hall.
     And in the Shiloh area, visitors will find a spirited community founded by freed men and women after the abolition of slavery.