When you think about Charlotte’s suburban towns, it’s easy to forget about Stallings.

The small town of about 15,000 straddles the Union and Mecklenburg county line, not far from its better-known brethren of Matthews and Indian Trail.

Stallings is not the easiest place to get to: The dreaded Independence Boulevard is usually the most direct way. And honestly, unless you live there, you wouldn’t have much reason to go.

[Agenda story: The Charlotte suburb power rankings]

The town of Stallings is now trying to change all that.

City leaders have put together 50-year buildout plans that would create an urban center, a greenway system, a transportation network and civic centers without disrupting the residential neighborhoods that are the heart of the area today.

They have their eye on three distinct areas of Stallings.

The biggest changes will center on the intersection of U.S. 74 and Stallings Road.

This is also known as the Monroe Bypass corridor after the soon-to-open expressway in the area. Today, this is mostly an ugly, congested place best known for a few hotels and industrial businesses.

But the idea is to turn it into a thriving, walkable area with homes, businesses and green space. Quite the radical transformation.

A big goal is to create a “downtown” area that will be a destination to live, work, shop and eat. This area would have a sit-down restaurant or two, professional office space, townhomes and apartments.

Similar plans are being laid for the areas around Stallings Elementary and Idlewild Road as secondary town centers.

The idea is to be ready for future growth.

Charlotte has long planned for a “Silver Line” mass transit option down the Independence Boulevard corridor that will make commuting easier and drive development that way.

At the same time, nearby towns of Mint Hill, Matthews and Weddington are booming.

Stallings leaders admit that today, the town is better known as a place to drive through rather than stay. A few decades from now, expect that to have changed.

Cover photo via the Town of Stallings via Facebook.