[Charlotte area population statistics]

Charlotte listed as #9 on this list of "10 Homebuilding Boomtowns" (https://www.constructiondive.com/news/10-homebuilding-boomtowns/597466/). 

Rank	City	Median list price	Number of permits	One-year change in permits
1	Dallas	$373,267	11,636	23%
2	New York	$629,500	9,097	2%
3	Phoenix	$469,500	8,614	9%
4	Washington, D.C.	$499,900	5,795	30%
5	Atlanta	$377,500	5,721	1%
6	Los Angeles	$1,184,500	5,306	7%
7	Seattle	$672,386	5,169	38%
8	Philadelphia	$329,900	4,653	52%
9	Charlotte, North Carolina	$386,450	4,359	11%
10	Tampa, Florida	$305,000	4,251	24%

[Misc. Uptown Projects/News]

How would you all feel if Charlotte did something like this?

"Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds:  A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1"

Full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/philadelphia-skyscrapers-turn-lights-save-migrating-birds-180977246/

[The State of Higher Education in Charlotte]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

Interesting now UNC Chapel Hill wants to explore a branch of their MBA program here in Charlotte.  That would join Wake Forest, UNC Charlotte, Wingate, USC, etc

Kenan-Flagler Business School hopes to enroll first Charlotte MBA class in October - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

KJ, UNC Charlotte MBA '96

This is surprisingly huge news. Thank you for sharing. 

UNC's Kenan-Flagler is a perennial top 25 MBA program on a national scale. USNews ranks it as #20 (tied) and the Economist ranks it as #22. This is more than just a satellite program from a state school; this is one of the top business schools in the Southeast (along with Duke Fuqua,  UVA Darden, and Emory Goizueta) coming to Charlotte to plant its flag.  This is a clear indication of what some of the brightest minds in business/management academia think about this city and its potential for offering students gainful, six-figure employment and high-level connections. It seems that there is an insatiable need for business talent in Charlotte and UNC Kenan-Flagler recognizes that it wants to grow its footprint in this city sooner rather than later. Importantly, this will make the on-campus recruiting process more streamlined, as employers won't have to make the two-hour drive out to Chapel Hill just to sit through some interviews. 

The article notes that the MBA program could have as many as 75 students here in Charlotte. That's no small number—around 1/4 to 1/5 of the first-year MBA class. When grad students realize they can spend their semesters in Charlotte (rather than the undergrad paradise that is Chapel Hill), I expect that number to grow. 

[Unified Development Ordinance]

21 minutes ago, RANYC said:

Did the author refer to "residential zoning laws," and not just zoning laws, in general?

The author also goes into detail about how industrial zoning laws apply to current residential patterns. Sewage treatment facilities and landfill centers, for instance, are disproportionately found in black communities. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that "more than half of all people in the United States who live within 3.0 kilometers (1.86 miles) of a hazardous waste facility are people of color" (https://news.umich.edu/targeting-minority-low-income-neighborhoods-for-hazardous-waste-sites/). 

As a side note, I'd recommend the book. It sounds like you'd enjoy it. It's a quick read and well-written. You can get the paperback for like $12 on Amazon.

[Unified Development Ordinance]

6 hours ago, RANYC said:

skeptical of defining this issue on racial lines.  Charlotte is incredibly diverse, and relative to other sunbelt cities, we have a large black professional and black ownership class.  There's a substantial number of them in all types of neighborhoods in both South Charlotte and North Charlotte, and I'd venture that many of them don't want Car-Centric Density over-running their subdivisions either.  They've got the same property value integrity concerns as white owners.  By the way, I'm not here to audit people's life choices or the trail of their choices leading to their current situations, but the suggestion that owning a SFH is all privilege, without regard for the huge long-term commitment and sacrifice that comes with such ownership, is a bit glib.   Not everyone owning a SFH in Charlotte has inherited it and I reject the presumption that my ownership is thievery to someone else.

I would disagree here. Zoning laws are, almost by definition, an act of racial inclusion/exclusion. For a comprehensive understanding of this thesis, I highly recommend the book The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, which was a 2017 New York Times Bestseller. 

To summarize the key points of the book (and the relevant US history it details), zoning laws were adopted aggressively across the United States during the post-war period in the mid-1940s. In 1948, SCOTUS prohibited the enforcement of racially-restrictive covenants (i.e., provisions in property deeds that stated "this property shall not be transferred to any persons of the non-white race"). So, as a result, homeowners had to find new, more innocuous ways to keep non-white (well, specifically black) families out of their neighborhoods. For many homeowners, it wasn't that they explicitly endorsed segregation; it was that they wanted to "preserve property values." The thinking was (and probably still is) that the introduction of black families into white neighborhoods will inevitably cause housing prices to fall. So, rather than relying on racially-motivated housing policies, suburban white communities had to rely policies that, on their face, were race-neutral:

• Single-family zoning laws: artificially limit the stock of housing supply so that there are fewer opportunities for non-white families to enter. 
• Homeowners associations: these popped up almost exclusively for purposes of creating racially-homogenous communities for white families. Rather than explicitly stating "no black families allowed" via racially restrictive covenants, homeowners' associations could accomplish similar goals with race-neutral language. HOA policies were often designed to regulate a neighborhood's aesthetic feel, which often came to detriment of black homeowners who didn't fit the part. Restrictions against renting, or having too many family members living a single residence, or even the type or number of vehicles parked in your driveway proved great methods of keeping undesirables out. 
• Federal housing policy: in the early to mid-20th century, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) drew highly detailed maps of just about every municipality in the country. It marked specific neighborhoods in different colors, classifying them based on their perceived level of credit risk (though, to my understanding, the FHA lacked any concrete metrics to support these credit classifications). Invariably, white suburban neighborhoods were classified by the FHA as "low-risk", while black neighborhoods were classified as "high-risk." These classifications were used by banks and originators in underwriting mortgage loans, which meant that homeowners in white neighborhoods received lower interest rates than homeowners in black neighborhoods, even if separated only by a few blocks and even if the borrowers had the same level of income. 
•  Blockbusting: selling and renting to black homeowners proved highly lucrative. Investors could extract significantly higher interest rates from black homeowners than white homeowners, so real estate firms would engage in the practice of "blockbusting." In the borderline communities between white and black neighborhoods, real estate firms would post notices to white families that "African-Americans are moving in, so you better sell now before it's too late." These firms would even pay black people to engage in "intimidation tactics," like having black mothers push strollers through white neighborhoods. Once enough white homeowners moved out, real estate investors could swoop in, buy the properties at depressed prices, and then lease/sell the properties to black homeowners at higher prices. Rinse, wash, repeat.

I could go on. The point is that this stuff didn't happen that long ago. Blockbusting wasn't officially outlawed until the 1980s. That's when my parents first bought a home—only one or two generations ago. The effect of these policies is felt all around us today. When you drive through Charlotte, it's easy to notice that something like 80% of the city is zoned for single-family residential. There's a reason for that, and there's a reason that black families live "over there." It's not just mysterious market forces of a capitalism that made that happen. It was a long, careful process with thousands of people, from individual HOA communities all the way up to the federal government, pulling strings to make sure that we "preserve property values." 

Charlotte is among the worst cities in the country for economic mobility. "Mecklenburg County ranks 96th overall among the nation's 100 largest counties for upward mobility," according to a study summarized by WFAE (https://www.wfae.org/local-news/2020-11-20/report-confirms-charlottes-lack-of-upward-mobility-offers-priorities). So, no, I do not agree that this city bolsters a strong community of minority business owners or minority voices. Zoning laws play no small part in that. It's the reason why poor kids go to "that" school. It's the reason why you don't shop at "that" Wal-Mart. And it's the reason why this city will struggle to integrate between socio-economic boundaries. 

Here, concerning the UDO, I do not suspect the entire plan will be scrapped. However, any changes to single-family zoning will be extremely watered down by the time this comes to fruition. Why? Because money wins. The communities with money, I guarantee, will win this fight—just as they did last century and they will this century. 

(Btw, sorry for the essay). 

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

Great pics from both of the above posters. 

My tally shows 16 completed floors (16/40 floors = 40% of proposed height). This building should end up at least 2.5 times taller than it is right now. How exciting.

This building is rising so quickly. In a matter of weeks it will be taller than Ally. 

[The Good News Report]

2 hours ago, davidclt said:

I think this belongs here Hamburg, Glasgow, Charlotte - I'm guessing it bodes well for the long-term: The future of work after COVID-19 | McKinsey

 

This is great. And it also feels right. I'm dubious of the recent report by the Milken Institute that dropped Charlotte 10 spots year-over-year for economic performance. There is too much economic development happening on the ground for me to suspect that this city is somehow losing clout on a national scale. Per the Milken Institute, I refuse to accept the contention that Kennewick, WA (for example) jumped 50 spots from 2020 to 2021, surpassing Charlotte and Atlanta in economic performance. The Milken report also ranks Atlanta as the #21 city in economic performance, despite the fact that Atlanta recently announced expansions by Microsoft, Airbnb and Google.  Any metrics that Milken is using clearly paint an incomplete picture. 

Full Milken Institute report available here: https://milkeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/reports-pdf/Best-Performing-Cities-2021.pdf

I think the post above is correct. Over the next 12-18 months, I imagine we will see a number of F500 companies (especially those in banking, financial services, and fintech) opening secondary/tertiary offices in Charlotte. 

[Charlotte Gateway Station and Railroad Improvements]

Some news this morning on CBJ: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/02/19/gateway-station-update-master-design-plan.html

"Infrastructure phase of Gateway Station is 60% complete; master design plan to be presented this summer"

Very excited to see the master plan this summer.

As a reminder, SOM is involved in some of the design for this project (see this post from SOM from July 2020: https://www.facebook.com/296994582730/posts/hello-charlotte-were-excited-to-share-that-well-be-providing-design-leadership-f/10158420161697731/). This project is going to be a game-changer. My expectations are set high for SOM and Spectrum.

[SouthEnd Midrise Projects]

17 hours ago, Phillydog said:

Absolutely.  Even Georgians will admit this.  Charlotte is setting an example for the US -- it hardly get any props though, which is partly a failing of North Carolina in general.  Unlike our neighbors we aren't bloviators.  A valley of humility between two mountains of conceit...  Charlotte rocks. 

Former ATLien here. (Also, this is my first post on UP after lurking for more than a year). 

I lived in Atlanta my entire life. I spent the past 3 years living in both Midtown and along the Beltline in Inman Park—two of the most walkable areas in Atlanta. In November 2020, I moved to Charlotte for work. I can confidently say that Charlotte's urban footprint outpaces that of Atlanta. I currently live in South End, and this is the first time in my life that I can walk to the grocery store. Now that I'm working from home, I don't even touch my car from Monday through Friday. Everything can be done on foot. 

The entire pedestrian pedestrian experience along Camden, the CLT Rail Trail, and the entire Tryon corridor is one of the coolest cityscapes in the Southeast. There is already so much density/walkability, and the best part is that this existing infrastructure will only lead to increased density and pedestrian activity.

Atlanta, on the other hand, is so geographically enormous that it hinders the pedestrian experience. Atlanta effectively has three different skylines that are disconnected from one another: Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown. Of those three areas of town, Midtown is the only one that is truly invested in creating a sense of place for pedestrians. Still, skyscrapers/developments in Midtown often feel geographically isolated from other buildings. Take for instance BofA Plaza, the tallest building in Atlanta; it basically stands on a little island by itself. In a picture of the ATL skyline, BofA Plaza looks so lonely and out of place. My understanding is that this development is actually used as a case study in poor urban design. It has a HUGE underground parking garage and was designed specifically with the idea that suburban office workers would show up to work, put in their hours, and then drive back home—all without interacting the area outside of the tower. 

Charlotte, on the other hand, is creating something special. The Uptown skyline looks so much more imposing and dense than Atlanta's, mostly because its developments are built right on top of one another to create that cool "concrete jungle" vibe. The fact that the CLT Light Rail runs through the middle of the city is the single largest factor for promoting growth and urbanism into the future. Compared to MARTA, which was built in the 1970s and 1980s with a suburban commuter mindset, the CLT Light Rail is leaps and bounds more accessible. 

I am so excited to call this city my new home. So much urban potential.