Historic buildings near airport face demolition by city (free version)
Plus: Charlotte City Club revamps its business model; Queens students explore Paris Olympics; New podcast delves into challenges facing nonprofits; MLB headed to Raleigh?
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The airport has been buying land south of its runways, with big development plans — but has bypassed the standard protections for historic buildings and is quietly seeking to knock one down as soon as this month
The Steele Creek Presbyterian Church Manse (left), built in 1914 to house church pastors, and the William Grier House (right), built around 1828 as a plantation house, are owned by the city. Airport officials are planning to demolish them, over the objections of members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. (Ledger photo, left; Landmarks Commission documents, right)
by Tony Mecia
Charlotte is often known as a city that knocks down its history, with the blame landing at the feet of private developers.
But what happens when the developer who wants to demolish a historic building is the city itself?
That scenario seems to be playing out just south of Charlotte’s airport, where preservationists say that two historic structures, each more than a century old, could soon be torn down … by the city of Charlotte.
With one of the city-owned buildings — a Colonial Revival-style house built in 1914 for the pastor of one of Charlotte’s first churches — the city appears to have given itself special treatment by bypassing the typical procedures designed to help preserve historic landmarks.
“It seems like a double standard,” said Brian Clarke, chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, a city-county panel that works to preserve historic properties. He said the airport seems to have an “active disdain” for historic buildings it owns and appears to be “actively seeking out ways to destroy them.”
In a letter to City Council members on Thursday, Clarke said he and the landmarks commission’s staff were ordered by county officials to “cease preservation efforts related to Airport-adjacent, City-owned historic properties.” The commission, which has some powers under N.C. law, is an independent panel composed of volunteers appointed by the city and county governments. Its professional staff are county employees. It would be unusual for high-level county staff to try to exert pressure on an independent commission, or to order its historic preservation office to drop historic preservation efforts.
At issue is the future of an area south of Charlotte’s airport that contains several historically significant properties.
Airport planners for years have envisioned the area south of runways as a center for logistics, manufacturing and office space. The red circle on this 2017 airport planning document (available online) contains many old structures that date from the 1800s and early 1900s that were connected to early settlers from the mid-1700s.
Related Ledger article:
“Deal near airport would allow nearly 1 million s.f. of warehousing and preserve historic structures” (🔒, Ledger Real Estate Whispers, June 17)
A fresh look and revamped business model — including the doubling of monthly dues and a focus on events — at 77-year-old City Club
The Charlotte City Club, which for decades had the reputation of being a wood-paneled, dark-carpeted place where Charlotte power players would rub elbows and make deals over lunchtime steaks, is making moves to grow a more engaged membership.
Not only did the uptown club undergo a $7M renovation during Covid that added dining room space and created a more open and bright atmosphere, but it revamped its financial structure in 2023, doubling its monthly dues and lowering its food and beverage prices to entice members to come on a regular basis, said general manager and chief operating officer Brett Curley.
Queens University students are in Paris for an Olympic experience; croissants involved
(L-R) Queens students Simone Feast, Eleanor Williamson and Nicole Casarrubias visited with event planner Erika Breton of Besançon, France (speaking with Angie Edwards of Queens international education) at La Halte Brasserie in Paris. (Photo by Bob Page)
A group of 29 student journalists and analysts from Queens University of Charlotte are at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this week, investigating the event’s economic and cultural impact while taking in Olympic athletic events, visiting art museums and sampling croissants.
Their stories and analysis will be distributed by the Queens University News Service, a student-driven service that supports Charlotte media organizations.
In the spring semester, the Queens students collaborated in online study of the Olympic movement with students from France’s ESSCA School of Management. They’re now together in small teams in Paris, researching issues that include the social media strategy of athletes, marketing, impact on small business and place branding.
“The Paris project gives students a chance to see what excellence looks like, not just among athletes, but among the journalists, operations experts, planners, and marketers who make the event happen,” said Bob Page, director of student media at Queens. Page is leading the program along with Joe Cornelius, a professor of multimedia storytelling; Beth Schneider, a professor of business; and Angie Edwards, executive director of international education.
Queens students also traveled to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. —CB
🎧 New podcast: The many challenges of starting and operating a nonprofit, with Raj Merchant
Early-stage for-profit startups and early-stage nonprofits have many common threads: the need for consistent revenue streams, struggles to scale and hire, and the importance of keeping stakeholders engaged and involved.
Raj Merchant said he realized the parallels between the two types of organizations as he was going through an executive MBA program, and it inspired him to delve deeper into the world of charities.
Merchant is a data and analytics consultant by trade, and now he’s also active in Charlotte’s philanthropic community, including serving as board chair of Feeding Charlotte, a nonprofit that provides nutritious food to people in need. He’s also a winner of the Charlotte Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Award.
In this episode of the Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Merchant spoke with podcast host Steve Dunn about what he’s learned about the challenges and issues facing nonprofits today. It’s well worth a listen!
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
AUGUST 9: Homegrown Melodies Charlotte Tour, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at David B. Waymer Recreation Center, 14008 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville. Join us for an evening of six reed quintets commissioned and performed by Burnt Reeds featuring local Carolinian composers and Hip Hop Beats artist. We will perform works by Amber Ferenz, Dr. Zach Zabow, Madison Bush, Dr. Jessica Lindsey, Dr. Dylan Lloyd, and Teil Taliesin with beats from Royal City Lif. Free.
SEPT. 18: Unveiling Mental Resilience with Alexi Pappas, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Central Piedmont Community College Parr Center New Theater. Join us as we delve into the depths of mental resilience with acclaimed Olympic athlete, bestselling author, and award-winning filmmaker, Alexi Pappas. She will share her personal journey, weaving tales of triumph, resilience, and self-discovery. $35.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief
Report on deadly law enforcement shooting: New details have emerged about the Charlotte shooting that killed four officers and injured four others in April. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather concluded his review of the shooting, finding that the officer’s use of force was justified. The review disclosed new details about the incident, including a key communication breakdown in officers surrounding the home and noting that four U.S. Marshals and one ATF officer declined to grant interviews for the investigation. (WBTV)
Outer vests OK’d for patrol officers: In a reversal, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police patrol officers will be allowed to wear outer bulletproof vests, following a public push by City Council member Tariq Bokhari and the Fraternal Order of Police. Chief Johnny Jennings had previously opposed outer vests, saying they raised safety concerns and appeared militaristic. (WSOC)
Plant closing: Industrial manufacturer Columbus McKinnon Corp. will close its Duff-Norton manufacturing facility in southwest Charlotte this fall, laying off more than 70 workers. (Biz Journal via WSOC)
HBCUs hire student ‘success coaches’: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are hiring student success coaches to increase retention, in collaboration with the United Negro College Fund and a coaching organization called InsideTrack. Johnson C. Smith University was the first university to participate in the training program in North Carolina last fall. The initiative has already improved student outcomes, with high GPA rates and increased persistence levels. (WUNC)
New MLB team in NC?: Brian Fork, the new CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes, said he wants to bring a Major League Baseball team to Raleigh. The Hurricanes' owner, Tom Dundon, has also expressed interest in helping bring a baseball team to Raleigh. (Axios)
Parents rally for private school scholarships: A group of North Carolina parents held a rally in Raleigh to urge Republican legislators to fully fund Opportunity Scholarships for children to attend private and religious schools after lawmakers failed to meet the program’s soaring demand. (Associated Press)
Fewer daycares: Since February 2020, the number of licensed child care programs in North Carolina has decreased by 5.3%, with 40% of the net loss occurring in the past year. (EdNC)
Feds sue Norfolk Southern: The federal government has sued Norfolk Southern, accusing it of violating federal law by delaying Amtrak's Crescent trains that operate between New York and New Orleans. (The Center Square)
Novant’s S.C. expansion: Novant Health paid $17M to buy an 11.5-acre site in Greenville, S.C., signaling a possible expansion into that city. Novant, North Carolina’s second-largest healthcare system, bought three coastal S.C. hospitals this year and has a 30% stake in one in the Myrtle Beach area. (Business North Carolina)
Veto overrides: The N.C. House voted to override three of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes: a bill that allows the DMV to issue title certificates for all-terrain and utility vehicles, a bill that prohibits local governments from requiring landlords to accept federal housing assistance from tenants and a bill that blocks state agencies from taking payments in central bank digital currency. The Senate must also agree to override votes for the bills to become law. (Associated Press)
What’s the rub: Locally owned massage studio Mood House opened its second location, on Monroe Road in Charlotte’s Oakhurst neighborhood. (Axios Charlotte)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative