Myers Park Country Club imposes don’t-sue-us policy (free version)
Myers Park Country Club imposes don’t-sue-us policy (free version)
Plus: Myers Park neighbors scratch heads on home purchase; Real estate expert on Charlotte's housing market; Lines for coffee and lunch are back in uptown; June's hot rezonings
Good morning! Today is Wednesday, July 20, 2022. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
Editor’s note: This is a shorter, free version of The Charlotte Ledger sent to people on our free sign-up list. The complete version for paying members went out 15 minutes ago. It included:
The scoop on why Myers Park Country Club changed its bylaws to suspend members who sue the club, following a hotly contested lawsuit with a former U.S. ambassador — one that cost the club $166,000 in legal fees. The conflict stemmed from a disputed plan to renovate the clubhouse, and it sounds like bad vibes are lingering.
In a related article, neighbors in Myers Park are puzzled by Myers Park Country Club’s purchase of a “cottage style home” that is not on the golf course. It appears to be part of a plan to strategically buy properties surrounding the club for future expansions.
Analysis from a UNC Charlotte business professor and real estate expert on Charlotte’s housing market — and where it’s going. He answers a question from a Ledger reader about housing prices and rents.
Our popular monthly feature on rezoning filings in Charlotte — with all the details of townhouses, condos, apartments, industrial space and senior living centers that you can handle.
Ledger members also received Tuesday’s “Ways of Life” obituaries feature. This week’s highlighted the life of Mary Russell, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s at age 85. Her final weeks were made better by Olympia Massey, a 40-year-old caregiver. They prayed together, listened to gospel music and had “dessert night.”
We think local journalism is broken. We’re working to fix it. But we need your help.
We think that readers crave independent, thoughtful, relevant and interesting information about their community — so that’s the kind of news we aim to deliver. And we do it without clickbait headlines, annoying pop-up ads, auto-play videos and other stuff that drives us crazy.
If you like our approach, join us. We’re a growing, locally owned business that’s building for the future — with reliable technology and forward-thinking ideas. You will help us in our mission of delivering smart news and information to Charlotte.
After spending $166,000 trying to block release of records, prestigious club changes bylaws to suspend members who file lawsuits; neighbors puzzled by $1.4M house purchase
A controversial renovation is underway at Myers Park Country Club, which spurred a lawsuit from a member seeking club records. With the case now resolved, the club has changed its bylaws to discourage members from suing it in the future.
by Tony Mecia
A judge has ordered Myers Park Country Club to pay attorneys’ fees to a member who sued it, after finding that the club had no “good faith basis” for blocking the release of club records that it was legally required to produce.
And after being forced to hand over 20,000 pages of club financial documents and communications, the club’s board sent an email to members last week attempting to justify why it spent $166,000 defending the case — and added that going forward, “any member who chooses to file a lawsuit against the Club will be suspended immediately.”
—
Country club’s $1.4M purchase of ‘cottage-style home’ raises eyebrows in Myers Park
Separately, some of Myers Park Country Club’s neighbors say they’re puzzled why the club bought a Myers Park house last week for about $1.43M.
“It’s a head-scratcher,” one neighbor told us. “Makes no sense,” another said.
Related Ledger articles:
“Teed off: a lawsuit at the country club” (🔒, April 14, 2021)
“Myers Park Country Club prez: We are listening to our females” (🔒, April 30, 2021)
“Myers Park Country Club seeks identity of who is behind ‘women of Myers Park’ email account” (June 23, 2021)
“Myers Park Country Club suspended former county commissioners chairman for emailing objections to renovation plan” (🔒, July 21, 2021)
“Judge tells Myers Park Country Club to fork over board records” (🔒, July 28, 2021)
“Myers Park Country Club says it has complied with judge’s order on renovation records” (🔒, Sept. 17, 2021)
You Ask, We Answer: What’s the deal with Charlotte’s housing market?
Usually, our installments of “You Ask, We Answer” get to the bottom of your burning development questions. But today, we’re mixing it up, answering a reader question about the economy. (We’re stepping up our coverage of Charlotte’s economy as we seem to be entering uncertain times.)
Today’s question comes from a Ledger reader named Heather.
She asks: “Will the housing market go down and take rent with it?”
Tough one to answer, and opinions will vary. But we reached out to Yongqiang Chu, a professor at the UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business and the director of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, to get his take on Charlotte’s housing market.
Here’s what Chu said, via email:
➡️ Have a question on Charlotte’s economy? Or development? Send us an email, and we will do our best to get it answered.
Related Ledger article:
Special report on Charlotte’s economy (🔒, July 13)
The uptown coffee rush is back…
A Ledger reader who works uptown reports that lines at the Starbucks by the Charlotte Athletic Club were longer than they have been since the start of the pandemic. “Time for that relief SBUX uptown,” he wrote. “Line is 10 deep and probably 20 more waiting for their fancy drinks. That’s more people than I’ve seen in that space for several years. Also a lot of newbie baristas, I’m guessing.”
… and the lunch rush is back:
Related Ledger article:
“The uptown lunch crunch returns” (March 7)
June hot rezonings 🔥: Condos, townhouses, apartments … all over the place
Mid-July in Charlotte is pretty warm — but nothing’s hotter than the batch of city rezoning requests that we share with our members each month.
You into condos? Apartments? Townhouses? ✅ ✅ and ✅.
New westside Piedmont Natural Gas industrial facility? ✅
Huge Ballantyne senior community with 1,100 housing units? ✅
8-story condo/office tower in Eastover? ✅
Atrium doing something over by the Midtown/Dilworth “Pearl”/med school area? We can’t quite tell what, but ✅
Northern Charlotte motel conversion? ✅ A rare Palisades-area rezoning? ✅ Smaller infill projects? ✅
We joke — we actually consider this stuff kinda nerdy. But it really is a window into development plans in Charlotte, which residents and those in the real estate industry often pay attention to. It truly is a popular feature.
It’s not the full picture, because developers can build on land that’s already appropriate for what they’re planning, but it’s helpful to know what’s going on nearby. Here’s the map of the properties where the rezoning filings were for June:
Our monthly rezoning summaries are available only to paying Ledger members. (Or if you wait a few months, the same information will eventually appear on the city’s main rezoning website.)
Enjoy!
In brief
Cha-ching: A Mooresville mansion with horse stables and an equestrian arena owned by NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is listed for sale at $16M. The 9,986 s.f. home with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms would be the most expensive home sale on record in the Charlotte area if it fetches close to the asking price. It features “a grand imperial staircase that overlooks the first floor, large columns, vaulted ceilings, multiple fireplaces and a glass wine display add a striking look,” as well as game and movie rooms and a home gym. (Axios Charlotte)
Committee recommends UDO: The Planning Committee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the draft Unified Development Ordinance on Tuesday. The recommendation goes to the City Council, which is expected to vote on the comprehensive new ordinance on Aug. 22.
Quiet on the set: A small independent romantic comedy expected to premiere around Valentine’s Day is being shot this week at locations around Charlotte, including Moxie Mercantile on Commonwealth Avenue in Plaza-Midwood. No name has been released for the movie, which will include writer and lead actress Karen Abecrombie and leading man Leon Pridgeon. (Observer)
N.C. officials ready for new suicide prevention phone number: North Carolina officials say the state is ready for the new 988 universal mental health crisis hotline. The state has the second-best answering rate among the 50 states. It used to be a 10-digit number, so the shift will make the hotline easier to remember and dial. Calling or texting 988 connects those in crisis to a trained crisis counselor. (NC Health News)
Toys R Us is back: Toys R Us will be opening at 400 Macy’s stores nationwide, including two Charlotte locations at SouthPark mall and Northlake Mall. All stores will be open by Oct. 15, according to a Macy’s news release. (Observer)
Emergency sod installation: Crews have been working non-stop at Bank of America Stadium since the Garth Brooks concert on Saturday night, installing a real grass field ahead of tonight’s Charlotte FC match against Chelsea FC. Because Chelsea has a stipulation that it plays only on natural grass, crews began harvesting sod Sunday from a farm about 30 minutes away from the stadium and rolled in 30 trucks to deliver the grass. (Fox 46)
Alma Adams arrested: U.S. Rep. Alma Adams was arrested Tuesday outside the U.S. Capitol after sitting down and blocking a road in a protest to support abortion rights. Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, was among the first to be removed by officers, who had given three warnings to demonstrators before beginning arrests. (Observer)
Another Tepper shake-up: Another top Tepper Sports & Entertainment executive is leaving: chief operating officer Mark Hart. His resignation was effective Monday. It is unclear why he left. In a bankruptcy hearing of the Tepper real estate arm last month, testimony emerged that Hart was involved in the failed Rock Hill headquarters project. (Observer)
Veep to visit Charlotte on Thursday: Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to come to Charlotte on Thursday to discuss abortion rights and internet access. No details of the times and locations were released. (WBTV)
HBCU endorsement deals: Athletes from historically black colleges and universities, including Johnson C. Smith University sophomore Ky’Wuan Dukes, are starting to see lucrative endorsement deals now that the NCAA allows college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. HBCU athletic programs have long been underfunded compared to predominantly white universities, and only five students from HBCUs have been drafted into the NFL since 2020. (Men’s Health)
Programming note: Ledger editor Tony Mecia appears as a guest on 90.7 WFAE at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on Thursdays for a discussion of the week’s local business news in the station’s “BizWorthy” segment. Audio and transcripts are also available online.
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Sponsorship information: email brie@cltledger.com.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project