Posted on April 12, 2019

The Charlotte City Council will vote next Monday night on the new Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance, following a unanimous recommendation of approval today by the Council’s Transportation & Planning Committee.

REBIC and our members have been closely engaged in the process of drafting the new TOD ordinance over the past 18 months, and the City planning staff, have incorporated many of our suggestions into the ordinance — from changes in maximum parking ratios to reduced open space requirements. And while we are pleased with many aspects of the TOD, we remain concerned that its limitations on building height could negatively impact economic development in Charlotte’s transit corridors.

The ordinance currently caps base height at a maximum of 130’ in the TOD-UC district, its most dense, and offers developers additional height in exchange for bonus points that advance other City objectives, like affordable housing, transportation improvements or energy efficiency. While we support each of these policy goals, we believe City Council should do everything possible to encourage density in our transit corridors, and not restrict itself from considering economic development opportunities that would otherwise be limited by the building height caps in each TOD district.

Click here to read more.

Posted on April 11, 2019

Join UNC Charlotte Childress Klein Center for Real Estate for the Charlotte Housing Policy Summit on Wednesday, April 24 at UNC Charlotte’s Center City Campus. This event will address Charlotte's housing policy implications based on the analysis discussed in the “State of Housing in Charlotte” report and summit.

Posted on April 8, 2019

Mecklenburg County LUESA is proposing dramatic increases to its Land Development, Zoning and Floodplain Permitting Fees for FY 2020, as it seeks to end a longstanding practice of supporting Land Development Services with excess stormwater fee revenue.

The proposed increases, combined with the elimination of two vacant stormwater positions, will allow Land Development Services to cover 100% of its operating costs, says Land Development Director Dave Canaan. With the Town of Huntersville starting its own land development permitting operation this summer, the County's Land Development Services division will handle projects in the five remaining towns and the ETJ. The City of Charlotte charges separate fees for land development permitting within its boundaries.

Both REBIC and the Greater Charlotte HBA have voiced our strong opposition to the proposed fees (listed below), which represent year-to-year increases of nearly 200% in some cases. Fees for multi-year projects will be phased in over two years, and new fees will be implemented for re-inspections and re-reviews of development plans.

Click here to read more.

Posted on April 8, 2019

This year, the Charlotte Business Journal added a new awards program to recognize established local leaders who have a strong vision for their companies, have shown commitment to culture in the workplace and made significant contributions to the community. 

The Most Admired CEO Awards was held on March 29 at The Westin Charlotte hotel uptown. Thirty-nine leaders were recognized across more than a dozen industry categories.

Nominations for this program were open to the public and came from members of the business community, within the honorees' organizations and externally. The CBJ editorial team selected honorees to recognize within each industry category.

Posted on March 28, 2019

Join the South Chapter of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance for our first discussion of the year focused on Charlotte area real estate developments. Our industry experts will cover LoSo Station, RailYard South End, The River District, Apex SouthPark and more. 

Guest Speakers:
Chris Thomas, Partner, Childress Klein
Elizabeth McMillan, LEED AP, Crescent Communities
Matt Lucarelli, Director of Project Management, Beacon Partners

Moderator:
Alyson Craig, Deputy Director, City of Charlotte 

Agenda: 
11:30 - Noon : Registration and Networking
Noon - 1 p.m. : Lunch and Program 

*This event is $30 for members, $40 for access and $60 for non-members.

Posted on March 25, 2019

As REBIC previously reported, the City of Kannapolis is rewriting its UDO.  In November 2018, City Staff along with the consultant team, Clarion, began that process.

Clarion has prepared a UDO Assessment Report for public review.  The report is diagnostic in nature, and serves as an outline of recommended changes that should be considered as the text of the UDO is drafted.

REBIC and the City of Kannapolis invite you to review the  UDO Assessment Report and provide your feedback.  You may do so by email or phone (contact information found below).

Posted on March 22, 2019

NAIOP North Carolina, comprised of NAIOP Charlotte, NAIOP Piedmont Triad, and NAIOP Raleigh Durham, held its annual statewide conference March 21-22, 2019 at the Pinehurst Resort, where over 240 real estate professionals were in attendance. At the conference, NAIOP NC announced the 2019 Award Winners, recognizing projects that positively influence our community and industry.

2019 Award Winners

New Development Project of the Year – BB&T Leadership Institute submitted by CJMW Architecture

In June 2018, CJMW Architecture broke ground on the BB&T Leadership Institute in Greensboro, NC. A study of the terrain and natural features helped integrate the building into the site with a soft footprint. The full program was broken into smaller building elements that are linked together to create a sort of “village,” lending to the nickname “a village in the woods.” Each element has views of the lake and woods and glass walls that bring the outside in, allowing guests and staff to connect with nature, eliminating the distractions of the outside world while promoting a more inward focus. As an executive leadership program, the Leadership Institute helps grow managers into current and future leaders. Leaders from numerous local and regional companies have attended the Leadership Institute’s programs – gaining insight and training that then help them grow their own companies.

Posted on February 26, 2019

The Charlotte Planning Department late last week released a revised draft of its proposed Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance, ahead of a March 18th public hearing.

REBIC is in the process of reviewing the ordinance, which is available for download HERE. We strongly encourage any developers considering projects in the City's transit corridors to look through the draft and provide us with any feedback you may have.

Some of the changes in the new draft include:

Posted on February 14, 2019

Members of the Charlotte Chapter of NAIOP traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to meet with members of Congress about issues critical to North Carolina’s commercial real estate industry. The Capitol Hill visits were part of NAIOP’s annual Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat, and gave Charlotte developers a chance to advocate on a range of topics, including:

• Establishing a reasonable cost recovery period for qualified leasehold improvements;
• Advocating for increased federal investment in our national infrastructure, including roads, ports and bridges; and,
• Encouraging Congress to incentivize energy-efficient construction without imposing new mandates.

During the course of the day, NAIOP members met with Senator Thom Tillis and congressmen Richard Hudson and Patrick McHenry. Thanks to those NAIOP members who took time out of their busy schedules to advocate for commercial real estate priorities on Capitol Hill!

Posted on February 13, 2019

State legislation passed last month at the conclusion of the 2018 session of the General Assembly means redevelopment sites in Charlotte are no longer required to include on-site stormwater controls if no additional impervious surface is created. A provision in SB 469, a Technical Corrections bill initially vetoed by Governor Cooper but ratified through a legislative override, specifically mandates the change to local stormwater ordinances, regardless of where a local government obtains its regulatory authority.

While a redevelopment exemption for stormwater has been state law for years, the City of Charlotte has previously required controls on all projects, citing its adherence to a federal NPDES stormwater permit that called for higher local standards. REBIC has long argued that stormwater controls should not be required on redevelopments where no additional impervious surface is created.

The provision in SB 469 also allows development within a vegetative buffer, as long as the runoff from the entire impervious area of the project is collected, treated, and discharged through a portion of managed vegetative buffer. Of course, stormwater controls will continue to be required on sites whenever additional impervious surface is created.

Posted on February 12, 2019

The Charlotte planning department has postponed a public hearing for its new Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) zoning ordinance from February 25th to March 18th, as it revises the proposal to incorporate feedback from REBIC and other stakeholder groups.

While the updated draft isn’t scheduled to be released until the week of February 18th, it is expected to include an expanded menu of incentives to encourage developers to include affordable housing, make infrastructure investments, or participate in the City’s Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBE) program. The current draft only offers developers an opportunity to increase their building height, which REBIC cautioned could be of limited value to developers. In a letter to City staff last month, we encouraged the inclusion of incentives that would provide variances on building length, building articulation, or required open space.

Other elements of the TOD ordinance that raised concerns include:

Posted on January 29, 2019

We are proud to introduce our new association members! The following is a list of individuals who have joined NAIOP Charlotte since October 23, 2018:

• Abby Smith, Walbridge
• Alex Mikels, Kane Realty Corporation
• Daniel Flint, Brady Trane Service, Inc.
• Emma Newell, SouthPark Interiors
• Hunter Murray, First Citizens Bank
• Janet Brown, Truliant Commercial Lending
• Kevin Ammons, ColeJenest & Stone
• Nick Grothe, Siemens
• Richard Buttimer Ph.D, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Steven Hess, Danis Construction Company LLC
• Zac Snyder, Carter Bank and Trust

Posted on January 28, 2019.

Originally posted by REBIC.

The 2019 Mecklenburg County Property Revaluation is complete, and property valuations are now online at the Assessor’s website.  Look for your Notice of 2019 Real Estate Assessed Value in your mailbox in late January 2019, and remember that this Notice is NOT a bill. Your property tax bill will be determined by the tax rates adopted by Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte later this year (probably around July).

You can also use the tools on the County website to file an informal appeal if you think your property has been improperly valued. If you disagree with the results of your Informal Review Request, you have a right to file a Formal Appeal to the Board of Equalization and Review. You may request an appeal any time prior to the adjournment of the Board of Equalization and Review or within 30 days of your Notice of 2019 Assessed Value. All requests for appeal must be made in writing and on the proper form.

Posted on January 15, 2019

The City of Charlotte has set a February 25th Public Hearing date for a new Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Zoning Ordinance, despite a key Building Height Bonus provision still undergoing revision.

REBIC and other industry groups have worked with City staff on the draft for more than a year, as part of a comprehensive stakeholder review process that has seen a number of restrictive provisions pared down or eliminated. But the Building Height Bonus provision, intended to encourage the construction of Affordable Housing units along transit corridors, was only unveiled on December 13th, and has yet to be modeled for effectiveness.

The Height Bonus, which is designed to advance City policy priorities such as affordable housing, open space preservation and sustainability, will give developers the opportunity to amass points that can be used to increase their building height. It would allow buildings to rise as high as 300′ in the highest-density TOD district when the maximum amount of points are obtained. Developers would also be able to increase their building height by paying a fee-in-lieu that that would go into the city’s Housing Trust Fund.

Click here to read more.

State legislation passed last month at the conclusion of the 2018 session of the General Assembly means redevelopment sites in Charlotte are no longer required to include on-site stormwater controls if no additional impervious surface is created. A provision in SB 469, a Technical Corrections bill initially vetoed by Governor Cooper but ratified through a legislative override, specifically mandates the change to local stormwater ordinances, regardless of where a local government obtains its regulatory authority.

While a redevelopment exemption for stormwater has been state law for years, the City of Charlotte has previously required controls on all projects, citing its adherence to a federal NPDES stormwater permit that called for higher local standards. REBIC has long argued that stormwater controls should not be required on redevelopments where no additional impervious surface is created.

The provision in SB 469 also allows development within a vegetative buffer, as long as the runoff from the entire impervious area of the project is collected, treated, and discharged through a portion of managed vegetative buffer. Of course, stormwater controls will continue to be required on sites whenever additional impervious surface is created.

Thanks are due to the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA) and State Representative Dean Arp (R-Union) for their support of this critical legislation!

February 20, 2019 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Byron's South End
101 W Worthington Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28203

Join CREW Charlotte for a fun-filled night of networking with the most influential real estate professionals in the Charlotte area! Come play your favorite games at CREW's 13th Annual Casino and Gaming Night.  They'll have casino gamesas well as interactive games such as skee ball, pop-a-shot, giant Jenga and more!  Interested in sponsoring a game, dessert or beverages?  Please contact Patty Drummond. 

Raffle tickets are available for a Pigeon Forge Mountain Cabin ($10 per ticket, 5 for $40). For more information on the cabin, please click here. 

Casino Night Ticket (CREW Member) - $100 per person.

Posted on January 4, 2019

*For a full list of the 2019 NAIOP Board of Directors, visit our website at http://www.naiopclt.org/board-of-directors

Posted on November 20, 2018

The NAIOP Research Foundation has appointed Richard Buttimer, Director of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate and John Crosland, Sr. Distinguished Professor at UNC Charlotte, as a Distinguished Fellow.  The Research Foundation’s Distinguished Fellows Program engages the nation’s foremost commercial real estate, economic and public policy experts.  During his participation in this esteemed program, Dr Buttimer will participate in NAIOP events and programs, as well as participate in research, presentations and industry task forces.

Posted on October 30, 2018

By Joe Padilla

Charlotte has an Affordable Housing crisis -- it's an undeniable fact. Our crisis is not unlike those faced by dozens of American cities, large and small, where a limited supply of land and rooftops pushes rents and home prices out of reach for many. It's a unfortunate byproduct of our own success, driven by the growing appeal of a city that continues to attract more than 40 new residents a day with our high quality of life, temperate weather and strong job market.

What is also undeniable is that the need for affordable housing exists across much of the income spectrum. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) pegs the Charlotte MSA's Area Median Income (AMI) right around $74,000. Using the rule of thumb that no one should spend no more than 30% of their gross income on housing, a family of four earning 80% of AMI ($56,550 a year) could pay a maximum of about $1,400 a month in order to avoid being what the government considers 'cost burdened.' On the lower end of the income spectrum, a family of four at 30% AMI ($35,350) shouldn't exceed about $883 in monthly housing costs.