CREW Charlotte August 2022 Luncheon – “Leadership Lessons from an Industry Trailblazer”

Girl on the Train: Exploring the Northeast Corridor Transit-Oriented Development

Submitted by Stacia Neugent, GreerWalker

The Lynx Blue Line began servicing passengers in March of 2018. It extended light rail service from uptown Charlotte’s Seventh Street Station to the UNCC campus in the University City area. The extension of the light rail has created great opportunities for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This development was the focus of CREW Charlotte’s June luncheon, “The Girl on the Train.”

Alan Goodwin, planning coordinator and urban designer with the City of Charlotte, opened the luncheon by discussing what makes an area qualify as a TOD. The requirements are counterintuitive to other residential developments – there are minimum requirements for density and maximum requirements for parking spaces.

Darlene Heater, executive director of University City Partners, spoke next and discussed some of the benefits that the University City area has to offer. There are several strong anchors such as the Atrium hospital and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte that make the University City area a prime spot for development. Darlene said that the focus is currently on making the area more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. This will be key in supporting the residential aspect of the upcoming mixed-use developments.

Jane Wu, president of Panorama Holdings, was the final speaker at the luncheon. Jane discussed her recent project, Blu at Northline. This upscale apartment complex is unlike anything else in the University area. It offers luxuries and amenities similar to those found in Uptown and Southend. Jane discussed how she wanted to do something that was completely different, and it seems that she hit the mark with the Blu at Northline project. The project is already exceeding expectations for number of leases and price per square foot.

One thing is for sure, the transit-oriented development occurring along the light rail is going to be something to keep an eye on in the upcoming weeks, months and years.

Signature Luncheon with Erin Brockovich

Submitted by Diana Quarry, Womble Bond Dickinson

On May 15, CREW Charlotte held its first Signature Luncheon.  The event, held at The Westin in uptown Charlotte, was attended by over 400 CREW members and guests.  The event began with opening remarks from Chapter President Adrienne Bain and a welcome from Kara McShane, Head of Commercial Real Estate Capital Markets and Finance with Wells Fargo Bank, the event’s Presenting Sponsor.  WBTV’s Molly Grantham then took the stage to welcome the event’s keynote speaker, Erin Brockovich.  

A dynamic and engaging speaker, Brockovich told the audience about her personal journey that led her to the position as a clerk at a California law firm that made her famous, and where she has been since.  She spoke about the critical role that her parents and education played in her life, learning to work through personal challenges and the value of determination and stick-to-itiveness.  Brockovich discussed her continuing role as an advocate for clean water in communities across the nation, and trends she is seeing on a local and national level.  She also discussed the guidelines of Realization, Assessment and Motivation as a tool for anyone in any industry or walk of life to take stock of who they are, what they have, and how they can leverage their skills and abilities to effectuate change in their own lives. 

Guests of Presenting Sponsor Wells Fargo and Supporting Sponsors TH Real Estate and Northeastern University were also able to meet with the speaker before the formal program began for some additional remarks and an opportunity to chat and take pictures with Brockovich.

The Impact of Tax Reform on the Commercial Real Estate Industry

Submitted by Stacia Neugent, GreerWalker

In December of 2017, Congress passed the first major overhaul of the United States tax code in over 30 years. At CREW Charlotte’s April luncheon, Bobbi Jo Lazarus of Elliott Davis and Stacia Neugent of GreerWalker discussed with attendees the impacts of tax reform on both businesses and individuals alike.

Margaret Martin of CBC Meca opened the luncheon by discussing how tax reform was intended to provide simplification but this wasn’t necessarily the case for all taxpayers. Changes such as the increased standard deduction, lower tax rates and an increased threshold for Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) may actually simplify tax return filing for many individuals. However, for individuals with ownership of pass-through entities such as partnerships or S-corporations, this simplicity will likely be offset by the complexity of a new Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction.

For business entities, presenters focused on the newly created interest expense limitation and the increased three year holding period for carried interests – interests in a partnership that are often issued to investment managers in exchange for the services they provide. Additionally, owners of businesses will need to consider the change in the deductibility of entertainment expenses.

The presenters emphasized that there is still a lot of clarification needed regarding many of the new tax provisions. With all of the uncertainty, there are still several opportunities for planning surrounding the new tax laws. One thing is for certain, you should consult your tax advisor to determine the impact to you and your business.

You can see a summary of some of some of the most applicable tax changes here.

York County, SC on Top- Driving Economic Development and Jobs Growth

Submitted by Amy Massey, PE, Kimley-Horn

York County, located just south of the border within the Charlotte metro area, is going through tremendous population and economic growth. Ranked #1 in jobs growth in the US in 2017, the community is focused on having a prepared location for jobs, investment, economic diversity, and balanced quality of life. David Swenson, Executive Director of York County Economic Development, shared information about the County’s public-private approach to efforts in both industrial and office product that has resulted in recent announcements and expansions worth $100 million in capital investment and 1,200 jobs.

And forget what you thought you knew about Rock Hill, York County’s largest municipality. Stephen Turner, Director of Rock Hill Economic & Urban Development, shared that Rock Hill is embracing change and has allowed the younger generations to play a role in how they want their city to grow. Hannah Spruill, Marketing Coordinator, explained how young professionals are encouraged to get involved and take ownership in the future of Rock Hill. The City’s core is quickly becoming a place where young professionals and college students can thrive socially, professionally, and personally. They still have access to the benefits of Charlotte close by, but there are more and more reasons to stay in Rock Hill.

Both York County and Rock Hill also spoke about growth challenges looking ahead, such as workforce development and strategic infrastructure; as well as future opportunities, such as marketing, regionalism, and leveraging existing businesses.

For more information, visit www.yorkcountyed.com and/or www.rockhillusa.com.