Economic Development - Expansions and Relocations

[CriticalT]

Cary would probably be the best landing spot.  But putting the ACC HQ minutes away from two of the biggest power players in college sports and down the street from Wake might be too much for some.  Do your thing Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.  

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by CriticalT

[Desert Power]

9 hours ago, kermit said:

It would mean very little in terms of employment, but this mention of ACC league office relocation (from Greensboro) was in the N+O story on the new commissioner today:

Honestly both Atlanta (its way too SEC) and DC (just not Southern enough, plus too many reminders of the Terps) seem like a poor fit for this office. Greensboro just has too few flight options for it to be viable for a league with teams from Miami to Boston. Charlotte has also become something of a college football central place (despite our lack of a power 5 team) thanks to the ESPN offices, the associated ACC network, the "bowls" and Paul Finebaum living here.  With a little effort, Charlotte could become a really nice sports media cluster.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article247828500.html

SEC Network is based here too. Charlotte is a good neutral ground for colleges.  Also, don't forget about NASCAR. Even though they are in a bit of a downturn, so many drivers/garages are northeast of the city.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Desert Power

[CLT>]

1 hour ago, Desert Power said:

SEC Network is based here too. Charlotte is a good neutral ground for colleges.  Also, don't forget about NASCAR. Even though they are in a bit of a downturn, so many drivers/garages are northeast of the city.

Don't forget even though the Basketball Tourney is gone, the CIAA has their HQ here as well. ACC would make 2.

[CLT2014]

10 hours ago, CriticalT said:

Cary would probably be the best landing spot.  But putting the ACC HQ minutes away from two of the biggest power players in college sports and down the street from Wake might be too much for some.  Do your thing Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.  

In addition to a sense of "bias" by being based in the Triangle, RDU airport is lacking nonstop flights to South Bend, Tallahassee, Louisville, and has only seasonal service less than 5 days a week to Syracuse.  Even in the pandemic, CLT has these cities covered with 2 - 5 flights per day. Greensboro isn't that far from CLT if employees prefer to grab a nonstop flight, but RDU would likely require more connecting to the schools outside the southeast.

Edited December 15, 2020 by CLT2014

[Urban Cowboy]

Charlotte makes more sense than any town (Cary) or city (Raleigh) along the Tobacco Road. Greensboro is seen as fairly neutral territory to folks living in the piedmont... But that's because their focus is on Wake, Duke, UNC, and State. So for those 4 schools, GSO is neutral. But for ACC schools outside of tobacco road, I can see how even a Greensboro location could be viewed as favoring/bias to those 4 schools and the legacies of each.

Charlotte would make the most sense for the conference geographically, but I wouldn't rule out NYC given the conference's aspirations. Agreed that Atlanta feels like SEC country despite GT's presence there. And DC has always felt like Big East country to me, despite the ACC's focus on having the tourney there. Also, DC proper has never felt like a great sports town to me. If the ACC decides to move their HQ, my bets are on Charlotte. It makes the most sense.

[csweet]

So if the ACC were to move their HQ to Charlotte, guesses on where it would be?

[kermit]

23 minutes ago, csweet said:

So if the ACC were to move their HQ to Charlotte, guesses on where it would be?

beside the ESPN offices in Btyne

[Desert Power]

On 12/15/2020 at 12:43 AM, CLT> said:

On 12/14/2020 at 11:31 PM, Desert Power said:

SEC Network is based here too. Charlotte is a good neutral ground for colleges.  Also, don't forget about NASCAR. Even though they are in a bit of a downturn, so many drivers/garages are northeast of the city.

Don't forget even though the Basketball Tourney is gone, the CIAA has their HQ here as well. ACC would make 2.

There really is a lot of momentum behind the sports media market in Charlotte. It is a sneaky cluster we are building. A rumored MLS HQ would help a lot too.

[CLT>]

12 hours ago, kermit said:

beside the ESPN offices in Btyne

Even though the ACC Network is based in Bristol.

Surprised NC didn't try and  throw some incentives at ESPN before they decided to double down on CT.

[KJHburg]

Charlotte and the region are a Manufacturing powerhouse employing 155,000 people and 2nd biggest contributor to the regions GDP.  Maybe not  as sexy as office towers lots of manufacturing takes place in the surrounding counties and some even in Meck.   Check out this new report from Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and you might be surprised.

the summary

""More than 155,000 people in the Charlotte Region work in the Manufacturing industry -- nearly double the employment in the financial sector. Over the past five years, the Charlotte region’s manufacturing industry has grown at twice the national average, and now contributes to nearly $26 Billion to our local economy. Within the growing sectors of Automotive, Advanced Materials, Machinery and Energy, we take a comprehensive look at the ecosystems within each of the clusters, and examine what strengths, opportunities, and difficulties may arise for our region.""

 

Manufacturing_Study_121620.pdf (charlotteregion.com)

Here is an announcement today for GM Defense in Concord for a new plant.

GM Defense renovating Concord facility to create production line for Army vehicles - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Edited December 17, 2020 by KJHburg

[Niner National]

On 12/15/2020 at 12:43 AM, CLT> said:

Don't forget even though the Basketball Tourney is gone, the CIAA has their HQ here as well. ACC would make 2.

Pretty sure the Big South is headquartered here too. 

[KJHburg]

Not all pharma jobs are in the Triangle area and eastern NC.  Here is an Indian based pharma company in Monroe.

 

[rancenc]

Operational expansion and job creation for Mecklenburg County.

https://www.nccommerce.com/news/press-releases/national-mortgage-lender-selects-mecklenburg-county-500-job-expansion

[KJHburg]

23 minutes ago, rancenc said:

Operational expansion and job creation for Mecklenburg County.

https://www.nccommerce.com/news/press-releases/national-mortgage-lender-selects-mecklenburg-county-500-job-expansion

500 jobs averaging $87K  that is great news!   More breakdown on jobs here in this Biz Journal article

Mortgage lender Intercontinental Capital Group to add 500 jobs in local expansion - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Edited December 22, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

More good news on the region's job front.  Japanese company selects Hickory for new manufacturing facility 101 new jobs.

NC Commerce: American Fuji Seal Plans to Create 101 Jobs in Catawba County

[Blue_Devil]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

500 jobs averaging $87K  that is great news!   More breakdown on jobs here in this Biz Journal article

Mortgage lender Intercontinental Capital Group to add 500 jobs in local expansion - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Any thoughts on whether these jobs will stay in the Southpark area, or move uptown or to Southend? 

[KJHburg]

Just now, Blue_Devil said:

Any thoughts on whether these jobs will stay in the Southpark area, or move uptown or to Southend? 

They will need more space for sure.  I would bet Southpark or a suburban cheaper option.  Mortgage companies are notoriously cheap when it comes to their office space most look for inexpensive options so I would say suburbs maybe Southpark. 

[atlrvr]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

They will need more space for sure.  I would bet Southpark or a suburban cheaper option.  Mortgage companies are notoriously cheap when it comes to their office space most look for inexpensive options so I would say suburbs maybe Southpark. 

Depends on the roles.  Origination and underwriting and corporate jobs usually require more (and nicer) space than processing and servicing jobs.

[RANYC]

Better Mortgage put a bunch of jobs in South End at the Railyard, and had projected growth to a 1,000 employees in a relatively short amount of time.  These guys are in Montford Park, right?  Aren't offices under renovation now?  Space to absorb this growth in that area already, perhaps?

[KJHburg]

if this Long Island based mortgage company wanted new space in in the Park Rd submarket how about this the Levine Properties Akridge redevelopment  of the old Parsons office on Hedgemore.

4701 Hedgemore Drive Akridge Invested - Commercial Real Estate Services

all newly renovated.  

 

[RANYC]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

if this Long Island based mortgage company wanted new space in in the Park Rd submarket how about this the Levine Properties Akridge redevelopment  of the old Parsons office on Hedgemore.

4701 Hedgemore Drive Akridge Invested - Commercial Real Estate Services

all newly renovated.  

 

Might need more space than that.  What's the rule - 300 sq feet per headcount?  Already have 179 and adding 500...so likely to need 200,000 sq feet.

[KJHburg]

1 minute ago, RANYC said:

Might need more space than that.  What's the rule - 300 sq feet per headcount?  Already have 179 and adding 500...so likely to need 200,000 sq feet.

I thought about that but with work for home for some employees all these per square per employee ratios maybe out the window.  Then the brand new Ballantyne office tower would be perfect. Could get naming rights on that one.  

New Office Space for Lease & Rent in Charlotte (projectballantyne.com)

 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

On 12/16/2020 at 10:02 AM, csweet said:

So if the ACC were to move their HQ to Charlotte, guesses on where it would be?

The Raycom building lol

[KJHburg]

12 biggest job announcements in the state in 2020 (and maybe a few more will sneak in the list before years end).  All of these have 300 plus new jobs.

Triangle area:     Wake one company IT, Bandwidth  Durham 3 pharma or bio science related companies   Johnston Co.   1 pharma

Charlotte metro:  Mecklenburg  2 finance related including yesterdays announcement 1 insurance/IT Centene which at 3200 jobs was the biggest job announcement in the state last year and in the last decade or more if not the biggest of all time

Others scattered across the state which is a great thing"

Buncombe   manufacturing with Pratt and Whitney   Rockingham County  2 new manufacturing Guilford an d Alamance both each with distribution jobs. 

Now this list covers announced projects over 300 jobs.  For example Publix is adding 1 M sq ft to it new not even opened 1 M sq ft distribution center in Guilford counties.  No jobs associated with that have been announced but it has to be more jobs.    NC believe it or not has had a very good year with job announcements and like I predicted last year Pharma  Biosciences  would boom in NC and this year's announcements reflect that.  

The 12 biggest job expansions in North Carolina for 2020 - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

[KJHburg]

from Charlotte Regional Partnership twitter
Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
@clt_alliance

#CLT's automotive industry is flourishing. More than 63,000 people work in the region's sector & nearly 16,500 work in high-value manufacturing. In the past 2 years alone, 20 automotive-related companies have announced plans to expand in the region, adding nearly 1,300 new jobs!