The Bad News Report

[SouthEndCLT811]

I wonder what he is going to net out of this deal. He may be a scum bag, but wow is it impressive what he is able to accomplish (albeit him being a snake). You don't get to be worth $25 billion by being a nice and honest guy. That's the unfortunate truth.

 

From that article.  If he bought those 2.75 million shares on the day his position was disclosed he would have made about $40 million.

 

"Icahn’s latest transaction involves 2.75 million shares at a price of $75.27, according to the SEC filing.

The total on the sale of those shares comes to $207.3 million.

In all, Icahn has sold more than 6.5 million shares for nearly $495 million since the deal with Dollar Tree was announced.

Those shares were priced between $75.15 and $75.95 per share, according to SEC filings.

By comparison, Family Dollar's stock closed at $60.53 on June 6, when Icahn first disclosed his stake in the company."

[HopHead]

I wonder what he is going to net out of this deal. He may be a scum bag, but wow is it impressive what he is able to accomplish (albeit him being a snake). You don't get to be worth $25 billion by being a nice and honest guy. That's the unfortunate truth.

 

I'm just not a fan of one individual buying his way in, to force an entity into a decision that he wants them to make. Then, after it's done, reap the benefits. If he had an tangible interest in the company, beyond just financial gain that the average person would never have, then I'd have less of a problem with it. It's the same jacka$$es that create housing bubbles, financial crisis's, and other blackholes that the rest of us get stuck dealing with. 

Edited July 31, 2014 by wend28

[ssh214]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/08/19/5115773/icahn-roasts-family-dollars-board.html

 

I'm sure many people have heard this already but this could be pretty bad if Mr. Ichan gets his way...

[jednc]

This would have been a nice snag for Charlotte or at least North Carolina.

edit: Adding the article title

Mercedes-Benz to build North Charleston plant with 1,300 jobs

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article12846986.html

Edited March 6, 2015 by jednc

[15895]

Wow, Charleston will have quite the Manufacturing working class power house. Boeing and Mercedes? I'm jealous!

[pgsinger]

This might be more good than bad.  It's another connection to Mercedes in Charlotte's reasonable proximity.  We are 2 hours closer than ATL and have direct flights to Germany.  I assume Charleston does not fly direct to Germany...  More and more of their business is in our backyard.  I don't see a Charleston, Columbia, or Greenville/Spartanburg HQ, so it's us or ATL.

[Prodev]

If I was a betting man, I'd say they go to Atlanta. Maybe even Sandy Springs. Abernathy Rd. 12 acres. 250,000 SqFt. 2017. Just a guess though.

[ah59396]

If I was a betting man, I'd say they go to Atlanta. Maybe even Sandy Springs. Abernathy Rd. 12 acres. 250,000 SqFt. 2017. Just a guess though.

 

You're like a prophet

[CLTProductions]

Belk is exploring a sale. Not sure what that would mean for jobs here as well as their MANY charitable contributions....but losing another HQ would suck

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/04/02/belk-said-to-be-considering-a-sale.html

Edited April 2, 2015 by Jayvee

[kermit]

^ I have never had the sense that Belk was much of a corporate citizen. I may be misperceiving the reality of Belk's corporate outreach but their isolated corp HQ combined with their complete disinterest in downtown  has left me kinda cool towards them. My crankiness could also be a product of my childhood -- my mom always dragged me to Belk to buy me scratchy and goofy dress clothes when there was a family wedding or funeral.

 

My opinion aside, as an industry department stores are going the way of Radio Shack. Since Belk has not had much success cultivating an online identity a sale now might be the corporation's best bet.

[Guest]

Belk is exploring a sale. Not sure what that would mean for jobs here as well as their MANY charitable contributions....but losing another HQ would suck

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/04/02/belk-said-to-be-considering-a-sale.html

You won't have to worry about their Charitable contributions. The Belk Family has been a part of the Charlotte community for nearly 2 centuries. I grew up with them, and the family is very involved in the community, and if they get a multibillion dollar sale, I doubt their involvement in the city will become any less.

[ssh214]

Dang maybe I shoulda shopped with Belk more :/

[Miesian Corners]

This is also the same family that closed the flagship store uptown and moved the HQ to the airport.

[caterpillar2]

This is also the same family that closed the flagship store uptown and moved the HQ to the airport.

When Belks moved from uptown, uptown was dead after hours and a cesspool of crime.  They moved to places that could reach people in their communities since shopping in the city enter was a thing of the past. I was hoping that hey would return,

[dcharlotte]

^^ While true, I think the point MC is making is that they didn't invest money or effort in trying to help Uptown Charlotte. There are many other corporate partners who have had a huge impact over the years, and many more to come. Uptown has been 'back' for almost ten years now with no help from Belk.

 

That is, unless you count their 'express' store which was little more than a place for women to pick up makeup they forgot at home prior to a big interview.

 

They may have been generous with their money in the community, just not Uptown.

[abttown]

^^ While true, I think the point MC is making is that they didn't invest money or effort in trying to help Uptown Charlotte. There are many other corporate partners who have had a huge impact over the years, and many more to come. Uptown has been 'back' for almost ten years now with no help from Belk.

 

That is, unless you count their 'express' store which was little more than a place for women to pick up makeup they forgot at home prior to a big interview.

 

They may have been generous with their money in the community, just not Uptown.

The Belk family did give $8 million to the Carolina Theater renovation efforts; I think that may be the largest contribution the theater has received.  I do believe Belk could have done more for the Uptown area, but 8 million isn't chump change.

[ah59396]

2015 Walkability and Bikability scores are out!  Congrats to Charlotte, who remain dead last in both walkability and bikability for cities larger than 700,000 people in the US, Canada and Australia!  Back to back champs!  Even if you move that figure to 500,000, we are LAST in walkability and a cool second to last in biking, edging out another biking utopia, Nashville.  

 

Food for though, Jacksonville is more walkable than Charlotte.  A city with an area of 885 square miles and a density of 1100 people per square miles.  That's impressive, in that we are terrible.

 

https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/

[CLTProductions]

2015 Walkability and Bikability scores are out!  Congrats to Charlotte, who remain dead last in both walkability and bikability for cities larger than 700,000 people in the US, Canada and Australia!  Back to back champs!  Even if you move that figure to 500,000, we are LAST in walkability and a cool second to last in biking, edging out another biking utopia, Nashville.  

 

Food for though, Jacksonville is more walkable than Charlotte.  A city with an area of 885 square miles and a density of 1100 people per square miles.  That's impressive, in that we are terrible.

 

https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/

I don't get how that's measured as I find uptown very walkable (biking...eh not so much). I guess I see the much broader definition of "Charlotte" not very of either, but still I find myers park/dilworth/uptown to be nice walks.

 

Edit: oh it has uptown as being pretty great for walking...its the rest of the city thats the problem.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Jayvee

[rickrodewd]

I wonder when we will start having a Transit Score.  Not sure how that is calculated.

[ah59396]

I don't get how that's measured as I find uptown very walkable (biking...eh not so much). I guess I see the much broader definition of "Charlotte" not very of either, but still I find myers park/dilworth/uptown to be nice walks.

 

Edit: oh it has uptown as being pretty great for walking...its the rest of the city thats the problem.

 

 

Yep, each city is broken down into neighborhoods.  As a whole, we are consistently worse than everyone else.  Our total score is worse, and our downtown compared to other downtown's are worse, ect ect ect.  It's just pathetic.

[CLTProductions]

Yep, each city is broken down into neighborhoods.  As a whole, we are consistently worse than everyone else.  Our total score is worse, and our downtown compared to other downtown's are worse, ect ect ect.  It's just pathetic.

Womppppp, well that sucks. And it doesn't seem like there's much on the horizon to fix that. The good thing is, I don't think the layman even notices lol.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Jayvee

[HopHead]

For some of the incremental improvements Charlotte has made in walkability, we're still a long ways off. Though dead last is pretty bad.. Not even looking at those scores to me Uptown has gotten significantly better from my recent experiences (aside from some of the dead spaces). However, the out lying neighborhoods still have a ways to go. People continue to drive on South Blvd like it's a 4 lane highway. Sadly, the brother of a friend of mine was hit by a car crossing South Blvd in South End a few weeks ago. Granted I don't know the full story and he had been drinking, but the guy that hit him was speeding and ended up being charged with hit and run along with reckless driving. To me, something as simple as more crosswalks and lights would help there. Almost encouraging people to drive less. Drivers still pay little attention to pedestrians despite the thousands of residents being added with all the apartments.

Edited April 9, 2015 by wend28

[southslider]

Walkscores are skewed by business proximity, even if the walk to those businesses isn't comfortable (or the groceries really gas station-style convenience stores) Ironically, Charlotte's policy to concentrate jobs and services in Centers and Corridors may have helped Jacksonville surpass Charlotte in scoring.

Edited April 9, 2015 by southslider

[caterpillar2]

I believe that a huge problem is the width of sidewalks and the lack of pedestrian subways and over-walks (over the streets). For example, I love going to Montford Drive and Park Road Shopping Center by foot.  Every time I walk up Park Road, I worry about getting hit by a text messaging driver  with the narrow  width of the sidewalks and, it is terrifying crossing Park Road. There needs to be a under ground crossing in places like Woodlawn and Park Road and other entertainment areas. But seriously, we are Americans and people that I know that complain about walkability wouldn't walk to work if it was two blocks away. People walk for exercise, not necessity and I don't know if that is really bad. I live in a very walkable area and am amazed at the lack people that drive to amenities in stead of walking. For me, I prefer a place where I don't need a car, but again, I can't just hop on the rail like in Europe.

[ah59396]

I believe that a huge problem is the width of sidewalks and the lack of pedestrian subways and over-walks (over the streets). For example, I love going to Montford Drive and Park Road Shopping Center by foot.  Every time I walk up Park Road, I worry about getting hit by a text messaging driver  with the narrow  width of the sidewalks and, it is terrifying crossing Park Road. There needs to be a under ground crossing in places like Woodlawn and Park Road and other entertainment areas. But seriously, we are Americans and people that I know that complain about walkability wouldn't walk to work if it was two blocks away. People walk for exercise, not necessity and I don't know if that is really bad. I live in a very walkable area and am amazed at the lack people that drive to amenities in stead of walking. For me, I prefer a place where I don't need a car, but again, I can't just hop on the rail like in Europe.

 

 

I've had some REALLY close calls with car mirrors while on the sidewalk on Park as well.  I have visions while I'm jogging of a car simply hopping a curb at 50mph and taking me out for good.  It's terrifying to walk there and I don't blame anyone for driving.  There are other examples across the city, but Park just sticks in my mind.