Sale Of Ballantyne Corporate Park Could Be Largest Real Estate Transaction in Charlotte’s History

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ballantyne-corporate-parkIn the early 90s, the Ballantyne Corporate Park became one of the largest developments in Charlotte’s history and it might soon become the largest real estate sale in Charlotte’s history.

The CEO of the Bissell Company, Ned Curran, put out a statement last September, stating that the company was looking for “strategic alternatives” moving forward. There have since been rumors that New York-based Northwood Investors (parent company of Northwood Ravin, who built The Vue) have been looking at buying the entire Ballantyne Corporate Park.

Over the past few months, Northwood has filed numerous new corporate entities in North Carolina, each of which corresponds to a specific Ballantyne property, such as; NW Brixham Green One LP (named after Ballantyne’s Brixham Green One building), NW Brixham Green Two LP (named after Ballantyne’s Brixham Green Two building), NW Brixham Green Three LP (named after Ballantyne’s Brixham Green Three building), NW Brigham Building (named after Ballantyne’s Brigham Building), etc.

The entire 535 acre Ballantyne Coporate park includes over 4.5 million square feet of office space, 4 hotels with a total of almost 600 rooms, an award winning golf course, and over 400,000 square feet of retail space.

Using current commercial sales data for the Charlotte region, we calculated that the entire Ballantyne corporate park could now be worth upwards of $1.5 billion.

If the entire corporate park was sold for anywhere near that number, it would go down in the record books as the largest single real estate transaction in Charlotte’s history.

Both Northwood Investors and Bissell declined to comment.

We will update this article as new information comes in.

New South Carolina Law Will Fine People Up To $10,000 For Harming Police Dogs

This past week, the SC Senate approved the new bill that drastically increases the penalties for anyone found guilt of abusing police service animals. According to the new bill, anyone found guilt of killing a police dog or horse will face up to 10 years in prison and/or face fines in excess of $10,000.

The new bill also stipulates that “if a person is convicted under this section, that person may be required to complete up to five hundred (500) hours of community service for an animal-related organization or foundation.”

The bill is being backed by many of the palmetto state’s top law enforcement agencies. Robert Stewart, speaking on behalf of South Carolina’s Fraternal Order of Police, said the trained animals are “invaluable” to law enforcement.

According to Stewart, there were at least 10 trained K-9s killed in 2016.

“What we’re attempting to do here is have more of a deterrent of this activity of hurting and killing these animals,” Stewart commented.

The bill is now expected to be heard before the full Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources next week.

Do you support this new bill? 

State of North Carolina Announced They Will Be Adding A Lane To Exit 28 on i77

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exit 28 adding lanesThe NCDOT us about to start construction on a new northbound lane on I77’s exit 28 in Cornelius. The exit is currently one of the most congested in the region and town officials have been requesting additional lanes for years.

Officials are hoping the new lane will alleviate backups on Catawba Ave. and Torrance Chapel Road.

Construction also continues to progress on the highly contested toll lanes on I77, which has recently been voted one of the worst highway projects in America.

What do you think the best way to relieve Lake Norman traffic is?

After 146 Years, Ringling Bros. Chose Charlotte To Host One Of Their Last Shows Ever

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ringling-bros-and-barnum-bailey-last-show-in-charlotteAfter almost 150 years of touring, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus recently announced that it will be shutting down “The Greatest Show On Earth.”

The historic American spectacle will now perform a limited number of final performances in select cities, says Kenneth Feld, the chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the producer of Ringling.

Their website states that they will be shutting down due to declining ticket sales “This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company,” Feld commented.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus decided to host one of their final series of shows in the Queen City next month.

Their ‘Out Of This World’ show will feature never-before-seen additions, including a full ice rink and Olympic-class gymnast routines.

It will be themed as an intergalactic adventure, with the audience joining the performers on a space quest of good versus evil that will include gravity-defying acrobats, orbital aerialists, deadly animals, daredevils stunts, and tons of clowns.

Here’s the promo video they just released for the show:

It will be hosted the Spectrum Center from February 1st through the 5th with show times starting at 11am, 3pm, and 7pm.

Tickets are now starting at $28 each. For more info or to buy tickets click here.

Their final performance will be on May 21st at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

Gastonia Approved Plans For A New $30 Million Senior Living Development

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gastonia senior livingGastonia recently gave the approval for a massive new $30 million senior living community on Union Road, just north of the Catawba Creek Golf Course.

The new state-of-the-art development will include a clubhouse and fitness center. There will be health and wellness coaches and a nurse practitioner available.

Mills River, as it’s now being called, will include a three-story, 60-unit complex for people ages 55 and older.

The developer, Green Builders, chose the location due to its proximity to all the necessities that seniors need, such as food, medicine, and physician care.

The company now plans on starting construciton in a week or two, with 11 months until the building is finished.

The new development will include an exercise room, library, TV room and room for events.

Do you think this might be a step in the right direction for Gastonia?

New Kids On The Block, Boyz II Men, and Paula Abdul Are Coming To Charlotte

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nkotbThirty years after the debut of their first album, New Kids on the Block have decided to go on one last limited-run tour, and they’ve picked Charlotte as one of their major stops.

They’ll also be bringing along Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul for the ultimate trip down memory lane.

This will be Paula Abdul’s first tour in over 25 years. Boyz II Men previously joined New Kids on the Block for their Package tour in 2013.

“Our fans know we love to bring them a party, and this tour is no exception,” NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg said in a statement. “It’s not just a show, it’s an experience. Paula Abdul is such a pop icon and Boyz II Men are one of the best R&B acts of all time. It’s going to be a night of hit after hit, and we can’t wait to deliver the ‘Total Package’ to our fans!”

All together, the three bands have sold over 200 million records worldwide, and Boyz II Men remain the best-selling R&B group of all time. Abdul halted her music career in recent years to appear as an actress and television personality, but not before she logged an incredible seven No. 1 hit singles in the late ’80s and early ’90s, including “Straight Up” and “Opposites Attract.”

The groups will be playing at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on July 13th starting at 7:30pm.

For more information or tickets click here.

Charlotte Is Rallying Together To Raise $50,000 To Save A Young Girl’s Life

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help-with-familys-brain-surgeryAfter hearing that their daughter has late-stage brain cancer, and that their insurance wouldn’t cover the cost of the surgery, one Charlotte family is praying for a true miracle this year.

They started a GoFundMe page to try to raise the $50,000 needed for the surgery on Feb. 3rd. They’ve already been shocked and humbled at the response – in less than a month, 146 people have pitched in to raise over $30,000.

They now have renewed hope that their daughter might live.

According to their GoFundMe Page:

“…Isabella was operated on November 28th. During the operation, the doctor told us that the tumor was bigger than he originally thought and that he was only going to be able to extract 40%. She was going to need another surgery. Despite the possible complications of the operation in which she could lose her speech or the ability to recognize people, Isabella recuperated spectacularly. That is when I knew God had been with her all the time. Praying to God doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen to you, it means that He will be by your side when they do…

…Our doctor recommended that Isabella’s second surgery should be done in the USA, where most hospitals have the equipment necessary to extract the whole tumor. With the help of my sister who lives in North Carolina, Dr. Mark Van Poppel agreed to take my daughter’s case and do the surgery on February 3rd. The insurance company will not cover this surgery, (it did however, cover the Guatemalan surgery), but my family and I will do whatever it takes to give her the best possible care. We are estimating that the surgery will cost over USD $50,000.00, so we are asking for your help. We are an average family who has been blessed with work and food on our table, but the operation’s cost is way over our budget…”

After raising over $30,000 in less than a month, they posted this update:

“I want to thank each and everyone of you, who kindly have donated for my daughters upcoming surgery in Charlotte, NC.

I am humbled by all the support, kindness and generosity you have given us!”

The family still needs to raise $20,000 to save their daughter’s life…they are praying for a true Christmas miracle this year.

Find out more on their GoFundMe Page here – Please share! 

Piedmont Medical About To Spend $120 Million To Build Fort Mill’s First Hospital

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fort-mills-first-hospitalAfter a decade of legal battles between Carolina’s Healthcare, Novant Health, and Peidmont Medical, a judge has just given final approval to Peidmont Medical Center to build Fort Mill’s first official hospital.

The new, $120 million, 100-bed facility will be located on the corner of Highway 160 W and Highway 21 in Fort Mill, S.C.

“We celebrate today with the community of Fort Mill as they are one step closer to getting the high-quality hospital that they have deserved for years,” said Bill Masterton, chief executive officer of Piedmont Medical Center. “Fort Mill Medical Center will deliver trusted health care services in the heart of town as we extend the quality programs that residents have come to expect from Piedmont Medical Center.”

Once it’s completed, the Fort Mill Medical Center will include; a 24-hour emergency room, comprehensive women’s health services, advanced cardiac services, and a full intensive care unit.

The new hospital is now expected to create at least 400 jobs and bring in significant tax revenue for the town of For Mill, including an estimated $2.8 million to the Fort Mill School District, more than $500,000 to the Town of Fort Mill and more than $700,000 to the county on an annual basis.

For more information and continued updates, you can visit the hosptial’s new website at www.fortmillmedical.com

Charlotte Just Witnessed The Largest Women’s March In City’s History

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This morning the city of Charlotte witnessed its largest march for women’s rights in the history of our city.

This weekend’s march, called the Women’s March on Charlotte, joined hundreds of thousands of others marching in cities across America, with the largest march being held in Washington DC (current estimates are around 500,000 in DC alone).

According to the CMPD, the Women’s March drew at least 10,000 people onto the streets of Uptown Charlotte this morning.

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It wasn’t just women who marched this morning – both men and women of all ages and races joined in.

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The march included a wide variety of messages and agendas.

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According to their website, “The Women’s March on Charlotte is being held in alignment with the Women’s March on Washington, on January 21, 2017. Charlotte is only one of multiple cities across the nation holding local Women’s Marches, sending a clear message to our government that women’s rights are human rights.

The Women’s March on Charlotte welcomes people of all faiths, genders, ethnicities and sexual orientation; we want our voices and our message to be heard in Washington and around the world.”

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The two-mile march will start in First Ward, and end in Romare Bearden Park.

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The march remained peaceful throughout the morning, with police stationed at every intersection along the route.

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Were you a part of the march this morning? 

How do you feel about it? 

 

The I-77 HOV Lane Will Be Closing For A Year Starting Today Due To Toll Road Construction

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toll lanes stoppedI-77 will be experiencing even more congestion between Charlotte and Lake Norman starting today when the HOV lane will be shutting down.

According to the I-77 Mobility Partners (toll lane company), the HOV lane between I-85/I-77 and Brookshire/I-77 will be closing for the next 12 months due to the toll lane construction project.

The company noted that the closure will allow them to remove the concrete safety barrier that divides the highway, set temporary safety barrier walls, as well as place new pavement markings.

They noted that anyone driving into Charlotte should reduce their speed as they approach the new work zones and allow more time to travel into Charlotte.

What do you think about the new toll lanes on I-77?