A massive new $10 million mixed-use marketplace development has just opened for business after almost 2 years of construction.
Merle Norman and Edie’s Salon (a one-stop beauty shop) is now officially the first business to open in the Copperfield Market complex.
The entire 10-acre development will eventually to include retail stores, restaurants, a bakery and a 9,000-square-foot banquet hall.
When completed, the Copperfield Market complex will total about 80,000 square feet and is anticipated to become another regional hub for local residents to hang out, eat, shop, and play (think of a smaller, more local version of Concord Mills).
A local non-profit, H.O.H.T, or Helping Others Help Themselves is about to hold a major career fair in Huntersville. The group’s approach is truly unique among local recruiters. They work to solidify connections between local employers and job seekers, instead of simply getting applications filled out.
Most of Lake Norman’s biggest employers will be participating, including; Lowes, Walgreens, AAA Carolinas, and FedEx Ground, as well as dozens of local companies such as; Entrepreneur Source, Onin Staffing, ComForcare, Sam’s Club, Wayne Brothers Inc., North Carolina Department of Public Safety, McAlister’s Deli of Lake Norman, AmeriStar Services, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Burkert Contromatic Corp., and WSIC Radio.
Savory Moments Gourmet Catering will be providing lunch for both employers and job seekers. Applicants are encouraged to stop by on Friday, April 29 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Anyone is now free to post resumés or job openings on H.O.H.T.’s new site at lknjobsearch.com before and after the event.
Concord’s new $12.3 million terminal and parking deck expansions at the regional airport will not only be bringing new passengers, but also new business partnerships.
Allegiant Air and NASCAR just announced a multi-year agreement that will create a first-ever “official Passenger Airline Partner” for the company. This will allow NASCAR fans that fly Allegiant to enjoy huge discounts on flights to over 20 NASCAR race markets, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, and LA.
Concord Regional Airport Director Rick Cloutier briefly mentioned the new partnership in a recent press release; “That affects us on a whole, it doesn’t necessarily affect us for additional operations, but since we are NASCAR’s airport so to speak, the partnership with Allegiant/NASCAR will help grow our service in the future to different destinations that we might not of had before. “Without giving out any confidential information, that’s about the best answer I can give you. I have a meeting with Allegiant next week and then that’s the time we actually solidify destinations and increased service for the following upcoming year, so hopefully by the end of the month we should have a pretty definitive answer on how much increase we’ll have.”
The airport’s new 30,000-square-foot terminal and 652-space parking deck will separate commercial operations from general aviation operations and bring the airport closer to being able to directly compete with the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. 95% of the $6.7 million terminal will be paid for with state and federal funding. The majority of the $5.6 million parking deck will be paid for with loans that the city hopes to pay back using parking fees.
What do you think of the expansion and new partnership?
This will be Charlotte’s 21st annual Taste of The Nation charity event – this year Charlotte’s greatest chefs will be coming together to help out hungry kids.
Char Basel serves as a platform to bridge the conceptual creatives with the native community of Charlotte, NC. The launch party is being held on April 16th, 2016 from 12-4pm as a taste to the upcoming presentation this fall.
Legendary British rock group Duran Duran has selected Charlotte as one of their few stops on their new world tour. After leaving the US, they have tour stops planned for Australia, Japan, possibly South America and a return to Europe before year’s end.
The group will be taking out the stage production it used in the U.K. last year, which keyboardist Nick Rhodes calls “quite an ambitious show for us. The visuals are pretty strong and we somehow managed to get the best reviews we ever got — although I’m always a little worried if we get good reviews like that.”
They’ll be performing at the PNC Music Pavilion (formerly Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) on April 16th, for more information or tickets click here.
This will be an incredible 3-day event hosted by the Levine Center for The Arts and The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
The main stage will be headlined by 2 performances by the critically-acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the leadership of musical director Wynton Marsalis.
There will also be intimate club performances featuring local and national talent throughout the weekend, as well as a jazz dinner and happy hours.
Within a 60 mile radius around Charlotte, there are over a dozen wineries of all shapes and sizes, including a cat-themed winery that just opened in York County!
Just southeast of Charlotte, you can live out childhood fantasies by enjoying some award-winning wine in a treehouse at The Treehouse Vineyards in Monroe. If you’re in the Lake Norman area, you can enjoy some local art with your wine at The Daveste Winery, or check out the largest family-owned vineard in North Carolina at The Shelton Vineyards.
Ok, technically these are two seperate events, but they’re so similar, we figured we’d count them as one. Both celebrate local businesses in Charlotte – Pink Social celebrates female entrepreneurship, and South End Bazaar celebrates local startups in our city.
Pink Social Girl Tribe will feature over 70 local women-owned businesses at Sugar Creek Brewing, 215 Southside Dr. For more info info click here.
The South End Bazaar celebrates small business and entrepreneurship by perusing 50 area fashion, arts and food vendors. Vendors will feature hand-crafted goods and original artwork by local merchants. Enjoy local brews, pastries and other food. 11 a.m., C3 Lab, LLC, 2525 Distribution St. To find out more click here.
Anyone who donates blood over the next 3 days will receive a certificate for a free Full Service car wash, including interior and exterior cleaning, valid at any Autobell location.
Donors who pre-register online for the drive will also receive a bonus of free Tire Gloss from Autobell to accompany the Full Service wash.
It’s the 3rd week of Food Truck Friday in Downtown Matthews, featuring incredible food, perfect weather, and plenty of live music. This week’s trucks will include;
Autobell Car Wash has partnered with the American Red Cross for a series of blood drives from Thursday, April 14, through Saturday, April 16, at multiple locations throughout Charlotte, Huntersville, Greensboro, Asheville, and Raleigh.
Charlotte Stories met up with the COO of Auto Bell to find out more;
Anyone who donates blood over the next 3 days will receive a certificate for a free Full Service car wash, including interior and exterior cleaning, valid at any Autobell location.
Donors who pre-register online for the drive will also receive a bonus of free Tire Gloss from Autobell to accompany the Full Service wash. To pre-register, visitRedCrossBlood.org and enter the appropriate zip code and date for the desired blood drive, or follow the links below. Blood drive dates, locations, and pre-registration links are as follows:
Thursday, April 14 Asheville Blood Donation Center
100 Edgewood Road Asheville, NC 28804 2 – 7 pm Click here to register
North Raleigh Blood Donation Center
8301 Bandford Way Raleigh, NC 27613 12:30 pm – 5 pm Click here to register
Raleigh Blood Donation Center
100 N. Peartree Lane Raleigh, NC 27610 7:30 am – 12:30 pm Click here to register Friday, April 15 Autobell Car Wash – Charlottetowne
930 Charlottetowne Avenue Charlotte, NC 28204 9:00 am – 1:30 pm Click here to register Saturday, April 16 Charlotte Blood Donation Center
2425 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28203 9 am – 2 pm Click here to register
Huntersville Blood Donation Center
9800 Kincey Avenue, Suite 110 Huntersville, NC 28078 8:30 am – 1 pm Click here to register
Autobell Car Wash – Stonecrest
5111 Piper Station Drive Charlotte, NC 28277 9:00 am – 2:30 pm Click here to register
Greensboro Blood Donation Center
1501 Yanceyville Street Greensboro, NC 27405 8 am – 1 pm Click here to register
Blood and platelet donors can feel confident that, by donating blood through the Red Cross, they are helping to ensure blood products are available for patients in more than 100 hospitals throughout the Carolinas Blood Services Region, as well as for hospital patients around the country. How to donate blood To donate blood, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor app; visit redcrossblood.org; or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information.
Media giant Oprah Winfrey is now planning on coming to Charlotte to address the graduating class at Johnson C. Smith University. She will be the keynote speaker at their spring commencement ceremony.
Winfrey, who turned her 25-season long talk show into a true media empire, has often used her influence to support education and empowerment worldwide. She now encourages people on her ‘best life now’ show, and raises money for women’s shelters and poor schools through Oprah’s Angel Network. The Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program has also granted millions in scholarships to students who have committed to giving back to their communities.
This year’s graduating class at JCSU includes two Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls graduates – Noluthando “Thando” Dlomo and Nompumelelo “Mpumi” Nobiva, who both graduated from a school she founded in South Africa.
The ceremony will be held in the Irwin Belk Complex on May 15 at 8 a.m.
After weeks of national outrage over North Carolina’s new HB2 bill, which limited the ability of cities to change their non-discrimination ordinances, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory just signed an executive order to add sweeping LGBT protections throughout the state.
Executive Order 93 now makes North Carolina one of 24 states to have sexual orientation and gender identity protections for all employees. It also gives private businesses and local governments the right to establish their own non-discrimination policies.
The order will seek legislation to reinstate the right to sue in state court for any type of work-place discrimination, including being fired or not being hired.
In 2014, Panthers fans were heartbroken to hear that Steve Smith would be leaving the team. But the wide receiver is returning to Charlotte to make one high school senior’s dream come true.
North Gaston High School student Aubrey Bridges was diagnosed with autism, a rare condition known as “Vein of Galen Malformation.” Because of this, she deals with auditory processing delays, and speech difficulties. VOGM can result in severe neurologic problems, but with treatment, the majority of children go on to live active and full lives.
With the help of the Dream on 3 organization, Bridges was contacted by Smith, asking her to prom. The heartwarming video can be seen below;
Watch this short video!Steve Smith, Sr. is asking one of our awesome #MollysKids if he can take her to her prom at North Gaston High School. Senior Aubrey Bridges was dying to go with someone – she now has the most incredible date.The amazing charity Dream On 3 showed Aubrey the NFL star's promposal… I mean, can you imagine being 18 years old and receiving this video text?… then videotaped her response. So smooth, Steve. But of course. It's you.Very cool.Can't wait for April 23rd.To learn more about Aubrey and the challenges she's overcome >> http://tinyurl.com/h2gf9a8#MollysKids
Harrisburg might soon annex a major chunk of Concord in order to create a massive new 132 acre industrial park off Mulberry Rd. Their town council will be holding a public meeting at 4100 Main St, Harrisburg this coming Monday at 6pm to finalize the decision.
The property is currently zoned as an Office-Institutional District in the town of Concord, but if the property were annexed into Harrisburg, the property become General Industrial – or I-2 zoning.
Developers need the new I-2 zoning to open a massive new industrial park with a variety of possible tenants, including: a technical and trade school; automobile repair, major and minor, including commercial trucks; auction sales-livestock only; abrasive products manufacturing; automobile race cars and parts manufacturing; burial casket manufacturing; cement/concrete (ready-mix) and concrete product manufacturing; industrial launderers and other uses.
One of the most popular fitness and sports center in the region is about to undergo a historic renovation. After 40 years in operation, the Lake Norman YMCA recently launched a $3 million renovation project.
Their goals are to; expand the size of the parking lot – from 129 spaces to 317, upgrade the workout equipment, and modernize the lobby and locker-rooms.
Staff will be turning to the community for fundraising help, similar to how the founders built the original facility back in the 1970s.
The upgrades and additions are sorely needed, not only due to the popularity of the Y, but also from the massive population growth of the area. When the facilities were originally built, Davidson had a total population of 2,931, and Cornelius was just under 1,300. Today, Davidson has roughly 12,000 residents and Cornelius has over 25,000.
Please share to show your support for a renovated Lake Norman Y;
A massive new $10 million mixed-use marketplace development has just opened for business after almost 2 years of construction. 
After weeks of national outrage over North Carolina’s new HB2 bill, which limited the ability of cities to change their non-discrimination ordinances, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory just signed an executive order to add sweeping LGBT protections throughout the state. 
