Today, Historical West End Partners (HWEP) announces the acquisition of a new shopping center located at 1121 Beatties Ford Road. Through collaboration with LISC Charlotte, HWEP’s $1.3 million purchase was financed by Uwharrie Bank and a PRI grant from Fifth Third Bank’s Neighborhood Investment Program.

Known as the Thrive Food Hub, the 6,148 square-foot shopping center has a corner store, a renovated commercial kitchen space for up-and-coming restaurant owners and an open space for meetings and dining. DPR Construction provided in-kind renovations totaling $300,000 to upfit the existing space.

“The retention of commercial properties, recruitment of small businesses, and filling the gap in services and amenities is an important part of our mission,” said Founder and Executive Director of HWEP, J’Tanya Adams. “This purchase is one of the tools that will empower us to offer the services our community needs, by taking space and activating it.”

The space has two current tenants: Beatties Ford Corner Mart and Bite Your Tongue Authentic New Orleans Cuisine. HWEP will hold monthly small business meetings for its Historic West End Business Association in the meeting space. The organization has a goal to add two restaurateurs as resident chefs and a rotating list of pop-up restaurants that may utilize the kitchen space.

The convenience store will offer fresh food options, including EBT-eligible foods, relieving one of the city’s largest food deserts.

“Historic West End Partners is making incredible strides in supporting the small business ecosystem in Historic West End,” said LISC Charlotte Executive Director, Ralphine Caldwell. “We offer capacity support to HWEP to see more and more businesses receive the technical support, funding and training that they need to grow and thrive. This acquisition of 1121 Beatties Ford would not have been possible without our partners, and we look forward to seeing the great return on their investment to this locally-owned commercial property and space.”

HWEP is currently interviewing potential business owners. Operating hours will vary based on each business.

Updates and more details can be found on the Historic West End Partners website here.

Rock Hill, SC, has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the ‘Best Places to Live for Families‘, ranking #41 on the list. This accolade was announced on the City of Rock Hill’s social media earlier today. Notably, Rock Hill is the only South Carolina city to make the list, with Wake Forest, NC, also featured at #25, just behind Fargo, North Dakota and Georgetown, Kentucky.

Fortune Magazine praised Rock Hill’s family-friendly environment and quiet atmosphere, highlighting its appeal for employees of nearby Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America and Lowe’s. The city’s tech incubator, Knowledge Park, was commended for attracting over $100 million in redevelopment and investment plans.

Experts note that all generations are increasingly drawn to places that support health beyond traditional health care models. Sharecare surveyed over 5 million Americans to calculate a city’s Community Well-Being Index, which was factored into Fortune’s analysis. With more Americans caring for both children and aging parents, multigenerational living is becoming more important. The National Association of Realtors reports nearly one in five Gen X homebuyers and many first-time millennial and Gen Z homebuyers are planning for multigenerational homes.

The federal government just awarded North Carolina $139 million to protect land that captures and stores carbon. Gov. Roy Cooper organized a four-state coalition to secure these federal funds for projects such as planting urban trees, reforesting land, and controlling coastal erosion. These initiatives aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and flooding.

Award recipients estimate that these projects will prevent nearly 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions by 2050, comparable to the emissions of 5 million homes over 25 years. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit partner, will rewet North Carolina’s peatlands, which store carbon when wet.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources collaborated with multiple state agencies and nonprofits to apply for the funding. This “Atlantic Conservation Coalition” will conserve and restore peatland wetlands, coastal habitats, and forests. The grant, supported by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, is one of the largest awarded by the EPA for nature-based climate solutions.

In North Carolina, the grant will support the directives of Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 305, which aims to conserve and restore natural lands by 2040. The state plans to restore 600 acres of coastal habitats, reforest 55,000 acres, plant 1,200 urban trees, and add 3,300 acres to the state park system.

“Protecting our natural lands for future generations is not only critical to our fight against climate change but also our state’s economy and tourism industries,” said Governor Roy Cooper in a press release. “This major award from the Biden-Harris administration will strengthen our bipartisan partnership to conserve and restore public and private lands across state lines.”

Charlotte Premium Outlets just announced their 10th anniversary celebration, kicking off with 10 days of giveaways and culminating with a day-long special event, packed with activities and treats for the entire family. Happy to set up interviews beforehand or invite you to the center to help promote.

Now, from July 21 – 30, follow the Charlotte Premium Outlets on Instagram (@charpremoutlets) for your chance to win one of its 10 days of giveaways prizes. Prizes include gift cards and items from 10 of our original tenants including Nike, Guess, Kay Jewelers, Samsonite and more.

Charlotte FC’s Liel Abada has been selected to represent Israel at the Paris Olympics. He will join Israel’s national team this week against the national team.

Israel qualified for the Olympic tournament for the first time since 1976 by reaching the semifinals of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 championship. The soccer competition begins on July 24, two days before the Games officially open. Israel will face Mali at Parc des Princes in their first match.

Abada will leave Charlotte FC after Wednesday’s match against the Columbus Crew. Depending on Israel’s progress, he will miss at least three games, including one league match against Austin FC and two Leagues Cup matches. Abada has started 12 of his first 14 games with Charlotte, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

Israel’s group includes Paraguay and Japan, with matches scheduled for July 27 and July 30. Despite Israel’s historic Olympic qualification, the team faces a challenging group. They beat Brazil in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup and Japan in group play.

The Olympic soccer tournament is an Under-23 event, with FIFA allowing three players over 23 on each roster. This will be Israel’s 18th appearance at the Summer Olympics, though they missed the Moscow 1980 Games due to the U.S.-led boycott. Israel’s 18-man soccer team is part of the country’s 88-athlete contingent for the Paris Games.

Liel Abada last played for Israel’s national team in the EURO 2024 Qualification Semi-Final, where they lost to Iceland. Despite this setback, the 22-year-old now has the chance to showcase his talent on the international stage and compete for an Olympic medal.

You 𝑨𝑩𝑨𝑫𝑨 believe it!

Liel Abada has been called up to the Israel National Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics 🫡 pic.twitter.com/rpuEfVi0Ru

— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) July 2, 2024

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics soccer competition schedule for Israel is as follows:

• July 24 – Mali vs Israel
• July 27 – Israel vs Paraguay
• July 30 – Israel vs Japan

Liel Abada quickly became a key player for Charlotte FC, scoring his first goal within 179 minutes of joining the club. He scored twice in a 3-2 win over Atlanta United and is currently the third-highest goal scorer for Charlotte FC.

The Lowe’s Foundation awarded Central Piedmont Community College $1 million as a part of today’s select group of community and technical colleges receiving Gable Grants. Since awarding its first grants one year ago, the foundation has assisted in expanding skilled trades career pathways through its growing network of 35 community colleges and nonprofits in rural and urban communities across 27 states.

CPCC will significantly increase its capacity for skilled trades training and construction-related certifications. Infrastructure support includes renovating lab space and bringing mobile learning cottages to other campuses and into the community. The mobile learning cottages will remove transportation barriers and bring new training opportunities in construction, electrical, HVAC and plumbing training throughout Charlotte.

“With enrollments rising at vocationally focused schools, these community colleges are blossoming arenas for entrepreneurship and economic mobility,” said Janice Dupré, the chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Each college has a clear, inspired vision for closing the trades gap in its community, and we’re pleased to welcome them to our larger movement.”

CPCC President, Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer said, “Construction and the skilled trades have been part of Central Piedmont’s program offerings since the college opened its doors more than 60 years ago. Our students learn quickly that these are versatile, high-demand careers with endless opportunities for growth and advancement, and we place a high priority on producing skilled trades professionals who can hit the ground running.”

From funding new skilled trades facilities and instructors to accreditation programs, the grants will support carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliance repair training. These grants build on the foundation’s first cohort of community college Gable Grants announced in 2023 and are the latest in the Lowe’s Foundation’s five-year, $50 million commitment to support the training of 50,000 people for skilled trades careers.

Since 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation has awarded approximately $25 million in Gable Grants to 35 organizations offering innovative and scalable skilled trades training across the U.S.

The next grant application cycle for community-based nonprofits will run from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31. To learn more about the pressing challenges facing the skilled trades, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.

North Carolina transportation leaders are seeking public input on improving traffic flow on Independence Boulevard from Uptown Charlotte to Matthews.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold a meeting from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at East Mecklenburg High School Cafeteria, located at 6800 Monroe Road, Charlotte. This meeting aims to inform the public about the proposed project and gather input on the design.

The current U.S. 74 widening project includes adding an express lane and a general-purpose lane from west of Idlewild Road to I-485. This will result in one toll lane and three general-purpose lanes along Independence Boulevard. The $900 million project is projected to start in 2027.

Additionally, NCDOT proposed express lanes along U.S. 74 from I-277 to Idlewild Road, converting five miles of bus lanes into express lanes with a direct connector to Albemarle Road. If approved, this $105 million project is expected to begin in 2029.

The proposed project also includes improvements to interchanges along Independence Boulevard to ease congestion for drivers accessing the highway.

NCDOT representatives will be available at the meeting to answer questions and receive comments. Public input is crucial, and comments can be submitted at the meeting or via phone at (984) 205-6615, entering project code 1306, email, or NCDOT’s public input portal by Aug. 9, 2024.

Public feedback will help shape these plans to enhance traffic flow and reduce congestion on this busy corridor. The public can view project information at NCDOT’s public input portal.