Posted on June 26, 2018

pproved a budget for FY 2018/2019 that includes an historic investment in Affordable Housing bonds — assuming voters approve them in a November referendum.

The $50 million in Affordable Housing Bonds are part of a $223 million bond package that also includes $118 million for streets and sidewalks, and $55 million for neighborhood improvements. Voters will be asked to approve the bonds on November 6th, and REBIC will partner with the Charlotte Regional REALTOR® Association and the Charlotte Chamber to advocate for their passage through a wide-ranging community campaign.

The budget approved by Council also includes the following:

Posted on June 25, 2018

The North Carolina General Assembly approved last week's legislation that would make substantive reforms to local building permitting and inspection processes both Mecklenburg County and statewide.

HB 948 – ‘Building Code Regulatory Reform‘ was sponsored by Rep. Mark Brody (Union), and makes some very beneficial changes to the permitting and inspection process that would benefit both home builders and commercial developers. They include:

• Clarifies existing language allowing a licensed architect/engineer to certify a component or element of a building, without the need for a city or county to inspect and approve that component.
• Gives the State Department of Insurance the statutory authority to assign Marketplace Pool inspectors to conduct an inspection in the event the local officials cannot provide one within 2 business days of a request.
• Provide greater flexibility for the State Q-Board to grant provisional licenses to Code Enforcement officials who are certified and in good standing in other states, which will help address the growing issue of inspector vacancies across North Carolina.

HB 948 is now awaiting Governor Cooper’s signature. Thanks to the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA) for their leadership on this critical piece of legislation.

Posted on June 22, 2018

The Matthews Town Board this week held a public hearing on a proposal to create a new Zoning Overlay District that would make the land use and development policies in three Small Area Plans enforceable on all new development, regardless of whether or not a rezoning is involved.

REBIC spoke against the proposal, as did a small group of property owners who shared our concerns about the restrictions the Overlay would place on their property. The Overlay would impact all parcels in three Small Area Plans adopted by the Town between 2014 and 2017:

• The Monroe Small Area Plan (page 118 of the Town’s Land Use Plan), stretching northward along Monroe Rd between Hwy 51 and the Town limits;
• The Entertainment District Small Area Plan, covering a large geography around the Matthews Sportsplex; and,
• The E. John St./Outer Loop Small Area Plan (page 172 of the Town’s Land Use Plan), covering an area south of the I-485 / E. John St interchange.

While a Land Use Plan serves a policy guide, a zoning overlay district has the force of law on all property in its defined geography, and supersedes any zoning rights in the underlying district. The proposed Overlay District would incorporate policies ranging from building design to lot setbacks, and apply to both new development and redevelopment in all three Small Area Plan geographies.

Posted on June 11, 2018

We are proud to introduce our new association members! The following is a list of individuals who have joined NAIOP Charlotte since March 15, 2018:

• Jon Allen, Griffin Brothers Companies
• Bita Asgari, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Laura Beaver, Gensler
• Michael Clark, Wells Fargo Bank
• Robert Day, Kimley-Horn
• Colee Haisten, Holder Construction Company
• Brian Harrison, Greer Walker
• Robert Jones, Crescent Communities, LLC
• Anna Karageorgiou, Monroe-Union County Economic Development
• Lisa Kincaid, Alfred Williams & Company
• Alan Lewis, The Keith Corporation
• Emily Reynolds, K&L Gates
• Austin Watts, Kimley-Horn
• Philip Wesbury, Builtech Services, LLC

Posted on June 6, 2018

On May 30, 2018, the three chapters of NAIOP North Carolina, visited capitol hill to advocate.  A special thanks to Jason Moore (Charlotte Legislative Committee Chair) and Joe Padilla (REBIC) for helping coordinate visits with legislators to speak about the commercial real estate perspective.  While this is a short session (this means the time of the session is short, but also that new legislation cannot be introduced), it is of critical importance the state senators and representatives know who NAIOP is and what we represent. 

The key areas of discussion are around regulatory reform, economic development and tax reform.  To view the NAIOP NC 2018 Legislative Priorities, click here.  A special thanks goes to the following legislators that took their time to meet with us directly:

• Chris Thomas
• Jason Moore
• George Lyles
• Jim Gamble
• Tim Robertson

Posted on May 10, 2018

On Wednesday, May 9, 2018, NAIOP Charlotte hosted a form for more than 90 people on the upcoming Mecklenburg Tax Revaluation and the impacts of Federal Tax Reform on Commercial Real Estate.  A special thanks to our speakers:  Bobbi Jo Lazarus, Elliott Davis, Ken Joyner and Christy Lantis, both from the Mecklenburg County Tax Assessors. 

The rates and structures of taxes are changing and impacting commercial real estate dramatically.  Each presenter encouraged commercial real estate firms to become educated on the opportunities and impacts for their properties and organizations.  Click below to view the PowerPoint presentations.

• Tax Reform by Bobbi Jo Lazarus, Elliott Davis
• Tax Revaluation by Ken Joyner, Mecklenburg County Tax Assessors Office (updated May 2018; data within may change over time as the revaluation is a work in progress)
  

Click here to view photos from the event.

Posted on April 25, 2018

2018 NAIOP Charlotte/CRCBR Clay Shooting Tournament

Thank you to everyone who came out on Thursday, April 19, for the NAIOP Charlotte and CRCBR Annual Clay Shooting Tournament at Meadow Wood Farm.

Click here to view photos from the event.

Top Overall Team
Charlie Guiraud
Jay Hendrix
Sean McDonnell

Top Overall Male Shooter
Matt Ferlisi

Posted on April 24, 2018

The REBIC Primary Election Voter Guide is now available. View below or click here to view.

Posted on April 19, 2018

By: Ashley Fahey

The first female president of NAIOP Charlotte has a sizable agenda for her leadership term this year.

Cheryl Steele, member at Charlotte law firm Horack Talley, began her presidency late last year at the local NAIOP chapter, part of the national organization that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. NAIOP is a commercial real estate development association that includes networking and educational events as well as advocacy for legislation on behalf of its members, most of whom work in commercial real estate, at the national, state and local level.

Posted on March 15, 2018

NAIOP Charlotte is pleased to announce our 2018 Board of Directors.

President - Cheryl Steele, Horack Talley
President Elect - Tracy Dodson, Lincoln Harris
Secretary - Scott Harris, Choate Construction
Treasurer - Alyson Craig, UNC Charlotte | Childress Klein Center for Real Estate
Immediate Past President - Brendan Pierce, The Keith Corporation
Past President - Jim Gamble, Bohler Engineering

Click here for a full list of the 2018 NAIOP Board of Directors

Posted on March 13, 2018

We are proud to introduce our new association members! The following is a list of individuals who have joined NAIOP Charlotte since October 5, 2017:

• Timothy Bahr, Healthcare Realty
• Justin Bishop, JLL Bank of America
• John Brock, Edwards Construction Services
• Andreane Champagne, DCE Solar
• Lee Deal, Trademark Visual
• Michael Duganich, TD Bank N.A.
• Sabrena Fernandez, Spangler Restoration
• Mohammed Idlibi, UNCC - MSRE
• George Jenison, Jenison Construction Incorporated
• John Alexander Kincaid, Southside Constructors Inc.
• Jim Langlois, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
• Bradley Loman, GreerWalker LLP
• Stephen McClure, The Spectrum Companies
• Derek Meachum, Momentum Construction
• Scott Muller, Trademark Visual
• Brian Richards, Beacon Partners
• Brian Simpson, M+A Architects
• Michael Tuck, Samet Corporation
• Cary Watts, Burton Engineering Associates

Posted on March 7, 2018

With capacity challenges mounting in numerous basins across the City, Charlotte Water is taking steps to assure developers they’ll have the sewer taps for their projects when the need arises.

Charlotte Water announced this week that it will now be extending its capacity reservations from 12 to 24 months, effective for all connection applications approved on or after January 1st, 2017.  As a result, there will be no expiring capacity reservations for 2018.

The Capacity Assurance Program (CAP) started in 2017, as a way for developers to reserve sanitary sewer capacity after a capacity review is completed and a connection is approved. The program reviews the capacity of the system from the point of connection through the local gravity system, through trunk lines and eventually to the wastewater treatment plants. It ensures that new connections to wastewater treatment system won’t overwhelming existing pipes and plants. 

Posted on March 6, 2018

The City of Charlotte is a little more than a year into a multi-year effort to draft a comprehensive Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which will update the policies and regulations that guide land use and development in Charlotte. When finished, the UDO will combine zoning districts and development ordinances in a single document that should allow for more a streamlined regulatory process.

The two major components of the UDO will include:

Posted on March 5, 2018

The City of Charlotte has released a draft of its Transit-Oriented Development A (TOD-A) ordinance, which would allow higher-density, mixed-used development within a quarter-mile of transit stations like the CATS Blue Line.

TOD-A is the first of at least 4 transit-oriented zoning districts that the Planning Department plans to unveil in the next few months, and is intended to accommodate the highest-intensity development along the transit corridor, with allowable building heights as tall as 250′.

After setting base densities and building standards, the ordinance uses a voluntary points system to incentivize developers to meet aesthetic design, open space and affordable housing objectives through allowances for greater building heights.

Posted on February 26, 2018

The City of Charlotte has released a draft of its Transit-Oriented Development A (TOD-A) ordinance, which would allow higher-density, mixed-used development within a quarter-mile of transit stations like the CATS Blue Line.

TOD-A is the first of at least 4 transit-oriented zoning districts that the Planning Department plans to unveil in the next few months, and is intended to accommodate the highest-intensity development along the transit corridor, with allowable building heights as tall as 250′.

After setting base densities and building standards, the ordinance uses a voluntary points system to incentivize developers to meet aesthetic design, open space and affordable housing objectives through allowances for greater building heights.

Posted on February 23, 2018

As you know, the Charlotte Planning Department has been working hard on the Charlotte Place Types and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a citywide effort aimed at updating the policies and regulation that guide growth and development in our community.

As part of this project, they are hosting a Coffee Talk on Friday, March 23^rd, from 8am – 9:30am at the Charlotte Powerhouse Studio.  The Coffee Talk will feature Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department and Mitchell Silver, FAICP.  Mitch Silver served as Chief Planning and Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, NC and is the immediate past president of the American Planning Association (APA). He currently serves as the New York City Parks Commissioner and is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues.

Posted on February 22, 2018

Join CREW Charlotte for a fun-filled night of networking with the most influential real estate professionals in the Charlotte area! Come play your favorite games at CREW's 12th Annual Casino and Gaming Night.  We will still have casino games but have added interactive games such as skee ball, pop-a-shot, air hockey, giant Jenga and more!  Interested in sponsoring a game for $350?  Please contact Patty Drummond.

Raffle tickets are available for a Pigeon Forge Mountain Cabin ($10 per ticket, 5 for $40). For more information on the cabin, please click here. 

Posted on February 21, 2018

Thursday's Rules Review Commission meeting in Raleigh yielded an effective date of March 1, 2018, for N.C. Session Law 2017-10, formerly known as SB131. There’s a portion of this law that exempts buildings with primary occupancies of F (factory), S (storage) or U (utility/misc.) from certain energy efficiency standards. 

So, customers who plan to apply for permits to be issued on or after March 1 have the option of utilizing N.C. Session Law 2017-10. Again, this applies only to buildings with a primary occupancy of F, S or U.

Posted on January 30, 2018

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department has been diligently working on Charlotte Place Types and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a city-wide effort aimed at updating the policies and regulations that guide growth and development in our community. The project is scheduled to meet some major milestones in 2018 with a draft Place Types Policy Document ready for public review in August and adoption of new Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning districts expected in December. The success of this project is dependent upon receiving input all our community stakeholders and we believe your organization can help us reach an important audience. Therefore, would you please take a minute to:

• Sign up for updates at charlotteudo.org for blog posts, upcoming events, and quarterly newsletters;
• Like @CLTPlanning on Facebook for fun facts, relevant articles, and short surveys. 

Posted on January 10, 2018

Join NAIOP NC as we celebrate the "Best of the Best" in North Carolina's Commercial Real Estate Industry on Thursday, March 22, 2018 during the NAIOP NC Conference at Pinehurst Resort.

Now Accepting Nominations

Awards are given to acknowledge achievements in NAIOP participation, development, and other special categories to include:

• Developer of the Year
• Project of the Year
• Developing Leader of the Year

 Award Submissions are accepted online or by email to [email protected].