WSTB

Interesting tidbit: Winston-Salem-based BB&T is now the clear No. 2 in the number of bank branches in the Charlotte area, supplanting Bank of America in its own headquarters city, new data from the FDIC shows. BB&T now has 72 branches in the metropolitan area, two more than it did last year. Meanwhile, Bank of America has cut five branches, bringing its total to 65. Both banks are well behind Wells Fargo, which has expanded on the branch network inherited from Charlotte-based Wachovia to bring its total to 97. The branch counts, which encompass Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord and Rock Hill, come from the federal government's annual snapshot of local market share released

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/0 ... kqsuj_ZV8E#storylink=cpy

Interesting article from the Charlotte Observer. Let's hope that Visit Winston-Salem will be very active in working to recruit events not only to LJVM Coliseum in conjunction with the GSO Coliseum staff, but at Wake's other athletic facilities such as BB&T Field, the Tennis center etc...

The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority are working to find tenants for four rent-free dates at Bank of America Stadium but haven’t yet lined up any blockbuster events for the first half of 2014. As part of last year’s $87.5 million agreement between the city and the Carolina Panthers for stadium renovations, the NFL team agreed to provide the city and CRVA with four rent-free dates in the first half of the year, for six years. Each rent-free date is worth $250,000.

In addition, the Belk Bowl doesn’t have to pay rent, and benefited from the deal for its Dec. 28 game. The total value of the rent-free dates is $1.25 million a year for six years. But to realize that value, the city and CRVA must find someone who needs a 73,000-seat stadium. Tenants could include concerts or international soccer matches.

Charlotte Deputy City Manager Ron Kimble, who was the city’s main negotiator with the Panthers last year, said the city hasn’t booked any events. “But we are working diligently on one particular major event, as well as other possibilities at this time,” Kimble said in an e-mail to the Observer. The idea behind the rent-free dates is that a large concert or sporting event will attract thousands of out-of-town visitors, who will stay in area hotels and eat in restaurants.

The Belk Bowl wasn’t in danger of leaving the city. But with the bowl no longer having to pay rent, Kimble has said it can use the saved money to increase its payout to participating teams. That can increase the bowl’s prestige. Starting in December, the Belk Bowl will host a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference, which is considered the most prestigious of all college football conferences.

During negotiations with the Panthers, the city tried to include the ACC football championship among the rent-free dates. But Kimble said the Panthers resisted that proposal. The ACC Championship has been played in Charlotte for the past four years. Its current contract with the city has expired, though the ACC has indicated it would like to keep the game in Charlotte.

Before booking any events, Kimble said, the city and CRVA must determine the team’s construction plans for the stadium, which will undergo a significant renovation. The team has said it plans to install new videoboards and escalators, among other improvements.

In exchange for the $87.5 million, the team agreed to a six-year “hard tether” to remain in Charlotte. Negotiations about a longer tether are expected to start as early as two years from now. If the CRVA fails to use all of its available rent-free dates, the unused dates can roll over to the future, Kimble said.

I was looking at Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark, expecting something amazing (I thought Winston-Salem would lose it's best ballpark in N.C., title), and while the inside area is nice, the outside looks dated already. Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark reminds me of the old 1988 Charlotte Coliseum on the exterior (same architects). Yes, the outside has a late 1980s look to it. While the inside is nice, they made the same pressbox blocking the concourse mistake Winston-Salem made. A few ballpark lovers have commented on that. I can see the influence of Winston-Salem's ballpark on Charlotte's ballpark interior. I think Winston-Salem still has the best ballpark in the state. A look at the light standards proves that. I love the skyline view and neighboring park though. I'm not bashing Charlotte and it's good to see minor league baseball return. Maybe we can see an awesome MLB ballpark replace this ballpark in Uptown in another 20-25 years? (likely dreaming, but it's a nice dream) I've wanted to see MLB in Uptown or Durham for the past 21 years. I'm not really a fan of baseball, but I love the ballparks themselves and their sometimes dramatic views.

If Charlotte continues to grow at the current rate they will probably get an MLB team in less than 20 years.

Charlotte gets ribbed in the Onion. All press is good press.


http://www.theonion.com/articles/horrif ... /?ref=auto

Didn't they know that Greedsboro is developing an aerotropolis over at the "regional" airport?

Curtiss-Wright Corp., a manufacturing company with roots that stretch to the Wright Brothers, has moved its headquarters to Charlotte, providing a boost to the Charlotte area’s defense and aerospace sector, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday. After decades in New Jersey, the company’s headquarters officially shifted to Charlotte on Jan. 1, said Jim Ryan, director of investor relations. David Adams, who was promoted to chief executive in August, is based in Charlotte.

Curtiss-Wright, which had more than $2 billion in sales in 2012, isn’t new to the area. A subsidiary called Curtiss-Wright Controls has an engineering facility in Gastonia and opened a headquarters in Ballantyne in 2005. Before becoming co-chief operating officer of the overall company in 2008, Adams was the president of Curtiss-Wright Controls.

Charlotte Business Journa reports:

Baseball fans aren't the only ones excited about the upcoming opening of the Charlotte Knights' first season at the new BB&T Ballpark uptown.
WBTV reports that restaurants in the area are looking to score big on game days. Barbecue restaurant Queen City Q and nearby pizza joint Mellow Mushroom are among those beefing up their staff and inventories as opening day approaches, according to the report.

The Knights' home opener is April 11. Fans flocked to the team's nearly completed uptown stadium on Saturday, snapping up tickets as soon as they went on sale.

Here's a story on Charlotte's new VA outpatient center. Wonder why it didn't get moved out to Kannapolis, Gastonia or Rock Hill to better serve the veterans in that region like the one in Winston had to be placed in K'ville to better serve Triad and NW North Carolina veterans. I cannot believe that Winston is the home of a US Senator that sits on the Veterans Affairs committee and could not get this placed in the IQ.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/ne ... -care.html

What makes you think that he even tried, zalo?

Good point

I can.

Senator Burr has been as ineffective and faceless as one could expect when it comes to North Carolina, much less the Triad. Only Hagan is WORSE. Forget any pork coming our way, they know we can make our own.....this is North Carolina. Just today Fox8 reports that I-74 in Forsyth is crumbling. We can't depend on Obama and his infrastructure money either....he's too busy drawing red lines around himself.

I feel your beat, Zalo, on the VA issue. But just be glad it is getting built in Kville, and not further down the road as an add on to the VA hospital in Salisbury. At least it's in Forsyth County.

Yes, at least the jobs are being captured in the Winston MSA. Although, it sure would have been nice to not only have 500 employees and all those patients populating downtown on a daily basis but an infusion of $150 million in taxable buildings to place on the City's tax rolls would have been most welcome. The opportunity of some of those VA workers to also be tenants in the multiple apartment projects developing downtown would be great as well.

Charlotte gets ribbed again . . . this time by The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/1 ... 41553.html

The workers are really getting hosed...living in K'ville over a good downtown Winston Salem location? I would love to know their opinion on the matter.

That's pretty harsh...it's obviously mostly sarcasm, but I'm sure people who don't understand that will laugh at it for all the wrong reasons. If it isn't sarcasm then it's just mean and ignorant.