Ballantyne, NC – The first Monday of the month is traditionally the ‘workshop’ mode for the city council. The breakfast meeting on October 29th opened with talk of the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee meeting this next Monday. ‘Workshop’ meetings are a ‘preview’ of the topics soon coming to the board. The University [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The first Monday of the month is traditionally the ‘workshop’ mode for the city council. The breakfast meeting on October 29th opened with talk of the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee meeting this next Monday. ‘Workshop’ meetings are a ‘preview’ of the topics soon coming to the board. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte(U.N.C.C.) has just completed a study for the city on ‘affordable housing’. ‘Low income’ families are defined by the federal government as those who pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent/mortgage and utilities. This study has concluded that Charlotte has 24,179 people who fall into this ‘low income’ group. In addition, Charlotte also has 5, 066 who are living in affordable housing that are ‘non-burdened’. The ‘non-burdened’ can afford to spend less than 30% of their gross income on rent/mortgage and utilities. In addition, the council will have a briefing on how ‘trust fund’ dollars are used for ‘affordable housing’. The city requires 24 – 100 units be at each site. 24 units is the minimum needed for onsite management. The city would like the city regulations to line up with the state and federal governments regulations on ‘affordable housing’. The federal government requires 60% Area Median Income(A.M.I.).

Are the regulations the same? ‘Subsidized housing’ goals want the housing to be: dispersed, diverse, school development alongside, avoid undue concentration and have a transit corridor policy. Exemptions to the ‘locational policy’ are the elderly and the physically disabled. ‘New’ construction can only be in ‘stable’ areas. The city has to deem the area ‘stable’. The city has been divided into neighborhood statistical areas (N.S.A.’s). There can not be in any one area with more than 5% ‘affordable housing’. This type of housing raises the costs of building and reinforces a stigma. Can this goal be accomplished with city funds only? If the developer applies for state and federal funding does this policy still apply? Actually, there is an ‘informal loophole’ in the city policy. The city formerly had a ‘housing trust fund committee’ to help run these ‘affordable housing’ ideas. The housing bonds fund this type of housing. The new board replacing the ‘housing trust fund committee’ is the ‘community housing board’. The ‘housing trust fund’ had real-estate lawyers and real-estate experts. This new board is made up of people from ‘non-profit’ service backgrounds. How will this alter the committee? Developers can apply for a ‘waiver’ from these policies. Can these three government entities work together for these ‘affordable housing’ groups? Can city policies cause good change in ‘affordable housing’? This coming Monday, November 1st, the council will hear the full report of this study done by U.N.C.C.

Charlotte needs new transit corridors. Where are the bus lines on state highway 51 from Matthews to Carolina Place Mall? The Metropolitan Transit Committee does not like advertising on public transportation. Bus shelters are built at bus stops with more than 25 riders at that stop. If fewer than 25 riders use that bus stop than there is no shelter. Carolyn Flowers is the Head of the Metropolitan Transit Committee. Is Adams Outdoor Advertising interested in building bus shelters? Is it possible to make build ‘affordable housing’ to coordinate with the current transit corridors?

Ken Gjertsen, former school board member, was present to talk about the new board policies. The board has new ‘guiding principal’s’ policy and ‘home’ schools are the priority ‘type’ of school. Waddell High School is in an industrial park. Does Dr. Waddell want to delay the November 9th vote? Waddell High is now off the ‘closing’ list and now Harding High is on the list. There is a backlash at Harding as a result. Thursday of this week, most of the students at Harding did not go to class. They chose to stand in the yard at the school protesting. When Mr. Gjertsen was on the school board, the board had policy training. Mr. Gjertsen thinks the present board should create a policy with specifics on how the board closes schools. Mr. Gjertsen believes this would alleviate some of the daily changes in the ‘closing’ list. The only question would be one such as: ‘Did the superintendent follow the policy?’

Essentially what some board members are doing now is ‘demographic gerrymandering’ of the schools on the ‘closing’ list. Some current board members like not having a ‘policy’ that dictates board decisions. In 1999 or 2000, Larry Gauvreau, also a former board member, passed a measure to make it illegal to bus children in Charlotte due to race. At that time the board spent $500 million on new schools with 11,000 empty seats. F.U.M.E. is an organization the current board member, Rhonda Lennon, helped to start. F.U.M.E. does not want the children on the north side of Charlotte to be bused anywhere ‘too far’ to school. Families United for North Mecklenburg Education (F.U.M.E.) as an organization that wants new schools on the north side of the county. Dr. Gorman and the current board can not make up their minds about which schools to put on the ‘closing’ list. A few years ago, School Board Chairman Eric Davis was on a bond oversight committee. Currently the school system is poised to loose a grant due to these possible school closings. Is this Good or Bad?

The election in Charlotte is next Tuesday, November 2nd. There is no line for early voting in Ballantyne. Early voting is in the Hays Building on North Community House Road. At the South County Library there are LONG lines. We now have polling available on how well early voting is going. Early predictions are that 27-28 seats will go Republican in the North Carolina State House. In District 40 Malcolm Graham is the incumbent. The Charlotte Observer is backing Mr. Graham versus John Annarella. Vilma Leake, Board of Commissioners of the County, did not know until this week that she had any opposition. Ms. Leake did not mount a campaign. The Charlotte Observer is not endorsing Corey Thompson, or Jennifer Roberts but is endorsing Mulvaney, Cogdell and Pendergraft.

Michael Barnes has a new T.V. commercial ad for his campaign. The Observer cited several reasons for not endorsing Chairperson Jennifer Roberts. These reasons are: the county’s failures like an employee embezzling money from the ‘Giving Tree’, the ‘Open Door’ program had illegal credit card use and the fact the Ms. Roberts is not taking problems seriously. Jeff Taylor from ‘Meck Deck’ was wondering about Dan Murray’s ad. Mr. Murray states in the ad ‘ I’m fighting for you’. Who is Dan Murray fighting?

More predictions, Republicans will the majority of both Chambers of the North Carolina and districts will be redrawn. Will citizens be required to show a photo ID in order to vote? Will Governor Beverly Purdue veto this bill? Joe Hackney and Thom Tillis are both Republicans running for office. How will they vote? Bob Rucho is upset about the $700 million dollars in funding ‘wild, unknown’ projects. Can the state budget be looked at by each line item? Will the republicans cut C.M.S. spending? Will the school employees unionize? Will this excessive spending stop? Will the republicans become the ‘new majority’?

Here is a list of the offices for the Ballantyne area:
CONG DIST 9
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 39
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 105
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 26
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 26C
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 6
SCHOOL BOARD DIST 6
CHARLOTTE
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7

Susan J. Spaulding
Public Policy Writer
Ballantyne Scoop

By Aimee Burns Local Editorial Contributor

Have you ever walked, run or ridden you’re bike along the Greenway? Now that the Four Mile Creek Greenway connects to the McMullen and Lower McAlpine Greenway everyone wants to include an outdoor activity as part of a healthy lifestyle…and they should! It’s exhilarating, healthy, [...]]]>

By Aimee Burns
Local Editorial Contributor

Have you ever walked, run or ridden you’re bike along the Greenway? Now that the Four Mile Creek Greenway connects to the McMullen and Lower McAlpine Greenway everyone wants to include an outdoor activity as part of a healthy lifestyle…and they should! It’s exhilarating, healthy, but a bit of a chore to access, if you live outside the I-485 corridor. Living south of I-485 means you have to drive to access any part of the McMullen Creek/Lower McAlpine Creek and Four Mile Creek Greenways. There is absolutely NO SAFE pedestrian or bike route along Lancaster Highway, Johnston Road, Elm Lane, Rea Road, or Providence Road from outside the I-485 corridor to the inside where all the greenway access points are located. To compound the frustration, parking is always an issue during peak times.

We have to load up our bikes on a rack, drive our cars, find a parking spot, and then get the bikes down just to enjoy a nice ride along the greenway. When we’re done, we get to load them back onto our rack, and drive home. Wouldn’t it be so much better if we could just skip the car portion, and just ride our bikes to the Greenway?

Actually, the McMullen Creek and Lower McAlpine Creek cross underneath the I-485 right behind the Ballantyne Corporate Office Park. A solution to creating connectivity and increasing customers in the Ballantyne Village area is as simple as installing a pedestrian bridge. Not to mention, the ease of access for local schools, YMCA’s, walking, running, and bike clubs!

In recent years, Charlotte has recognized that we need to improve the connectivity in and amongst our communities. A pedestrian bridge would alleviate parking congestion, improve business activity in the Ballantyne Village area, allow alternative commuting options, reduce the dependence on vehicles, and increase greenway usage among residents south of the I-485 and thereby increase the health and well-being of our community.

If a pedestrian bridge was installed just south of I-485, next to Ballantyne Corporate Park, then all the residents living in this area could access the greenway without having to get in their vehicle. If they choose to drive, then there is ample parking in the back of Ballantyne Corporate Park. In addition to connectivity and parking availability, this would also increase customer flow to the many shops and restaurants in the Ballantyne Village area…it seems like a win-win to me. I believe the county and city should give this small project with so much potential, much more consideration.

Please feel free to post your comments here or email them to Caroline@BallantyneScoop.com.

Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies held its 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest on Knotts Green in Ballantyne Corporate Park on Wednesday, September 22. Nearly 30 contestants from the tenants in the Chandler, Simmons and Hixon office buildings competed in the nine hole putting contest hosted by The Bissell Companies. More [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies held its 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest on Knotts Green in Ballantyne Corporate Park on Wednesday, September 22. Nearly 30 contestants from the tenants in the Chandler, Simmons and Hixon office buildings competed in the nine hole putting contest hosted by The Bissell Companies. More than 1,000 tenants enjoyed lunch and cheering on their company representative, just outside of their office building. Knotts Green is located between the three office buildings in the heart of Ballantyne Corporate Park and is a popular amenity for many tenants. The winner of the Knotts Cup was Denny Ward with State Farm. David Colson from the Better Business Bureau won the contest the past three years in a row so it was fun to have a new contestant win. David Bradford with The Hanover Insurance Group took second place and Brian Parrish with Merrill Lynch came in third place.

Photos courtesy of The Bissell Companies

This year’s participants in the 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest

Winner Denny Ward, State Farm Insurance, poses with his trophy.

L to R: Judie Kellett, Director of Retail & Golf Operations, The Golf Club at Ballantyne; Ryan Newell, Bissell Land Management; Winner Denny Ward, State Farm Insurance; Blair Prentice, Property Manager, The Bissell Companies; Linda Lemmons, Tenant Liaison, The Golf Club at Ballantyne

Winner Denny Ward with his colleagues at State Farm Insurance.

Ballantyne, NC – Bissell Development announces the construction of the Calhoun Building, a new speculative 140,000 square foot office building in Ballantyne Corporate Park and one of only a handful of speculative office projects under construction in the country. Named in honor of community leader Andy C. Calhoun, the Class A building [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – Bissell Development announces the construction of the Calhoun Building, a new speculative 140,000 square foot office building in Ballantyne Corporate Park and one of only a handful of speculative office projects under construction in the country. Named in honor of community leader Andy C. Calhoun, the Class A building will be located on North Community House Road and complete the four building campus-like set overlooking the 12th hole of The Golf Club at Ballantyne. Set for completion in April 2011 and built to LEED Gold specifications, Calhoun will feature six-stories and free structured parking. Calhoun will be Bissell Development’s sixth LEED building and will bring the total office development to more than 3.5 million square feet in just 14 years.

The building is named for Andy C. Calhoun, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte YMCA. Andy has been instrumental in carrying out the YMCA’s mission and vision in providing life-changing programs and enriching services. “The buildings in Ballantyne Corporate Park are named for individuals making differences in our lives, and Andy Calhoun has been a change agent since day one when he began his Y association 38 years ago,” said Smoky Bissell, Chairman and Founder of The Bissell Companies.

“We continue to see increased demand in companies wanting to move and expand existing office space in the Ballantyne area,” said Smoky Bissell. “This validates our belief that Charlotte and the regional economy are on the rebound, and we are pleased to offer companies a place to locate in Charlotte.”

“We believe building Calhoun gives us a competitive advantage to always have product available to meet new growth demands,” said Ned Curran, President & CEO of The Bissell Companies. “While we recognize we are operating in a very challenging economy, we know that if the ingredients of location, product quality and service are mixed correctly we can continue to capture demand in the marketplace for office space.”

Over the past 18 months, Ballantyne Corporate Park has leased more than 750,000 square feet of new office space and has renewed leases totaling almost 240,000 square feet. Ballantyne Corporate Park has leased more than 385,000 square feet in 2010.

The Calhoun Building was designed by LS3P Associates and is the 34th building designed in Ballantyne Corporate Park by the firm. The building is being built by Cox Schepp Construction.

Left to right: Smoky Bissell, Margaret Bissell, Andy Calhoun, Katey Calhoun, Joann Calhoun
Photo courtesy of The Bissell Companies

Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Corporate Park’s impressive results with its recent Second Annual Second Harvest Food Drive, collecting 18,256 pounds of food. Significantly surpassing its total of 3,336 pounds from 2009, Ballantyne Corporate Park increased its contributions by nearly 450%. The food collected will feed a family of four 3,042 meals or serve [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Corporate Park’s impressive results with its recent Second Annual Second Harvest Food Drive, collecting 18,256 pounds of food. Significantly surpassing its total of 3,336 pounds from 2009, Ballantyne Corporate Park increased its contributions by nearly 450%. The food collected will feed a family of four 3,042 meals or serve 12,170 individual meals. The food drive ran from May 5 through May 14, culminating with a Book Fair on May 14.

Books are Fun held a Book Fair in Ballantyne Corporate Park and donated 15% of its proceeds to Second Harvest Food Bank. In addition, AXA Equitable, one of Ballantyne Corporate Park’s largest and long-standing tenants, contributed financially and collected more than 500 jars of peanut butter for the park-wide drive.

“AXA Equitable is proud to have a long standing partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank and its extraordinary efforts to provide food to people in need. Our annual food drive is an employee favorite that generates a lot of excitement and participation,” said Wayne Dix, Senior Vice President of AXA Equitable Life Policy Holder Services. “This year, we were honored to join forces with other Ballantyne Corporate Park tenants in maximizing donations for this great cause in the community.”

“We want to thank The Bissell Companies for holding one of our largest corporate food drives, helping us to feed more than 12,000 individuals in our region,” said Toni Morris, Food Drive Coordinator, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “With the ever increasing demand, this food couldn’t come at a better time.”

“The success of our Second Harvest Food Drive is a direct result of our tenants’ commitment to charitable initiatives,” said Tom Pizzo, President, Bissell Property Services. “We are delighted with our tenants’ generosity and look forward to raising the bar for future tenant participation with our upcoming park-wide drives for Jacob’s Ladder and School Tools drive for Classroom Central.”

Photo of AXA Equitable employees collecting peanut butter:

L to R: Galen Williams, Galen Wanek, Natalie Van Pelt, Shasta McGriff

Photo courtesy of The Bissell Companies

Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies announces that Ballantyne Corporate Park has been honored as the Suburban Office Park of the Year from The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International. Ballantyne Corporate Park received the top award in the southern region, representing 17 chapters within nine states. Regarded as the most [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies announces that Ballantyne Corporate Park has been honored as the Suburban Office Park of the Year from The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International. Ballantyne Corporate Park received the top award in the southern region, representing 17 chapters within nine states. Regarded as the most prestigious and comprehensive program in the commercial real estate industry, the TOBY award recognizes quality in office buildings and rewards excellence in office building management.

“We are committed to delivering exceptional service and amenities to our tenants. To be honored by our industry peers at BOMA as the best across a nine state area is a great affirmation of efforts that we continue to make every day.” said Tom Pizzo, President, Bissell Property Services.

The TOBY Awards’ process thoroughly evaluates every facet of a corporate park’s operation, including building management, operational efficiency, tenant relations, emergency planning, community impact and training for personnel. After receiving local and regional awards, Ballantyne Corporate Park is in the running for the international TOBY accolade. BOMA will announce the winners at its international conference in late June.

Ballantyne Corporate Park
Ballantyne Corporate Park, a 535-acre master-planned Class “A” office and business community in Charlotte, North Carolina, has approximately 3.2 million square feet of office space and nearly 600 hotel rooms in place as well as restaurants, medical and retail amenities. Zoned for more than 5 million square feet of office space, Ballantyne Corporate Park is positioned in the heart of Charlotte’s largest concentration of educated and experienced labor. Current corporate clients include SPX Corporation, AXA-Equitable, Bank of America, Lance, Premier, Liberty Mutual, LendingTree, Polypore, ESPN and the Carlisle Companies. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ballantynecorporate.com.

Photo caption:
Jill Ott, Debbie Green and Amy Hazelwood accepted the regional award on behalf of The Bissell Companies on May 1, 2010.

Photo courtesy of The Bissell Companies

Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Corporate Park held its first Earth Day event on Thursday, April 22 at its Brixham Green Tent and partnered with Clean Air Works! to host a gas cap check on Friday, April 23.

At the Earth Day celebration, Cintas shredded 1,171 pounds of paper and eCycle Secure recycled [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Corporate Park held its first Earth Day event on Thursday, April 22 at its Brixham Green Tent and partnered with Clean Air Works! to host a gas cap check on Friday, April 23.

At the Earth Day celebration, Cintas shredded 1,171 pounds of paper and eCycle Secure recycled more than 3,300 pounds (1.7 tons) of computers and electronics. Clean Air Works! checked 99 gas caps throughout the Corporate Park and replaced eight gas caps; this effort prevented 1,600 pounds of evaporative emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

“It was great to see participation and interest from The Corporate Park at our first Earth Day event,” said Tom Pizzo, President, Bissell Property Services. “Activities such as this represent our commitment to environmentally friendly initiatives, and we look forward to further developing our efforts throughout the remainder of this year and into 2011.”

Other Earth Day participating organizations included Z730-AM, Chick-fil-A, Rita’s, McLeod Farms, Carolina Bicycle Co., General Motors, Courtyard Marriott Ballantyne, Staybridge Suites Ballantyne, Bissell Land Management and Bissell Property Services.

Ballantyne, NC – The ALS Association – Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter is proud to announce the annual Charlotte Walk to Defeat ALS™ will take place on Saturday, April 24th at 9am at Ballantyne Corporate Park in south Charlotte. The 3K Walk program raises funds for ALS research for direct funding to patients [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The ALS Association – Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter is proud to announce the annual Charlotte Walk to Defeat ALS™ will take place on Saturday, April 24th at 9am at Ballantyne Corporate Park in south Charlotte. The 3K Walk program raises funds for ALS research for direct funding to patients and families affected by the disease

ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive and fatal motor neuron disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Many people with ALS will can have difficulty speaking or swallowing. Patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed, yet the vast majority of people with ALS maintain sharp, unaffected minds. There is no known cause for ALS, and there is no cure. ALS affects approximately one in 800 men and one in 1200 women. It is estimated that there are as many as 700 people in North Carolina currently living with ALS, and about 30,000 Americans who currently are living with the disease.

“One of our main goals at the Chapter is to get the community involved. Despite how terrible this disease is, not enough people know about it. We need to raise awareness and get people involved in actively searching for a cure. The Walk is a great opportunity to learn about the disease while also doing something about it.”

- Angela Murphy, Special Event Coordinator

For more information on how you can be a part of the Walk to Defeat ALS™, visit www.CatfishChapter.org.

About the Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter
The Catfish Chapter has been serving PALS (People living with ALS) across North Carolina since 2000. The Chapter has grown into an award-winning and nationally-recognized organization because of their efforts in service, advocacy, and fundraising. The Chapter has been recognized by The ALS Association as Chapter of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

About the ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, the Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.

2010 BallantyneScoop.com

CHARLOTTE, NC

Ballantyne Corporate Park held its first Professional Clothing Drive benefiting Jacob’s Ladder November 16 through November 20. Corporate Park tenants donated gently used professional clothing to Jacob’s Ladder, an organization that provides job seekers with appropriate business attire.

The Bissell Companies accepted donations at its office and on clothing [...]]]>

CHARLOTTE, NC

The Bissell Companies accepted donations at its office and on clothing racks placed in twenty building lobbies within the Corporate Park. Due to the overwhelming response, items were collected daily to keep racks available for more items. More than 1,000 items were collected making Ballantyne Corporate Park’s Professional Clothing Drive the largest collection in the 11 year history of Jacob’s Ladder.

The mission of Jacob’s Ladder Job Center Inc. is to help unemployed and underemployed individuals find and keep living wage jobs. The clients of Jacob’s Ladder learn basic job search skills including how to interview with confidence, dress in appropriate business attire and apply for jobs online. Since 1998, Jacob’s Ladder has helped thousands of individuals make positive changes in their lives. To learn more about Jacob’s Ladder Job Center, please visit www.jacobsladdercharlotte.org.

Ballantyne Corporate Park, a 535- acre master planned office and first-class business community in south Charlotte, currently includes over 3 million square feet of Class “A” office space. The Bissell Family of Companies owns and operates Ballantyne Corporate Park, The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, The Staybridge at Ballantyne, Courtyard at Ballantyne, aloft Charlotte Ballantyne, Dana Rader Golf School and Ballantyne Business Center.

For more information on activities in the Ballantyne area please visit www.go-ballantyne.com. For information on Ballantyne Corporate Park and the Bissell Family of Companies please visit www.ballantynecorporate.com.