Welcome back to Flashpoint, Charlotte.
City leaders working with stakeholders to
help bring Uptown back to its former glory.
But rising crime rates and remote work
options are forcing City Council to chart
new territory in this post pandemic era.
Joining us now,
Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham,
who represents part of Uptown
there on City Council.
Councilman, thanks for coming b.
We appreciate it.
I appreciate it. Glad
to be here. So in your mind, do you think?
Uptown is back to where it was,
say, three or four years ago.
We're making meaningful progress after
COVID-19 to have an Uptown that's livable,
that's full of excitement and energy.
And I recall a couple of monthso
where we had an event at Panther Stadium,
the AAA baseball stadium,
as well as the arena,
which created a holistic,
lively environment in Uptown.
So we're getting our groove bac.
Let's talk about something aside
from some of that, and that is.
CPD data from the last five years shows
a slight increase in violent cr,
Uptown CEO Blumenthal Arts tellg
City Council a few weeks ago.
It's a concern for folks
going there to see shows.
Is that sort of hurting the
overall recovery of Uptown?
Well, I think it's,
it's hurting the city as a whol.
We think our crime metrics on
crime and violent crimes are
increasing throughout the city,
certainly on town was not
immune to that as well.
We have to ensure that we have e
type of policing efforts necessary to
secure all of our saving and certainly
after now dealing with issues ad
reference to homelessness pan handlers
as well as just basic crime, ri.
And so we want to work with the neighbors
as soon as the partners and oth.
As well as CMPD to ensure that e
provide the type of active polig
necessary to have the safe Upto.
Last week for an example,
when there was the speed racingr
the burnouts that occurred in Uptown,
we can't have that not only in Uptown
but anywhere in the city of Charlotte.
So we're working really hard to address
public safety throughout the ci,
some big plans underway for Upt,
several new buildings going up,
a new food hall, transit center,
which you and your colleagues have have
been addressing in in recent meetings.
What do you think accounts
gonna look like and say decade?
Ohh wow. I I think you'll see a a newly
renovated Charlotte Transportation Center.
Hopefully the Hornets practice facilities
will be on the top of that faciy
as well as Spectrum Arena currently is
going through a A3 year renovat.
The Wink Silver Line now is under alignment,
a new gateway station,
hopefully a renovated Bank of America
Stadium with the entertainment district
there and even going back to the Charlotte
Transportation Center part of t.
Is to try to create a a festival
Plaza atmosphere along the garbage St.
as well.
So more residents are living in
Uptown Charlotte for sure.
More businesses through the North Tryon St.
area with the the library being built as
well as the North Tryon Project Action Plan.
So the innovation district which
is on the outskirts of our town
which is the new medical school,
Wake Forest and HM Health Company and.
They're committed to build a building
every year for the next 10 year.
So Uptown will look significanty
different than it looks today ad
I'm really excited about that.
I noticed one point you said,
you said a renovated Bank of America Stadium.
Does that mean that that that
we are given up on the idea of
a new Bank of America Stadium?
But that's to be determined.
Obviously it's a lot cheaper to
rent a bit of an existing facily
than the building new ones,
but that's to be determined.
Obviously something needs to han
there in terms of of the Bank of America,
state influence,
the oldest stadium in the NFL.
Certainly there's no secret
that folks have been talking
about the future of the stadium.
So we'll see what happens.
What do you think it has to hapn
in order for that to happen?
Substantial money from the private sector?
Well, you know Shaw with this bd
on public private partnerships d
certainly that's will be a model
that we will take a look at as l
as a model that we utilize withe
the Charlotte Hornets and and or
professional sports teams in the city.
And so obviously there will be
some type of public participati,
but we're not running it,
might check for anything,
but at the same token we clearly
realize or recognize the importe
of having a NFL stadium.
Uh, a team in Charlotte,
Charlotte FC,
as well as the entertainment
atmosphere for the stadium,
IE Beyoncé is coming to town any
daughter called me and she calls sometimes,
not often, but she called when e
heard that announcement that Beé
is coming to Bank of America Stadium.
And so all that draws that economic impact
somewhere between $1.5 billion a year.
And certainly I think that's something that
the city and the citizens would like to.
Maintain to to support small businesses,
those who work in them,
bartenders,
waiters, busboys,
those who drive the travel and
tourism industry.
And and in Charlotte
we got to Beyoncé show.
Next up we got to get Super Bow.
Let let me ask you this.
It is exciting to look around
our skyline right now and see
so much growth in Uptown and
down in South End as well.
But does it ever worry you knowg
how much the workplace culture
has changed in this country?
You have all of these buildings
going up and if or not,
we're going to have the compani,
the workers to fill them.
Yeah, that that's always the concern.
I think you'll see more housing
developments occurring in Uptown
more so than than offices.
Offices are certainly coming.
I think you'll see some retrofitting of
some of the offices that are currently
vacant to housing options as we.
But as the city grows and maturs
and as we get beyond COVID-19 aI
think we're on the other side ot
for certain that there will be a more.
Employees like myself willing to
come into the office to do the ,
to build team around and to create an
environment where teams can exi.
Obviously there will be some companies
that have a a virtual option,
but I think we will find a way o
balance both the housing options
as well as to workforce developt
opportunities as well.
I would be remiss if I didn't
ask you about that epicenter.
Been sitting there for a few years now,
not completely empty, but largely empty.
It looks like it's back to
the path of of a new future.
Where do things stand with it?
I'm really excited about the epic center.
I met the new developers at the Center City
Partners meeting a couple of weeks ago.
They're excited about the work that we're
doing at the Spectrum Center as well as
the the Charlotte Transportation Center.
They want to be a part of that,
that pause or that excitement in
terms of creating a a new distrt
and they're part of that.
And so I think once you put
together the spectrum renovatio,
the Charlotte Transportation Ce.
The Epic Center itself,
Approval Street with the festivl
type of Blvd. Altogether,
it creates a a lot of synergy for everybody.
So certainly I'm excited about t
they're about to do with their facility
and how that plays in with all the others.
Councilman Malcolm Graham.
Councilman, thanks for coming o.
We appreciate it as always.
Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Alright, take care.
More flashpoint after this.