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Conversation: Mayor Pat McCrory |
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Written by Celina Mincey
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Everyone can see what Charlotte is doing to stand out in terms of developments, museums, and greenways. What is the city doing to ensure we stand out in terms of social services, poverty relief, and diversity?
First, there is incredible public/private cooperation in terms of helping homeless between homeless shelters, organizations and government. Some of our nonprofits interface with the public sector to focus on affordable housing and community relief funds that help with things as simple as paying a heat bill. We can be very proud of our Red Cross and Salvation Army that serve people in times of emergency. Whether a house has burned or flooded or has been affected by an ice storm, these organizations are there to provide the temporary relief families need. More than that, they are also launching programs to encourage preventative actions homeowners can take before disaster. One of my proudest moments was when within 24 hours Charlotte rallied for Katrina victims and basically formed an entire city at the coliseum to form a full-service center for people who had lost everything.
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Conversation: Mark Vitner, Economist, Wachovia |
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Written by Celina Mincey
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Why has Charlotte been able to weather recent economic downturns, and can we continue to do so?
Well, each downturn is a little different but the last one in 2001 was largely centered in the high-tech sector and Charlotte doesn’t have a lot of exposure in that market. The current economic downturn is in the financial services industry and has impacted Charlotte most in terms of job loss. A lot of the mortgage banking industry jobs are located in the outskirts of Charlotte such as Fort Mill and Ballantyne, so that is where we’ve seen the most job loss, but there has been some cutback in the center city and in the legal community as well which services the mortgage sector. However, Charlotte is still seeing growth, which is not the situation in many other parts of country. Charlotte has actually benefited from some of the problems elsewhere. Places like Florida and California, which have become so expensive and such unstable markets, have individuals looking for alternatives, and Charlotte is a great one. We have seen record population growth and that growth fuels all kinds of service industries.
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Conversation: Susan Patterson, Knight Foundation |
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Written by Celina Mincey
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What is the role of your organization in the arts community? Are there others like you?
We don’t have an official role; the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has been making grants to support nonprofits since 1968 and the vitality of arts is one area of interest we have. So over years we have been involved with numerous arts organizations.
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Conversation: Tom Thornburg, Developer |
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Written by Celina Mincey
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As Charlotte’s Uptown and ring neighborhoods continue to grow, how is Charlotte going to deal with affordable housing?
Affordable housing cannot be constructed uptown because land values simply don’t permit it. As market rate housing continues to be built just outside of 277, in ring neighborhoods and other areas that expand uptown, it crowds out affordable property. Affordable housing will need to be concentrated in areas farther out of town, where land values still allow such construction, which means the success of our city will depend on a very strong public transit system. As Charlotte continues to grow, uptown workers will have to have a way to get back and forth from the city. Every great American city has a thorough transit system and Charlotte is working hard to build one. Now sure, there will always be pockets, small lots that can be developed affordably. But building large scale affordable housing anywhere near the center city would require massive government funding that is just not available.
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Conversation - Kathleen Purvis, Food Editor, Charlotte Observer |
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Written by Celina Mincey
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How has Johnson & Wales impacted the food scene in town?
I think it has raised awareness; people are more open to the idea of what a chef can do or be. Those chef’s choices classes that Johnson & Wales offers to the public have really given people the chance to get a feel for what goes on in a restaurant kitchen and appreciate what it takes. The school has boosted a level of interest in service, raising the expectation for good service and good food…it has raised the profile of the restaurant industry.
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