Link-Up: Building Partnerships for Redevelopment of Commercial Districts

On March 28, 2008, we hosted workshop offering instruction on redevelopment of a commercial district or neighborhood commercial development. The emphasis of this workshop was connecting local leaders with the resources to help bring these projects to life. See details of our presenters below:

  • Preservation North Carolina
    • Ted Alexander, the Southwest Regional Director of Preservation North Carolina, presented tax incentives and financing options that are available to those interested in redevelopment of historic properties for commercial use. Ted mapped out the process and steps your organization would need to take to have a successful project.
  • Self-Help
    • This presentation was posted in conjunction with a panel discussion covering the topic of adaptive re-use featuring a case study of the Standard Building in Gastonia. To see the Standard Building now, go to The Standard. Panel presenters included:
      • Annie Scorza, Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer for Self-Help Credit
      • Jim Palenick, City Manager of Gastonia
        • For more information on how the city participated in the redevelopment of the Standard Hardware Building, please contact Jim Palenick at jimp@cityofgastonia.com
      • Chuck McClure, President of Enhance Development Corporation
  • Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation
    • Julie Thompson, the executive director of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation, gave a detailed account of the history of Goldsboro and the long list of events that brought economic turmoil to this city, leaving much of the city to dwindle away. Ms. Thompson outlines all the issues the city had and how they have come to be able to preserve and redevelop this beautiful, historic American town. For more information from Julie Thompson, please contact her at jmthompson@ci.goldsboro.nc.us.
  • Glazer Architecture, PA
    • Patti Glazer of Glazer Architecture presented a look at the redevelopment process of downtown Asheville. She highlighted the types of available building codes for redevelopment and the problem solving techniques her company used to convert old buildings for new purposes. For more information, please contact Patti Glazer at info@glazerarchitecture.com.
  • U.S. Small Business Administration
    • Eileen Joyce, Lead Business Development Specialist for the SBA in the Charlotte region, briefed us on the types of loan programs, counseling services, and financing options the Small Business Administration can offer small businesses. She also gave a handout listing of SBA lenders in the Centralina regions; follow the link above for that listing. For more information on what the SBA can do for you, contact Eileen Joyce at eileen.joyce@sba.gov.

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Board of Directors Officers

  • George Dunlap, Chairman
    Mecklenburg County BOC
  • Bill Thunberg, Vice-Chairman
    Alexander Zachary Jewelers
  • Joel Randolph , Treasurer/Secretary
    Randolph & Son Builders, Inc.