OBS: It’s Charlotte vs Raleigh, again

Miscellaneous & Fun Stuff39

I need a distraction from the trainwreck that is NC State Basketball.

Since it is Sunday…and, since Sundays (and the Sunday newspaper) are made for ‘feature’ items, editorials and debates…I thought it would fit to link this editorial in today’s Charlotte Observer reviewing some of the past barbs between the two major newspapers in the state (that are now owned by the same company).

Having spent 19 of my last 23 years split between Raleigh and Charlotte I must admit that my very first thought after learning of Duke Energy’s acquisition of Progress Energy turned to the geographical and political rivalry that is Charlotte vs Raleigh.

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I have one NC State-related comment to make about this paragraph in the article:

Then-Charlotte columnist Don Hudson once noted that “people question whether Charlotte can ever get a fair shake in Raleigh.” That question came up when Charlotte asked the General Assembly, which sits in Raleigh, to help finance a new coliseum. “It was not ‘No,’ but ‘No way.’ But when Raleigh wanted a new arena for the NHL Hurricanes and N.C. State University two years ago, the state pumped in $60 million,” he wrote.

Regardless of what side of what fences you may sit…take a step back from this from a moment and sit your biases to the side.

Surely one can see that there is a huge difference between state taxpayer support for
(1) a generally multi-purpose arena (whether it be the old Charlotte Coliseum on Tyvola Road or the newer Bobcats Arena in downtown) used primarily for the private gain of owners of a single entity (NBA franchise), and/or
(2) a multi-purpose facility that’s use generally mirrors that of the arena in Charlotte, but also brings to the table significant use/need of the largest (PUBLIC) university in the state who also is contributing approximately $66 million in value to the project between cash and land.

Do the masterminds at the Charlotte Observer really not see the differentiation of the two projects? Had Charlotte’s arena included the needs and significant financial support (33% of the project costs) of the largest public university in the State of North Carolina wouldn’t the outcome have been different? Of course it would’ve.

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While we are talking non-sports, NC State-related, ‘Raleigh-stuff’….please allow me to share this link with you about the recent spike in development planned around NC State University. It is both interesting and encouraging.

Plus the 7 story, 300 unit building at the Corner of Oberlin and Peace/Clark in Cameron Village is still going to happen. It appears this area is the next area for major investments by private industry. This is the type of investment needed to turn H-Street around.

So essentially there are 4 projects going up:

1. Stanhope – behind the used book store on H-Street near the new headquarters of Lulu(who did a fabulous job with their building)

2. 2 acre development across from Bell Tower which is currently run down retail space. This is right in the heart of H-street and is awful considering Sadlacks is still thriving next door.

3. The area down H-Street near the Y and I-Hop. This area could turn into a new destination in Raleigh.

4. Cameron Village tower .25 miles from H-Street

By my count, there are about 1000+ new residential units, commercial space, retail space, and multiple parking decks going up adjacent or very near to campus.

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Miscellaneous & Fun Stuff

39 Responses to OBS: It’s Charlotte vs Raleigh, again

  1. MattN 01/16/2011 at 9:04 PM #

    You know? I’ve lived in the Charlotte area for about 20 of my 38 years. We’re well sick of taking it up the poop chute from the Eastern half of the state. We’re tired of our beltline getting delayed while Fayetteville *expands* and widens a lightly used bypass around their city so Senator Dingledork can get to his vacation house on Emerald Isle 5 minutes faster. We’d like just ONCE someone in Raleigh recongnizing that Charlotte is actually the largest city in the state and worthy of a little effort/time to at least talk to us.

    The “fair and equitable” distribution of funds is neither fair nor equitable….

  2. 4in12 01/16/2011 at 9:55 PM #

    Raleigh and Charlotte can argue about who gets what all they want. If you take I-85 between them you get to travel through Salisbury on the same road that’s been there for forty years. I’m surprised that the bridge over the Yadkin River is still standing. It may take a bridge collapse before the state does anything to the stretch of road from Lexington to Concord.

  3. highstick 01/16/2011 at 9:55 PM #

    I just picked up the paper and read the whole, or should I say “hole” article. Starting it off with a comment by Barry Saunders quickly turned me off before reading the rest of it. Obviously the Disturber is trying to stir up a bunch of crap…

    Little do the Tarhole media up here know that the offshoot of this merger means more NC State grads in Charlotte.. The Charlotte WPC should be absolutely thrilled~~~

  4. Wulfpack 01/16/2011 at 10:06 PM #

    “Also didn’t Jerry Richardson pay for most of the Panthers stadium.”

    He and the PSL holders.

  5. golf76 01/16/2011 at 10:29 PM #

    Based on the length of the posts, and I’m sure, those yet to be posted, this may well be the most controversial topic ever on SFN.

  6. Wolfy__79 01/16/2011 at 10:43 PM #

    i don’t think so?? i graduated hs in 1998.. was he around then?

  7. Wolfy__79 01/16/2011 at 10:54 PM #

    charlotte could stand a few more steak and potatoes type folks and a few less cheese and wine imo 🙂

  8. tjfoose1 01/17/2011 at 12:17 AM #

    Charlotte? Isn’t that a city, like in Virginia or somewhere?

  9. lush 01/17/2011 at 12:26 AM #

    ^ I thought it was in South Carolina?

  10. runwiththepack 01/17/2011 at 1:13 AM #

    Didn’t the state put up that RBC money with the agreement that the $millions of annual concessions go to the state? (You know – those $5 cokes and parking fees, etc….)

    And the admission to the musical and other events that draw more $millions yearly? Those $millions every year do NOT go to ncsu, do they?

    That was the deal, as i recall. Everyone agreed to it and thought they were getting their “cut”. maybe someone knows right off hand how much money changes hands every year at the RBC.

    It appears as though the RBC is one of the very best used and profitable arenas in this region of our good ‘ole USA. But that doesn’t stop some folks from stirring up dung, conveniently omitting the relevant facts.

    It wouldn’t have been possible unless different parties were willing to share the use of this huge building. See what good things happen when we are willing to share our toys with others? Anyway, it would be terribly wasteful for that building to sit idle any more than necessary.

    Without knowing what Charlotte pro teams wanted, I would venture to bet that there was nothing of the sort like the RBC agreement that was in the works. “Apples and coconuts”, as one commenter said, is probably a perfect description of the comparison. The Charlotte crowd may have wanted the money with no strings attached.

    I have many relatives in both cities. The squabbling seems ridiculous to me. Some people have too much time on their hands.

  11. highstick 01/17/2011 at 9:50 AM #

    Wolfy, Leonard was back in the mid 60’s. He played on the PGA Tour. But, he was a pretty fair HS basketball player too. Went to Wake on a golf scholarship…

    He’s about as old as dirt like me….

  12. highstick 01/17/2011 at 6:56 PM #

    Charlotte is blatantly racist! Or so the NCAACP troublemaker says today! He’s calling for a boycott by everyone except the NBA.. LOL!

  13. PackManSJP 01/18/2011 at 5:13 PM #

    The funny thing is, ask any average joe from the east of I-95, and they will tell you that “the only people those fat cats in Raleigh care about are the city folk in Charlotte and Greensboro. They act like there ain’t nobody was of 95!”

    And don’t think the politicians from Eastern NC don’t campaign on that. Governor Perdue used that strategy. I remember reading in the Rocky Mount paper that she said at a rally in I think Tarboro that if McCrory was elected, he would send all the highway money to Charlotte and that you would be driving on dirt roads in the east.

  14. highstick 01/21/2011 at 5:45 PM #

    Jeez, and they were dumb enough in Tarboro to think that McCrory was going to pull up all the asphalt and ship it to Charlotte? Dang, Chain, bashes Faison, but “Tarbur” might be the “new Faison”.

    Anyone read the followup article in the Charlotte Observer later in the week? It was hilarious!!

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