Happy New Year & All Aboard
Welcome back and Happy New Year to all..."People get ready there is a train a coming.." Wow it's only been a month since the Blue Lynx Line opened and already I can see more opportunity, more fun and ultimately cleaner air on Charlotte's Horizon. Is it just me or am I seeing more Hybrid Buses on the Streets too? It appears a strong message has been sent by 70% of Mecklenburg County voters that Trains will be a part of our community's fabric and it appears that Mooresville in Iredell County is getting on board as well. Seeing the economic benefits to linking up with the proposed North Line Commuter Rail, Mooresville leadership felt a couple of corporate relocations might have been cinched had they shown future connectivity to the Commuter Rail.
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The Regional tie-in is just too Big to overlook anymore. Speaking of Big--Our Griffith Lakes Community rezoning @ W.T. Harris Blvd on the North Commuter Line gained unanimous approval from Charlotte City Council and we are confident the Transit Oriented Development in Griffith Lakes will have a future Transit Station when the commuter train does roll. We will keep you updated on the many Mixed-Use Opportunities (Griffith Lakes) has to offer the Tenant Rep Market. The biggest surprise on the South's Blue Line is that I have seen folks that originally thought they wouldn't use the light rail are finding ways to use it for entertainment, some days as many as 25,000 riders take the train on event days per the Charlotte Observer. One of our Associates has planned a weekly standing date night with her Hubby to take the Blue Line Uptown for a show, a basketball game, a hockey game or just a good ole Pizza. Tops on her list though is meeting new friends on the light rail, which she feels has made Charlotte a closer knit community for her. With our Teens & some close friends, I've taken in a Panthers & Bobcats game leaving from the Bland Street Station after the video madness of Jillian's. Both football and basketball venues are only 8 to 12 blocks away. But it was all pure fun and no parking hassle. Now I don't remember Fun being in the Fed's Transit Ridership studies. The Blue Line's high density mixed use has only begun to get started and it is soon to start creeping toward our Woodlawn Crossing Shopping Center.
One other great train story centers around my two and a half year old God-Son, his love for trains and his past 6 months battle with Cancer surgery and treatments. What a Super Hero he is to me, my wife and our two sons. Now for the Rest of the Story. On Saturday the 24th of November the Blue Lynx Light Rail was going to open to the public, and better yet it was gonna be Free. On Friday, the 23rd, the trains would run on a normal schedule with no passengers, just for practice. It's Thursday November 22nd and I am imagining my God-Son and his family riding the light rail train with no crowds, no germs to infect and whole lot of smiles & laughter going on. Who possibly could make this image a reality?.....Ron Tober of course the Chief of CATS--a guy that has done a great job for Charlotte. "Yes, Virginia" Ron Tober did seize the Moment of Truth and said "Have your God Son and his family at Seventh Street Station Friday morning at 10:00am and we will try to make this happen." I admit I was a bit nervous that it would not come off and that Hopes would be high and then dashed. But at 10:00am my God Son and his family were there on the platform. A train was approaching the Seventh Street Station, the doors opened. And there, my friends, was Ron Tober..himself! Welcoming our little buddy on Board. Tears and laughter came flying out of me at the same time. In the eyes of my God-Son, Ron was the caped crusader willing to open the doors with a single punch of a button...Truly one of Charlotte's Super Heroes. Thanks, Ron, for serving Charlotte well!... Let's keep the Rails rolling and be on the outlook for a busy year for the North Line and Northeast Lines as well.
As for one of my lofty New Year's Resolutions that needs your help, my plan for our Commercial Inventory is to reach 100% occupancy for:
1) Woodlawn Crossing Shopping Center @ Woodlawn Station;
2) Tyvola Executive Park (office); and
3) Airport 85 Business Park (industrial flex).
"I will need a whole bunch of help from the Charlotte Brokerage Community as Griffith Real Estate Services is taking all of the Leasing and Marketing efforts In-House." Take note of the enclosed Flyers and please take time to visit our new web site www.ecgriffth.us. Many thanks to Jay Vaughn with Coldwell Banker Commercial-MECA PropertiesRob Speir of Keystone Partners for bringing S & R Services to Airport 85 Business Park. We would also like to thank Jubal Early and Ryan Peiffer of Lincoln Harris for representing Charlotte Surgery Associates LLC. Stay tuned to www.ecgriffith.us for a future announcement for Tyvola Executive Park. We at Griffith Real Estate Services appreciate all of you that have visited our Web-Site, inquired, shown, leased, ground-leased or sold property for us this past year 2007.
We look forward to doing business with many more of you in this New Year 2008. We'll talk again soon.
Sincerely,
Preston “Fred” Griffith
Director of Marketing,
Griffith Real Estate Service
Executive Vice President,
E.C. Griffith Company
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