New website will serve as comprehensive tool The Trump Administration is utilizing a powerful new tool called Opportunity Zones to help revitalize distressed and diverse neighborhoods. Opportunity Zones were created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with the goal of stimulating economic development and job creation in low-income communities by incentivizing long-term capital…

TOP 5 & BOTTOM 5 CITIES WITH THE BEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION       The City of Charlotte was ranked number 97 out of 100 in a recent transportation ranking by WalletHub. The study analyzed metrics related to the share of commuters who use public transit, their age, number of injuries, hours spent in traffic,…

Welcome to the inaugural Centralina Economic Development District (CEDD) newsletter. The CEDD is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that operates under the Centralina Council of Governments (CCOG) and is the U.S. Commerce EDA-designated “district” covering a nine county Charlotte region. CEDD exists to develop, maintain, and support implementation of the district’s EDA Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).…

Job growth in the 9-county Centralina region slowed to 2.1% in 2018 after peaking at 3.9% growth in 2015.  Within the region, job growth was fastest in 2018 in Gaston County (3.5%), Iredell County (3.0%), and Lincoln County (2.7%).  Mecklenburg County created the most new jobs, 15,000, growing 2.2%. Industries that are driving job growth…

The Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) reported a population growth rate of 1.8% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates program. This growth rate places Charlotte in fourth place among a list of thirteen peer metros, behind only Dallas (1.8%), Raleigh (1.9%), and Austin (2.5%). These peer metros are selected based on…

Federal funding is available to aid municipalities in planning local economic development projects. Conducting a feasibility study is often a necessary step for projects, but requires a level of expertise difficult to obtain for communities that cannot afford top dollar consulting firms. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) provides a focused grant opportunity to help…