Reporting What Inspires

Balfour Beatty Construction Moving Carolinas Division Headquarters To Charlotte’s Historic South E

Relocation Optimizes Integration of Balfour Beatty, RT Dooley
Move Continues Exciting Transformation of Vibrant South End
Site, Access to Light Rail Align With Firm’s Focus on Sustainability

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 15, 2010) – Balfour Beatty Construction, North Carolina’s largest construction manager, announced today it is moving its Carolinas Division headquarters to The Design Center of the Carolinas at 1930 Camden Rd. in Charlotte’s Historic South End.

The move optimizes the integration of Balfour Beatty Construction and its Charlotte-based subsidiary RT Dooley, which was acquired in February 2009. The Design Center will be home to the consolidated operations of Balfour Beatty Construction and RT Dooley that are currently housed in separate locations.

“This is an important milestone that will enable us to even more effectively bring our combined capabilities and talent to bear on behalf of our clients,” said John Woodcock, president of Balfour Beatty Construction’s Carolinas Division. “We are excited by the prospect of being in South End, which has been an important part of Charlotte’s economy in the past and has an even more promising future.”

“We are pleased to welcome Balfour Beatty to Historic South End and believe the decision of this global business to locate in the district is a strong indicator of the vibrant business climate that has matured in South End,” said Michael J. Smith, president and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners. “This is the beginning of a new chapter for South End as it continues its transformation from the city’s warehouse district to a design and entrepreneurial district and now becoming a major employment center.”

Balfour Beatty will become the largest office user in the historic district, occupying nearly 30,000 square feet in the Design Center, which comprises three buildings featuring historic brick, expansive windows, and vintage architectural detail. Balfour Beatty chose the Historic South End location for several reasons, including the adaptive reuse of a historic site, easy access to Charlotte’s Center City via the Lynx Light Rail Blue Line, the convenience of the location for Balfour Beatty clients and other business partners, and the wide range of nearby amenities.

“Being located in Charlotte’s center city fulfills Balfour Beatty’s priority to provide additional service and convenience for our corporate, professional services and public sector clients and enhances our ongoing community engagement focus,” Woodcock said.

“The Design Center is a unique work environment of forward-thinking businesses in an historic and architecturally compelling community that inspires people to do their best,” said Ivy Greaner, chief operating officer of Ram, owner of the Design Center. “We are delighted that Balfour Beatty has selected it as their Charlotte headquarters. We believe that one of the strengths of the Design Center is in what it adds to the quality of life for those who work here.”

About 90 Balfour Beatty and RT Dooley employees will relocate to the new headquarters after the interior upfit of the space is completed.

Balfour Beatty entered the North Carolina market via acquisition of the commercial construction division of Centex, which began its Charlotte operations in 2001. The acquisition of Charlotte-based RT Dooley in February 2009 created the ability for Balfour Beatty Construction to deliver integrated facilities, interiors and mission critical solutions to its clients.

About Balfour Beatty Construction

Balfour Beatty Construction, with Carolinas Division headquarters in Charlotte, has been a leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry for 77 years, providing general contracting, at-risk construction management, design-build, preconstruction, public/private and turnkey services for clients nationwide. Balfour Beatty is the largest provider of at-risk construction management services in North Carolina. Serving corporate, government, education and institutional clients, Balfour Beatty is dedicated to delivering a signature experience to its customers on every project. For more information, please visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.

About Design Center of the Carolinas

The Design Center of the Carolinas is ideally located between Camden Road, West Tremont and Worthington Avenues in the Historic South End of Charlotte, NC, along the LYNX Light Rail at East/West Blvd. A signature example of adaptive reuse of historic buildings, DCC is comprised of three distinct buildings featuring exposed brick, expansive windows and compelling architectural details, giving a vintage vibe to contemporary workspace. Its trademark water tower is also a landmark of Historic South End and a symbol of its urban redevelopment. This unique workspace is designed to bring life to a progressive mix of showrooms, studios, offices and event spaces, resulting in a one-of-a-kind gathering place for creativity and forward-thinking businesses. For more information, please visit www.designcentercarolinas.com.

About RAM

Founded in 1978, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-based Ram is a family-owned, affiliated group of companies comprised of Ram Development Company, a leader in retail, residential and mixed-use development and acquisition, and Ram Realty Services, a provider of residential and retail management and leasing services. In addition to the Palm Beach Gardens office, Ram has offices in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Fla. Currently, the company manages approximately 2.9 million square feet of commercial property and 1,900 apartments. Ram is committed to making developments that are socially responsible, economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit www.ramrealestate.com.

2010 Design Center of the Carolinas Children’s Water Tower Art Contest Winner Unveiled

Charlotte, NC- Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The young winner of the 2010 Design Center of the Carolinas Children’s Water Tower Art Contest was unveiled Tuesday evening, February 23, at an event at the Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC). The DCC is located at 1930 Camden Road in the Historic South End District. Ram Realty owns and manages the DCC whose tenants include Concentric Marketing, DAS Architecture, and Best Impressions Caterers.

The Design Center of the Carolinas and Ram Realty Services, in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), announced the winner of a very special art contest for the students of Dilworth Elementary School and Sedgefield Elementary School. The theme of the contest was “Inspiring Your Community” with each student sharing what their vision is of the elements needed to inspire our community to dream big and prosper. Students focused on inspiring others through their work. Over 300 pieces of art were submitted from children ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. The winning artwork will take the place of the question mark on South End landmark, the DCC water tower.

Ivy Greaner, chief operating officer of Ram Realty Services led into the announcement of the winners by expressing Ram’s thoughts on creating this contest. “We, as landlords, rarely get the opportunity to participate in an event that reaches so deeply into the community. We love that the Design Center is thought of as place full of creative energy and this tie with the children of Historic South End is there for all to see when you look up at the water tower. The energy and the creativity of these children exemplifies the vitality of the Design Center and our neighborhood. We are pleased to be a part of this community and thank Charlotte Center City Partners, CMS and the Historic South End for your contributions to making this contest happen.”

Ms. Greaner recognized the winner and two runner-ups at the event attended by CMS representatives, staff from Dilworth Elementary and Sedgefield Elementary, Charlotte Center City Partners, Arts & Science Council, Design Center tenants, and Historic South End neighbors. Speakers included Shari Meltzer, director of markting for Ram Realty Services; Moira Quinn, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Charlotte Center City Partners; and Linda Kiser, executive area director of the Central Learning Community for CMS.

The winners of the 2010 Design Center Children’s Water Tower Art Contest:

1st Place: Randy Logan, 5th grade, Sedgefield Elementary.

2nd Place: Astrid Bridgwood, 2nd grade, Dilworth Elementary.

3rd Place: Khamari Woodard, 3rd grade, Sedgefield Elementary.

The winning artwork will be replicated onto a large horizontal vinyl canvas and installed on the Design Center of the Carolinas water tower, a Historic South End landmark, in place of the current question mark. It will be installed mid March and will grace the tower for twelve months.

The winner of the contest was selected by a committee comprised of Ram representatives, CMS representatives, Design Center tenants, Historic South End neighbors, and Charlotte Center City Partners representatives. Ram Realty Services made a donation of $500 per school to be utilized by their art departments to purchase additional art supplies for their students.

Design Center Owner Eyes Future for South End Plan

Charlotte Business Journal - by Will Boye

*Design Center Owner Eyes Future for South End Plan*

The real estate company that owns the Design Center of the Carolinas could add condos, apartments or a hotel to the three-building complex in South End. But not anytime soon, its chairman says.

In an interview, Peter Cummings, chairman of Florida-based Ram Development Co., says any new development at the Design Center is at least three years away. Ram bought the 188,146-square-foot complex for $28.6 million in 2007 and is considering a 20-story residential tower across the road with street-level office and retail space.

Ram plans to build on parking space at 100 W. Worthington Ave. along with the targeted parcel next door, where Barn Wood Classics Furniture Gallery is located. Ram signed a contract in April 2008 to purchase that property for an undisclosed sum.

“We don’t foresee an environment for new development there materializing until three years out, maybe,” Cummings says. “Our focus is on really managing the Design Center as well as we possibly can and keeping our finger on the pulse of the market so that the development project we come out with for that location is as attuned to the market as it possibly could be.” He says the market will dictate what form of residential product the company adds to the mix at the Design Center.

“If you ask sources of investment capital how they feel about apartments, condos and hotels, they’ll tell you, ‘I don’t even want to talk about condos or a hotel, but maybe I’ll talk about apartments.’ That could change, though. We think, long term, all of those uses are going to be appropriate in that location. It’s a place that has a sense of place and that has character, and I think our job will be to build on that.”

In the meantime, Ram is focused on remarketing the Design Center. The company has hired Concentric Marketing, a tenant at the development, to handle the new campaign, which includes a new logo for the water tower at the Design Center.
The Design Center is about 87% leased. As rental rates dropped in the local office market this year, the development lost some longtime tenants such as Charlotte Magazine to competing spaces. Rental rates at the Design Center now range from $19 to $23 per square foot.
“We’re now starting to regain some ground,” Cummings says. “I would say that things are looking better today that they were a year ago or six months ago.”

Collaborative Mecca

COLLABORATIVE MECCA
By Ellison Clary – Greater Charlotte Biz

The Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) has had a significant past. Once a prominent knitting mill in Charlotte’s textile heyday, it was rehabbed in the late ’90s, knitting itself into Charlotte’s urban core as an adaptive reuse of historic buildings offering unique spaces with architectural amenities that appeal to the design community. The DCC dates to 1929 when third-generation hosiery knitter William Nebel built the Nebel Knitting Mill at Camden Road and West Worthington Avenue, in what is now called South End. By the 1950s, it was among the largest and most productive hosiery mills in the southeast. But textiles fell on hard times and eventually native Charlottean Tony Pressley of MECA Properties redeveloped the warehouse-style complex into three office buildings and a courtyard. His late 1990s dream was to transform DCC into a destination. He hoped it would someday cause his hometown to be mentioned with the world’s best-known design cities such as Milan, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The DCC was part of a groundswell of developer activity to attract the Charlotte design community to South End by its location and by the adaptive reuse of historic buildings offering spacious loft areas and unique character. Building on the synergy of drawing creative types together, compatible and competitive businesses both benefit as well as their customers. The area is also easily accessible—to uptown, SouthPark and the interstates. And with the completion of the Lynx light rail, the access to the area has expanded even further, increasing foot traffic and making it a convenient and quick stop.

Raising Its Profile Having been purchased more recently by Ram Development Company in 2007, the DCC Charlotte landmark is ready to raise its profile—literally.

Refueling a new ascent for the DCC is South Florida commercial and residential real estate services firm Ram Reality Services of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Ram investments and developments are mainly in the Southeast. In Florida, it concentrates on Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. In Georgia, it’s active in Atlanta. In North Carolina, Ram has a presence in the Raleigh area as well as here in Charlotte. Ram has plans to take the historic DCC to new prominence in a city that the firm’s principals have targeted as a valuable investment and growth opportunity. It fits the Ram mantra of making places that are socially responsible, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable. “Unfortunately, it’s taken a while to put our stamp on the Design Center because of the economy,” explains Ivy Greaner, Ram’s chief operating officer, citing the obvious downturn. First on Greaner’s agenda is getting the three structures fully leased. Right now, they’re probably 85 percent occupied. True to the creative concept, she wants to keep occupancy concentrated among design professionals “We believe that architects, engineers, creative people and the like are our best fit,” she says. “The DCC offers unique architectural spaces that naturally attract creative people and businesses, and they in turn benefit from the synergy of being located alongside other design businesses.” Concentric Marketing’s Bob Shaw is spearheading a major campaign this fall for Ram to showcase the historic South End as an area of creativity and innovation within Charlotte and the DCC as the bustling hub of it all. The overall theme is “Get Inspired,” inviting forward-thinking businesses and entrepreneurs into a unique environment centered on innovation and inspiration. Beyond promoting this theme through traditional venues such as enhanced signage, a new Web site, a new logo, and media placement, Ram is also working aggressively to further position the DCC as a dynamic creative venue, where there is always something exciting taking place. To achieve this, the building will be home to speaker series, awards shows, conferences, and monthly meetings from a variety of industries. Ram is also inspiring its tenant base to share ideas by setting up quarterly meetings around topics of interest for creative-thinking businesses, hosting lunches to spur conversation, and utilizing social media (Twitter) to further encourage connection. To involve the community, they are organizing with local schools to provide art for the water tower. The rebranding is set to launch officially with the unveiling of the new water tower this month. Next for Greaner to contemplate is new development on DCC land used now for a parking lot, and possibly acquisition of an adjacent parcel. The development could include a residential high-rise or hotel, complete with retail on sidewalk level. That building has been envisioned for five to 12 floors but it could rise much higher, Greaner says. It would also include a built-in parking deck. “Tony originally had a vision for something like that,” Greaner says of the high-rise. “We believe he was on the right track.” She adds that any DCC expansion would be based on solid growth projections. She has concerns about ground contamination from chlorinated solvents, but adds that Ram sought and received state permission earlier this year to deal with the issue as it redevelops the brownfield. She points out that the DCC itself was cleaned up as a result of a 1996 decontamination project, and that dealing with the brownfield aspect of the adjacent property is “making places that are socially responsible, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable,” their goal. Dane Suchoza, owner of DAS Architecture, says, “The environmental situation is one that can be handled. It’s just an expense. It’s a matter of how you deal with haul off and disposal.” Suchoza’s firm is in its second year in the DCC and is contracted to draw up any expansion plans.

Furthering by Design “We were one of the first Design Center tenants,” says Tom Wright, principal architect for Narmour Wright Architects, proudly. “We were the designers of the Design Center.”

Wright says he likes Ram’s efforts to enhance the concept that the complex is, indeed, a center for design. “That was Tony’s original idea,” he says. Greaner agrees. “Tony Pressley really invested into taking those buildings and creating a statement and an identity for South End,” she says. “He did a phenomenal job. And he was at a point where he needed someone to help grow it and continue to establish it.” Ram found out about the potential availability of the complex and made inquiries to Pressley. Ram had already established a presence in the Raleigh area, having been attracted to North Carolina by its climate and its growing magnetism for people from across the country. The firm paid about $28 million in 2007 for DCC’s 188,146 square feet. “We really believe in this area,” says Wright. “We’re glad Ram is here and has the wherewithal to keep developing the Design Center into the community it can be. “If we had a hotel on the property in the not-too-distant future, that would be great,” Wright continues. “It’s wonderful to see the new uses coming up, to really make this South End into an independent community.” David Creech split off from the Narmour Wright firm at the start of this year and houses his new company, Creech & Associates, in nearby DCC space. “We like the fact that it’s an adaptive reuse of an older building,” Creech says. He praises the patinas that include aged wooden floors and exposed brick walls. “All those things are very conducive to what people expect when they come into an office that deals with creativity,” he adds. He also likes the expansion plans. “I’m a proponent of density,” he smiles. “We’re on the light rail line. We need to promote continued density along the rails and I think the Design Center should be a leader in that regard.” Doug Grenade operates an office of Cline Design Associates in DCC space he leased in May 2008, after the Ram acquisition. The Raleigh-based firm chose the South End neighborhood for its Charlotte location. “We like being around other design types,” Grenade says. “Not just other architects, but engineers and graphic designers.” He too has bought into the Ram expansion plans.

Becoming Native to North Carolina Ram views the Carolinas—and North Carolina specifically—as a commercial and residential market that holds great opportunity, a place where they will be maintaining focus in the future.

Ram has already developed 140 West Franklin, a unique mixed-use investment located in the heart of Chapel Hill. This development offers an idyllic location alongside truly striking residential and commercial space. Ram has been working alongside the city and UNC to ensure that 140 West Franklin, in design and purpose, is a true complement to Chapel Hill. “Charlotte, in particular, attracted us because it’s a young, vibrant community,” Greaner continues. “It has the arts and entertainment, it has a great lifestyle. So it has all the fundamentals that attract families, entrepreneurs and talent for the workplace.” Although not yet a resident of Charlotte, Greaner visits often. She says her biggest surprise about the city is that it is even more than she expected. “The charm of Charlotte is that it has a great sense of place,” she says. “It’s got nice neighborhoods, it has people who care, who are involved, and it’s had pretty good vision. The light rail, I think, was great. It really is a nice place to be.” Greaner is quick to add that her company sees a definite up-tick in the Charlotte economy, and it is ready for action here. “We have found that, although there are a lot of new potential tenants looking to relocate, it’s not just moving around. It’s also people still coming to Charlotte,” she says. Though Ram has looked at other properties in Charlotte, both shopping centers and residential, new and existing, Greaner says emphatically, “The Design Center needs to be the star of the show.” Greaner is quite complimentary of Concentric Marketing. “They live and breathe the Design Center,” Greaner says, “and have been instrumental in our rebranding efforts.” She also coordinates efforts with Charlotte Center City Partners and the South End Historic District. She is particularly proud of the contemplated promotional effort involving the DCC’s historic old-style water tower figure. “What we are going to do on an annual basis is have a contest with local schools to put their art work on the water tower,” Greaner says. “Five years from now,” Greaner says, “I think the Design Center will be the central place within South End. We host weddings in the Design Center as well as other business functions, and even have caterer tenants with space to host events. We don’t want it to be just a place where you come to work 9-to-5 every day, but a place where you enjoy being inspired and a place that has creative energy.” Greaner sums up, “There’s no denying that commercial real estate has become a more competitive business as of late. However, Ram’s mission is to develop properties that hold greater significance to the community, stand apart in genuine uniqueness, and generally hold more meaning than basic square footage. With the DCC, I think we are well on the way to achieving this vision.”

Ellison Clary is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

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DCC New Branding Revealed

DCC NEW BRANDING REVEALED

On Tuesday, June 23, 2009 members of the Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) community were treated to a special morning complete with a coffee bar from Java Passage and freshly baked breakfast goodies from Best Impressions. Joining the Design Center community on this beautiful summer morning from Ram Real Estate was Kim Armstrong, senior property manager; Ivy Greaner, chief operating officer; and Shari Meltzer, the director of marketing for Ram.

The purpose of the morning was to share the work that the DCC’s own, Concentric Marketing, had done to rebrand the community. Bob Shaw, president of Concentric, sharing information gleaned from numerous tenant interviews and evaluation and unveiled the new Design Center look and advertising campaign. The look reflects the strengths of the community and shares the vibrancy of working at the DCC.

The new look for the water tower will be unveiled in late October with new signage and directionals being incorporated into daily life at the DCC. A billboard will share the “Get Inspired” theme on South Boulevard and the DCC community can expect to see advertising sharing the uniqueness that is the DCC in local publications. The DCC site has been revamped to reflect the energy at DCC and the community is invited to join the rebranding of life at the DCC.

Ram is pleased to continue to build on the strengths of the DCC community and many more events are planned for the DCC. *Get inspired!!!*