Aw, rumors...I normally don’t like responding to rumors but this is an easy rumor to debunk, so here goes...
First, according to my sources, the airport already owns a parcel of land that’s surrounded by Wilkerson Blvd, Josh Birmingham Pky, and Scott Futrell. There’s a trailer park between the airport’s land and the land that FXF owns where the CLT center is located. For years FXF has tried to buy the land from the owner of the trailer park but they always wanted more than fair market value. The airport stepped up and paid them what they were asking because they needed the additional land for their next project. The airport then approached FXF and inquired about buying a “sliver” of undeveloped land (about an acre or so) to “square up” their parcel. It’s this “sliver” of property that FXF sold to the airport, the land where the CLT center resides is still owned by FXF. The airport also owns the land on the other side of Josh Birmingham Pky (where Nikki’s was located) and they plan to build an office building on one parcel and a hotel on the other...not sure which will be going on the parcel of land next to our CLT center.
Secondly, according to my sources, CLT is NOT “moving” anywhere. It’s true for years that they've wanted to build a second center in CLT because we’re currently land locked and we need more space...and there’s probably also some truth that those plans were “postponed” during the whole union debacle, understandably. FXF owns parcels of land around the CLT area, although most parcels are already spoken for, aren’t big enough, have the wrong zoning, etc, so they’re actively seeking new land. With our current location already being on the south side of town, that puts Rock Hill, SC out of the question...and for various other reasons. Word on the street is they’re looking to the north side of town, possibly in the Salisbury/Rowan Co area, also for several reasons. Like Dick said, land is cheaper, but more importantly to help relieve pressure from GBO which is also close to capacity...(anyone who’s been there between midnight and 2am can attest)..but there’s also hurdles with Salisbury. Finding the right parcel at the right price with the correct zoning is easier said than done and from what I’ve heard, regardless of the amount of added “good paying” jobs this would bring to their town, there are some communities that don’t want “trucks” in their backyards!! Go figure!!
As for “loss of jobs”, GBO would still remain a mini-hub as they should, CLT would still remain as the hub, as it should, and a second CLT center would also become a mini-hub taking most of their workload from CLT, as it should, this the reasoning for a second center. According to my sources, it was said that the company wouldn’t make the same mistake they made in ATL pertaining to seperating the city and road, so a second center would pull city and road mainly from the existing CLT center...which isn’t that big of deal since our original first CLT center was actually in Concord, NC (about middle ways between CLT and Salisbury) and about half of both of our boards are from that area. It’s no farther to Salisbury as it is CLT. I’ll speculate to say that some city work would be brought down from GBO since the Salisbury area was originally covered by CLT for years but due to our current situation of being overcrowded, they moved that area to GBO. Common sense says that freight would be covered by a new second center instead of GBO and driver’s from GBO would be allowed to follow the freight...but let’s not put the cart before the horse just yet.
As for ATL, I’ll also speculate that their runs would be broken up between the two CLT centers...if they had 6 runs coming to CLT now, it would probably be 3-3, 4-2, or however the freight is broken up...again, common sense.
So in closing, did the airport buy the land where we’re currently located, NO. Are they looking to build a second center in CLT, YES, and they have been for years. Are they looking to close GBO as a mini-hub, NO. Will ATL be taking runs/freight from anyone, NO, not that I’ve heard.
