University City Partners achievements

The state of North Carolina allows the formation of special tax districts, in other states called Business Investment Districts, to promote areas within its cities.  In July 2003, Charlotte City Council authorized the formation of University City Partners in the area immediately adjacent to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and around a proposed light-rail line. Based on that first five years of work, the City allowed the tax district to more than double in size and triple in budget in July 2008.  That allowed UCP to expand its staffing to three full-time employees in 2008 and open an office in the district. 

UCP has:

• Increased advocacy and data collection for University City with appropriate government and economic development entities
• Undertaken a branding study for University City that included work for the University Research Park (URP) and indentified three branding pillars
• Initiated a full-scale communication strategy to tell the University City story using social media, E-newsletters, news releases, websites, speaker’s bureau, videos, ad buys and community outreach
• Funded transportation and land planning studies for the area near the proposed Light Rail Line that was the original tax district
• Partnered with City’s Economic Development staff to pay for a three-day Urban Land Institute study of the 43-year-old University Research Park
• Paid for an updated Area Plan for the URP (approved June 2010) and launched a text amendment process to update URP’s research zoning
• Produced needed marketing materials including new photography, databases of area businesses, brochures, a URP video and a soon to be updated URP Charlotte website
• Responded to a myriad of information requests from brokers, recruiters, news media and elected officials
• Created and/or supporting events to highlight University City’s brand pillars