Mecklenburg County officials last week confirmed to CBJ's Erik Spanberg that the transformative Seventh and Tryon mixed-use development was off because the developer had backed out of the deal.

• The $600 million project included plans to turn 1½ blocks on North Tryon bordered by Sixth, Seventh, College and the Spirit Square area into restaurants and shops, an office tower, residences, a plaza, cafes, parking and a new main library.
• The new library will still be built. Demolition crews recently began tearing down the old building. The Spirit Square renovation will continue as planned, too, per the county.

Why it matters: The scuttling of the Seventh and Tryon project throws into question the entire revitalization of the North Tryon corridor.

• The development was long seen as a catalyst for the kind of growth in the area that South Tryon has enjoyed in recent years.

Between the lines: The developer, Washington, D.C.-based Metropolitan Partnership, and the county were unable to reach an agreement because of "challenges in the development market," the county said in a statement.

• The county is reviewing its options for the site, including potentially selling parts of it, per CBJ.

The big picture: Demand for office space has slowed significantly given the work-from-home policies ushered in by the pandemic. Financing projects that include office buildings as a focal point these days are problematic for developers nationwide.

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Event Management Contractor at SouthPark Community Partners.

• Company overview: An independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to lead SouthPark's advancement.
• In this role: Work with Southern Entertainment and SCP teams to manage on-site events logistics and assist in event breakdown.
• Must-have: 2+ years of event experience.

Interested? Apply here.

Duke Energy will retire all coal-powered plants by 2035. (CBJ)

Retired Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl, who joined UNC Charlotte's Board of Trustees this summer, is working with the school to lead the creation of a technology education and research hub in Charlotte's center city. (CBJ)

State regulators have stepped in to supervise the financial operations at Aldersgate, the popular senior living facility located on 231 acres in east Charlotte. Among other issues, the nonprofit is behind on its payments to former residents and vendors. (Charlotte Ledger 🔒)

Over the last decade, Alyssa Wilen has evolved from a 26-year-old executive chef at a new restaurant to a household name in Charlotte's rapidly growing culinary scene.

Flashback: Wilen and her now husband, Andrew, had been dating for about a year when they launched Chef Alyssa's Kitchen. At the time, Alyssa was the opening chef at Fern; Andrew worked in marketing for Charlotte Center City Partners.

• The business started offering cooking classes at Atherton Mill. In fall 2019, Chef Alyssa's Kitchen moved into a sleek new space in LoSo. Business boomed, thanks to an expansion of the classes and popular offerings like brunch.

Then the pandemic hit, and the growing company faced a daunting uncertainty: How would a business built in large part on in-person experiences survive in the age of social distancing?

Yes, but: Alyssa says her team learned some important lessons that have made the restaurant better and ready for its next chapter.

• Virtual classes became popular early on. They remain a flexible option for customers who'd prefer to learn at home.
• The growth of takeout: To-go meals accounted for about 10% of the restaurant's business pre-pandemic; family-style orders made up about 5%. Combined, they now comprise about 25% of the business, Alyssa says. The goal is to keep growing the takeout operation.
• Sustainability: All those takeout containers made the Wilens rethink their environmental footprint. They began working with the Innovation Barn on ways to reduce waste — including by composting and using eco-friendly packaging.

Chef Alyssa's Kitchen has started hiring more employees on full time — a shift from years prior when they leaned more on part-time workers.

• "With a lot more full-time team members, we've been able to develop their talents. They come to us with ideas, and we can coach them ... to allow Andrew and I to pull away in some ways," Alyssa says.

What's next: Chef Alyssa's Kitchen plans to add up to two more locations over the next few years, Alyssa says.