Axios Charlotte

March 28, 2024
👋 Hi, Thursday. It's Alexandria.
⛅️ Weather: Partly sunny and 65°.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Charlotte members Meg Alexander and Kati Collier!
Situational awareness: North Carolina will be buzzing this weekend with college basketball — N.C. State, Duke and UNC are all in the Sweet 16.
- The action begins tonight with UNC facing Alabama at 9:39pm on CBS. N.C. State and Duke play tomorrow.
Today's Smart Brevity™️ count is 732 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: 🐶 Whitewater Center dog park opens
A 70-acre off-leash dog park will open at the U.S. National Whitewater Center on Saturday, March 30, Axios' Ashley Mahoney reports.
Why it matters: Head to the 1,300-acre Whitewater Center any day and you'll see more than a few pooches, but up until now, they've been required to be on leashes. Now dogs of all breeds and sizes can roam freely.
If you go: The dog park includes lake and beach access and a dock.
- You'll purchase your pass and check-in, grab a beer, order food or buy a treat or toy for your dog at the 2,480-square-foot main building called the Barley House.
- There's a 1,100-square-foot covered pavilion with picnic tables, bathrooms and a 1.5-mile loop inside the new park. You cannot bike inside the dog park, but you can bike on a 2.5-mile loop that's just outside the perimeter.
Between the lines: The new park has several rules to keep humans and dogs safe, including a minimum four-month age requirement and up-to-date vaccines.
The bottom line: The Whitewater Center is among Charlotte's most popular attractions, drawing 1.2 million visitors in 2023, per a Whitewater Center spokesperson. Adding an off-leash dog park gives people another reason to visit.
2. 🚚 We're growing

The Charlotte area is among the fastest-growing metros in the U.S.
Why it matters: People moving here signals the area is economically healthy and desirable. But it also adds urgency to supply housing and improve infrastructure.
By the numbers: Mecklenburg County has grown 4.1% since 2020 to 1.16 million residents, census data show.
Zoom out: North Carolina's population is growing most significantly along the coast, the mountains and in the Piedmont, home to most of its largest cities.
- The fastest-growing county in the state continues to be Brunswick, home to towns like Ocean Isle Beach and Oak Island. The county grew by 15.8% to 160,000 people since 2020.
- Wake County has grown 5.3% since 2020 to 1.2 million residents.
Yes, but: The rural northeastern part of the state has shed population, with Hertford County's population falling 9% to 19,450 from 2020.
3. 💺 Spring break buzz
A record number of passengers are expected to go through Charlotte Douglas International Airport security this week during spring break travel, according to TSA officials.
By the numbers: 43,000 people are projected for today and 41,5000 for Friday, Ashley reports.
- Charlotte's current record is 41,175 passengers, set on Aug. 2, 2019.
The bottom line: Get to the airport early.
4. 🎰 First sports betting totals and other speed reads
📲 North Carolinians bet $198 million and won $142 million during the state's first week of legalized online sports betting. (CBJ 🔒)
🎤 Rosanne Cash, a Grammy Award-winning artist and daughter of Johnny Cash, will perform at Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday, April 6, at 7:30pm. (Axios)
🚨 The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office asked for a state investigation into alleged "irregularities" by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department crime lab analyst. (WBTV)
Fresh job openings around town
💼 Take your career to the next level and see who's hiring.
- Warehouse/Operations Supervisor at International Shades LLC.
- Family Care Navigator at The Ivey Brain Health and Memory Wellness Center.
- Registered Nurse, RN - Neurology Intermediate at Presbyterian Medical Center at Novant Health.
Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.
Hiring? Post a job.
5. 📈 Transit ridership on the up
People are catching rides on Charlotte public transit more and more these days.
By the numbers: Bus ridership has increased by 50% since 2022, when workers were returning to offices coming out of the pandemic, according to a Charlotte Area Transit System presentation recently shared with City Council.
- Passengers on rail have more than doubled.
Yes, but: Total ridership is 34% below prepandemic levels.
- Gold Line usage is falling each month, likely because of long headways, a Metropolitan Transit Commission report notes.
6. 🗓 Eventful weekend in Charlotte
Charlotte SHOUT! returns this weekend and will present plenty of entertainment, including a yoga-dance party at First Ward Park.
- Here are some other fun things to do around the city:
🍻 All weekend long: 15th Anniversary Celebration at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten | Free | Details
🤪 Friday: Comedy Open Mic Night at The Common Market | Free | 7pm | Details
⚽️ Saturday: Charlotte FC vs. FC Cincinnati at Bank of America Stadium | $45 | 7:30pm | Details
🧘♀️ Sunday: Yoga at Southern Strain Plaza Midwood | $12 | 11am-12pm | Details
7. 🍞 1 lunch rec to go
Salud Cerveceria, NoDa's James Beard-nominated beer shop, has brought back some sandwiches by popular demand, Axios' Laura Barrero writes.
We ordered: The "Call of Da Wild," made with house focaccia, chicken, bacon, mozzarella, arugula, tomato, house ranch, lemon vinaigrette and arugula.
Also on the menu: The "Players Ball" is house focaccia, meatballs, house pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and pesto, served with lemon vinaigrette on the side. Vegan options are available.
🏁 The rumors must be true. A possible moonshine cave was discovered below the North Wilkesboro Speedway. (WBTV)
- Michael Graff calls this possibly the "most North Carolina thing to ever happen."
Thanks to Katie Peralta Soloff for editing this newsletter and Lucia Maher for copy editing.
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