As Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist seek public funds for a transformational medical school campus and innovation district in Charlotte, neighbors worry about the project's effects on surrounding communities.

What's happening: The health care systems are seeking to rezone 14.28 acres in Midtown for a state-of-the-art medical school campus.

• They're also asking for $75 million from the city and county to fund infrastructure upgrades like new streets and utilities.

Among other amenities, the rezoning for the campus would allow for four towers, street-level retail for restaurants and other businesses, an education building, apartments and a hotel.

Yes, but: In a recent letter to the city and county, the Housing Justice Coalition and the Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council said in its current form, Atrium's plan leaves "a lot to be desired."

• "This project has the potential to attract more jobs, drive property values higher, and thus add to a worsening housing crisis..." the groups wrote.

Zoom out: New development prompts concerns over rising property values and displacement in almost any Charlotte neighborhood.

Of note: Part of the project includes where Brooklyn, Charlotte's once-thriving Black business district, used to be.

Full story: As Atrium pushes ahead with Innovation District, neighbors worry about ripple effects

Buckle up. Thanksgiving travel time has arrived.

While Charlotte Douglas International Airport doesn't expect quite as many holiday travelers as it had pre-pandemic, traffic continues to rise, Axios' Ashley Mahoney writes.

By the numbers: The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, is expected to have the most traffic, with an estimated 35,000 people, CLT chief operating officer Jack Christine told reporters this week.

• By comparison, the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019 saw 38,000 travelers.

To navigate the upcoming hectic travel scene, Ashley put together a few tips for anyone flying through CLT.

IMO: The most important one she listed? Be kind.

Full story: 6 things to know before flying from Charlotte this Thanksgiving

👀 See who's hiring our Job Board.

1. Account manager, Axios HQ (Remote) at Axios.
2. Student loans reporter/expert at U.S. News & World Report.
3. Campus stores associate at Charlotte Country Day School.
4. Expeditor at Dominique DeLaney Interior Design.
5. Administrative and marketing assistant at Cambridge Properties, Inc.
6. Sr. director of marketing and communications at Mint Museum.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board. Hiring? Post a job. 

Increasing demand and a pandemic-era supply crunch have led to record rent and home price increases locally, a new UNC Charlotte study found, as Axios' Danielle Chemtob writes.

Why it matters: In addition to ensuring everyone has access to housing they can afford, the worsening affordability crisis also threatens Charlotte's competitive economic advantage.

• "If we allow this trend to continue, at some point people will think, ok, moving to Charlotte doesn't make sense because the housing there is really expensive," Yongqiang Chu, director of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, said Wednesday.

Details: Between September 2020 and this September, median home and rental prices both increased by about 16%. The average growth rate from 2010 to 2020 was 6%.

By the numbers: The median home price was $335,000 in October, according to data from Canopy MLS, also released Wednesday.

• You would need to make $79,014 to afford the median priced home in Charlotte in 2020, per UNC Charlotte's report.
• Even to afford a home in the tenth percentile price-wise, you would need to make more than $50,000.

Between the lines: Starter homes are particularly hard to find these days. Only 35% of homes sold for under $300,000 this year. Last year, 49% of homes sold for below that price.

Full story: You need to make $79k to afford the median-priced Charlotte house

Mooresville-based Lowe's on Wednesday reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue, a sign that the American customer's pandemic-era appetite for home-improvement projects hasn't let up.

Also on Wednesday, the company shared plans to address what CEO Marvin Ellison calls a "fragmented market opportunity" — a goal to make Lowe's a one-stop-shop for seniors who want to age in their homes.

Ellison described a frustrating time about 2.5 years ago, when he was helping his 80-year-old father upgrade his house with certain safety features.

• "As the CEO of a home improvement company, I found it extremely difficult to find one location, including Lowe's, where I could buy a walk-in tub, pull-down cabinets, non-slip floors, (and) grab bars," Ellison said.

What's next: Lowe's new "Livable Home" project will roll out at its stores nationwide over the next 12-18 months, Ellison said.

That's the advice Charlotte Country Day School college counselor Catherine Odum would give to a parent whose child didn't get in to their dream school. 

The college admissions process can be anxiety-inducing (to say the least). We asked Catherine seven questions about how to manage stress and set your college-bound kid up for success. 

Jeff Jackson, a state senator who earlier this year visited all 100 counties in North Carolina, stopped at UNC Charlotte this week as part of his higher-ed tour, Ashley writes.

Driving the news: Jackson wants to replace Richard Burr as the next U.S. senator from North Carolina.

• It's a closely watched race that pits Jackson against candidates like Democrats Cheri Beasley and Erica Smith and Republicans including Pat McCrory, Ted Budd and Mark Walker.
• Beasley, Jackson's fellow Democratic front-runner, was also on a college campus Monday, visiting Fayetteville State about two hours east of Charlotte.

State of play: College students will play a significant role in the 2022 midterm elections.

What he's saying: "The only way to win is by running as transparent and authentic campaign as possible. That's our theory of electability here," Jackson told Axios, after spending time speaking with nearly every event attendee.

Full story: U.S. Senate race could be decided by college students

Looking for ways to mix up your usual Charlotte weekend routine? Axios' Symphony Webber has some ideas:

• Ice skating at the Whitewater Center: All weekend. $25 for a day pass, $6 parking.
• Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at SouthPark Mall: 10am-7pm Saturday. Prices vary.
• South End Rail Trail Clean-up: Supplies will be provided. 10am-noon Saturday. Free. Registration required.
• Charlotte Gaymers Network After Dark at Heist Brewery: 7-10pm Sunday. Free.

Full weekender: 23 fun things to do this weekend in Charlotte

News you can use from our partners.

• Curious about what it's like to get a breast augmentation in Charlotte? We got the inside scoop from a patient and her surgeons at Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery.
• Need some dinner inspo? Dilworth Tasting Room in Southpark has tasty sharing plates, a full cocktail program and an extensive wine list. 🍷 Book your table. 

What's better on a chilly fall day than a juicy cheeseburger from Brooks' Sandwich House in NoDa?

• Get it "all the way" and with fries, obviously.