Red Cross eyes Charlotte office park for call-center deal
07-May-2010The Charlotte Business Journal
By Will Boye and Susan Stabley
May 7, 2010
The American Red Cross is considering a south Charlotte office park for a 267-job expansion, according to sources familiar with the company’s real estate search.
The nonprofit humanitarian organization’s growth needs were the subject of City Council action this week to clear the way for an expedited rezoning vote. The zoning change would allow the addition of parking on a vacant 10.4-acre site in the Forest Park office park off Arrowood Road. The zoning vote was scheduled for May 17 for an unnamed tenant promising jobs, which sources have identified as the Red Cross.
Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess said Faison Enterprises Inc. needs immediate action on the request because a potential tenant “won’t sign without the rezoning.”
A rezoning summary given to council said the unidentified tenant wants 64,000 square feet of office space at 500 Forest Point Boulevard for a call center that would employ 267 workers. That tenant also has requested an option in the lease negotiations to expand to 240,000 square feet in Forest Park. The city document says the expansion could accommodate an additional 1,000 employees. It’s not clear if the Red Cross is actually considering an expansion of that size in the future.