N.C. architects are raising safety concerns about legislation that would reduce the number of smaller construction projects that require a plan review from a licensed architect. Some contractors says the change makes such projects more affordable. Senate Bill 329 passed the N.C. House this week. It would raise the threshold for bypassing an architectural review from $200,000 to $300,000. A Senate vote is pending.

Atlanta-based packaging manufacturer WestRock Co., which has more than 300 locations and more than 50,000 employees worldwide, announced it would invest at least $47 million to expand its Claremont manufacturing capabilities. The expansion will add 50 jobs with an average annual wage of $48,422.

The drug giant is making what could be “hundreds” of layoffs among its patient support staff in Raleigh after a new Alzheimer’s drug brought in just $300,000 in sales in its first full quarter. Hailed as a potential breakthrough treatment for the disease, the infused drug has suffered from a slow debut complicated by coverage questions and doctor concerns.

New York-headquartered Suzy announced it is bringing dozens of jobs with an average annual salary of $120,000 to its new tech hub in downtown Wilmington. The tech hub is expected to open in November. A market research firm with a focus on technology, Suzy has raised $78 million in funding since the onset of the pandemic.

Greensboro City leaders plan to transform the Regency Inn and Suites in Greensboro on North O’Henry Boulevard into apartments for people experiencing homelessness. They hope the $13.1 million project will take a holistic approach to ending chronic homelessness, while also taking care of medical issues that people living there might have.

The North Carolina grocery chain continues to grow, with plans to open a 52,000-square-foot store in Concord by early 2023. A subsidiary of Hickory-based Alex Lee, Lowes Foods has nearly 9,000 employees at 80 supermarkets in the Carolinas. The 67-year-old company currently has two other stores in the Charlotte area, in Mooresville and Harrisburg, with another coming to Huntersville.

Texas-based sports entertainment company Topgolf is beginning work on a three-level, 102-bay venue in Durham. The new location, projected to open in late summer 2022, will be the company’s third in the state along with two in the Charlotte area. Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon was among Topgolf’s early investors.

The two locations of Raleigh-based coworking company The Loading Dock will include a facility in West Raleigh and one in Wake Forest that will become the company’s largest. Both are expected to open this year. The Loading Dock was founded in 2016 and announced expansion plans in 2020.

Following the Hickory City Council’s approval of an agreement with Charlotte-based JRN Development, more homes for low-to-moderate-income residents will be coming to the southwest part of Hickory. The homes will be priced between $145,000 and $170,000 and available to households making less than 80% of the area median income.

The High Point Market closed Wednesday with attendance of buyers and designers hitting about 75% to 80% of normal years, continuing a steady improvement from a year ago, says CEO Tom Conley. Supply chain issues and COVID-19 concerns are affecting the Triad’s biggest semi-annual event. He noted that the market had about 1,600 exhibitors, 300 less than at its peak. 

IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind in the country, acquired the assets of Pinnacle Mercantile, a reseller and manufacturer of products for the home, kitchen, garden and landscape. These products, primarily made in the U.S., are sold and distributed through the Amazon marketplace. The acquisition adds jobs and revenues to help people who are blind.

The CW Williams Community Health Center plans to tear down its main location and put up a new building at that site. Work will likely start in February, with the construction project scheduled to finish by March 2023. The west Charlotte community health center serves 13,000 people annually, especially low-income patients in medically under-served areas of the city.

Pope AAF at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville reopened after being closed nearly four months for repairs and upgrades. Overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, the 184,000-hour repair project was finished on time and under budget, with improvements to the runway and airfield electrical system.

A union representing tens of thousands of crew workers nationwide reached a tentative agreement with movie and television producers, avoiding a nationwide strike that could have brought most productions to a halt. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) includes wage increases and mandatory rest periods for crew workers.

FCP paid $19.5 million for a collection of three office properties in midtown Raleigh totaling 7.5 acres along Navaho Drive. The properties are next to two major developments already underway. This deal brings FCP’s assemblage in the area to about 28 acres.

County leaders also voted to transition to zero-emission vehicles. The county and city are engaged in a large-scale solar installation at 39 local government buildings, paying for its projects with a $12.4 million, 15-year bond, with a potential $2.2 million rebate from Duke Energy. The projects are forecast to save the county between $14 million and $17 million in energy costs during the next 30 years.

Locus Biosciences has signed a credit facility deal with Hercules Capital worth up to $25 million. The company, based in Research Triangle Park, will use the capital to support the “discovery platform engine and in-house manufacturing capacity,” according to Paul Garofolo, co-founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences.

Greensboro City leaders plan to transform the Regency Inn and Suites in Greensboro on North O’Henry Boulevard into apartments for people experiencing homelessness. They hope the $13.1 million project will take a holistic approach to ending chronic homelessness, while also taking care of medical issues that people living there might have.

North Carolina’s community colleges reported a 1% systemwide increase in enrollment, according to preliminary information released yesterday by system President Thomas Stith. Forty-six of the 58 colleges had full-time equivalent increases of at least 2%, Stith said. The estimates are based on the number of accumulated student hours. Enrollment has declined at the colleges in recent years.

In one of the largest multifamily deals in Triangle history, Indigo Apartments in Morrisville were sold last week for $121.9 million, or $249,284 per unit. Raleigh’s Blue Heron Asset Management, the seller of the property, claims this is largest single-property, conventional multifamily transaction in North Carolina so far this year. The property was purchased by Canadian real estate asset management firm Indigo Acquisitions LLC. 

Charlotte’s city council members on Monday discussed the possible rezoning of a 55-acre site near Bank of America stadium to a “mixed-use district” which could house retail, hotels, restaurants and even a new stadium . The petition will go to a zoning committee for additional recommendations after Monday’s discussion, and the council could vote on it as early as Nov. 15. Some city council members worried the rezoning could eliminate the potential for future parks or open space. 

Vivo Apartments in Wiinston-Salem, located in a former Residence Inn, were sold for $10.25 million according to a transaction recorded Monday in Forsyth County. The two-story complex was purchased by Colorado-based EPH 31 LLC. Vivo Investment Group, the seller, paid $4.6 million for the former hotel in 2020. 

The Triangle dropped to No. 2 in the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022 report’s list for top housing markets in the country. Though Nashville beat the region out in that category, the Triangle ranked first nationally for homebuilding prospects for the third consecutive year. The area has continuously grown, particularly as the the pandemic saw many move from larger cities to more affordable suburbs. 

North Carolina stands to benefit from the 150,000 seasonal positions Amazon announced it would hire for this year as one of the primary states with the highest number of seasonal roles. The jobs will have an average starting pay of $18 per hour and may include signing bonuses up to $3,000. The workers are expected to help full-time employees in fulfillment centers, sorting centers, regional air hubs and delivery stations throughout the U.S. 

NTT America Inc. will permanently lay off 151 employees from its Charlotte office in December, according to a new filing with the N.C. Department of Commerce. More than 60 job classifications are being eliminated, including purchase agents, analysts and billing. The company issued a statement saying it was attempting to improve efficiency and focus on clients. 

Just before news coverage broke that San Antonio-based Weathered Souls would be coming to Charlotte last week, the Ride or Die Spin Studio and Mugshots Coffee & Tea owners learned they will not be allowed to sign another lease in their building and need to move out by Nov. 30 to make way for the brewery. Both allege property owner Stuart Brauer told them only a portion of the building would be up for grabs, allowing them to continue operating. Brauer says leasing the full building was always a possibility. 

There’s over a dozen development projects and roughly 1.6 billion square feet of planned or proposed office space coming to downtown Raleigh. The tally from The News & Observer lists planned apartment buildings, high rises and more, with details on developments such as 400H Tower and 865 Morgan. 

Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. will expand its operations in Rocky Mount through a $8.9 million investment expected to add 73 jobs to its operations. Hubbell Power Systems is a unit of Hubbell Incorporated, an international manufacturer of electrical and electronic products, and has a facility in Rocky Mount for its PenCell Plastics brand. The new jobs will have an average salary over $40,000. 

5Metis Inc. has raised $10 million for the development of crop protection products, according to an Oct. 4 securities filing. The startup was founded this year when the crop protection division of Triangle-based Boragen Inc. and AgriMetis, LLC joined together, and will be sustained through mid-2023 thanks to the funding from eight investors. 

Ashton Builders is planning a 246-lot housing subdivision in Nash County near Nashville, reflecting continued growth of the Triangle’s surrounding counties. The Alpharetta, Ga.-based builder says Carolina Woods will cover a 118-acre tract about 45 miles from downtown Raleigh. 

Greensboro-based Got You Floored, a provider of flooring products and installation, has been acquired by Dallas’ Impact Floors. Got You Floored was heralded as one of the fastest growing companies in the Triangle last year and reported revenue of $9.13 million in 2020. Details of the acquisition have not been released. 

After a $100 million Series B financing round, Kriya Therapeutics, which has headquarters in Research Triangle Park and Palo Alto, California, is launching a new division focusing on gene therapies for eye diseases. The biotech startup recently completed the construction of a 51,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Kriya Ophthalmology will be headed by Theresa Heah, a former AsclepiX Therapeutics executive. 

On Monday morning the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved a $1.9 million request for gap funding allocation for an affordable housing apartment project in Wilmington. Bradley Development and Kelley Development Co. have also approached the City of Wilmington for $3.5 million in gap funding for the 278-unit development. The $1.9 million from the county will be treated as grant and will not need to be paid back. 

The available job openings in IT and other high-tech industries dipped slightly in September from the previous month, but remains 37% higher than September last year. According to a report by Clarkston Consulting and Momentum, there have been at least 30,000 job openings in Charlotte for the past 9 months. NC Tech is sponsoring a virtual job fair this week in an attempt to fill open positions. 

The Town of Morrisville announced Singh Development will be the developer for the first phase of construction for its Town Center project set to begin late next year. Plans for Town Center haven’t been finalized yet, but current plans call for commercial space and residential units. Singh Development has offices in Cary and Massachusetts. 

Truist Bank officials stated its $66-billion merger with BB&T bank is still on track for completion in the first quarter next year during an earnings call on Friday. The bank has closed over 400 branches of the 800 total that will close by the end of February, but no jobs will be lost in the consolidation efforts. In the coming months, Truist will also transition customers to a new digital banking platform, which already has 7 million users. 

Two years after deciding to construct its U.S. manufacturing facility in Raleigh the French-based gene editing firm is preparing to produce its first batch of material for clinical trials. About 75 people currently work at the facility and Cellectis, which is hiring monthly, expects that number continues to grow to as many as 200.

As the city grows, west Charlotte still lacks healthy food options nearby. The West Boulevard Corridors of Opportunity project is designed to bring more businesses to the community and addresses food insecurity, but residents say avoiding gentrification will take true investment.

Diamondback Investment Group of Greensboro sold the upscale apartment community, Burlington St. Marks to St. Marks Crossing, an LLC managed by Leonard Kern of Star and Richard Kern of Asheboro. The 183-unit community is scheduled for completion in 2022. Diamondback principals are Zach Tran and Hal Kern.

Built in 1888, the former church fell into disrepair before being renovated and reopening as an event space in 2011. Husband and wife Jay and Tara Tatum bought the BAC in 2018 and have made significant improvements and renovations. They report a flood of pandemic-delayed or newly booked weddings since reopening.

The company, which focuses on sanitation tech, has closed on $225,000 in new funding and could raise an additional $275,000. Ultraloop advisors include Bernard Bell, executive director of Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Stephanie Davis, M.D., the chair of the department of pediatrics and physician-in-chief of the N.C. Children’s Hospital.

The deal for the wooded and undeveloped land next to the private Carolina Day School’s athletic complex was hashed out in a closed session, according to county records. The lack of an announcement about the expenditure of public money drew criticism from City Council member Kim Roney.

The acclaimed Carthage restaurant that greets pilots flying into the neighboring Gilliam-McConnell Airfield was severely damaged by a fire during Memorial Day weekend. While the establishment is being rebuilt, owner Ashley Sheppard was determined to return to the N.C. State Fair, where the Pik N Pig has been selling barbecue since 2006.

Family owned and operated Pöppelmann Plastics USA will create 133 jobs in Catawba County as part of the manufacturing expansion at its Claremont plant. The average annual salary for new positions, including machine operators, maintenance technicians, warehouse personnel and administrative staff, is $44,827.

Charlotte-based Bank of America posted strong third-quarter earnings results with its profit jumping more than 57%. The bank posted third-quarter net income of $7.69 billion, while quarterly revenue – which came to $22.77 billion, nearly a 12% increase from last year – beat analysts’ average prediction of $21.78 billion.

Textile-Based Delivery, Inc., also known as Nufabrx, raised about $4 million in a round that could end up resulting in as much as $10 million from six investors. The Conover-based company produces garment products that administer pain relief medicine to those who wear them.

Paul Toms Jr. has retired as Hooker Furnishings Corp. board chairman effective immediately, the company announced. Toms retired as chief executive in early February and was succeeded by Jeremy Hoff. The board has named retired BB&T Corp. Chief Operating Officer Henry Williamson Jr. as chairman.

Carolina Fintech Hub is launching a new initiative called “The Meta Lab” with entrepreneurship nonprofit MassChallenge to boost startups in Charlotte. Truist Bank and Charlotte-based investment management firm Barings are also collaborating on the project.

The Greensboro-based microchip company has “big growth plans for 2022 and beyond,” according to CEO Ryan Pratt, who founded the company in 2013. Guerrilla RF, which has grown to employ 44 people, with 39 located in and around Greensboro, plans to merge with an undisclosed shell company and become publicly traded.

The Indiana-based company’s Rocky Mount operation anticipates adding 20 employees to a current staff of 12. SePRO was established in 1994, and specializes in selling products in connection with aquatics, landscaping and ornamental horticulture.