Behind Every Great Town is an Active, Passionate Chamber
Last week, hundreds of local leaders gathered to get the pulse on the community’s social, economic, and environmental well-being. Hosted by The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro, the 12th Annual State of the Community Report left the room feeling not only optimistic, but energized to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
“The Chamber does an incredible job collecting and translating critical data about the community,” said Tim Jezisek, vice president of development at Grubb Properties. “This report helps of us see the big picture of the current market conditions and make wiser decisions.”
One important topic of discussion: Growing the amount of Class A office space available in Chapel Hill in order to attract and retain employers. The Big Bold Ideas Steering Committee is working on the issue and challenged the business community to work together to develop 500,000 new square feet of space.
Grubb Properties is helping make a huge stride towards that goal with The Gwendolyn in Glen Lennox. Currently under construction, this state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building will feature countless amenities for enhancing the wellbeing and productivity of the modern workforce, with walkability to residences, greenspaces and shops and add 106,000 square feet of much needed Class A office space to Chapel Hill.
Other community metrics from the Report underpin what makes Chapel Hill so attractive to employers. Chapel Hill’s cost of living is amongst the best in the state, household income is growing, the workforce is highly educated, and public school students are outperforming their peers statewide.
“The state of our community is strong: we are one of the healthiest counties in the state with one of the most well-educated workforces in the nation,” noted Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. “Our cost of living reflects great value and our tourism numbers show that we are a place people want to be.”