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The City of Charlotte has launched Skilled to Build, a new citywide initiative that aims to equip local businesses and workers for opportunities emerging from more than $25 billion in transportation and transit investments tied to the voter-approved one-cent sales tax.
Skilled to Build was created in partnership with Charlotte Economic Development, the Office of Workforce Development, and the Contracting and Procurement Department. The initiative delivers workforce grants, small business readiness tools and training, and business engagement programs to support the city’s Mobility+ strategy.
By preparing now, local businesses can scale into large and small contracting roles and local workers can train for sustainable career pathways, expanding economic mobility across the region.
Facilitation and Technical Assistance Request for Grant (RFG)
Phase II of the Skilled to Build Small Business Readiness Program opens Tuesday, Sept. 22, with a grant opportunity for qualified organizations to facilitate the customized curriculum developed by Growmetix and provide technical assistance to participating small businesses. The application deadline is Oct. 30.
Sign up for Skilled to Build updates.
My Take: As was recently reported in The Charlotte Observer, the City of Charlotte has been recognized nationally for its efforts to promote workforce development through internships and other opportunities. This appears to have been a successful endeavor measured by the 82% retention rate these programs have generated over the past eight years. Similarly, the BuildStrong Academy of Charlotte, an initiative of the Home Builders Institute (HBI) in partnership with the Home Builders Association of Greater Charlotte (HBAGC) offers tuition-free, hands-on training to students to pursue careers in the trades. These are the types of efforts we should be promoting and expanding if we are going to meet the needs of our growing region. Opportunities such as these lead participants to careers that allow them to avoid the burden of college debt while earning a significant salary in the process. Some, and we hope it is many, may move on to own their own businesses and employ others in the future – the definition of upward mobility.
The Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) Committee determined that various revisions are necessary to the CLDSM. Below is a PDF of proposed Draft text details for public review and comment:
2026 CLDSM Update – Draft(PDF, 2MB)
Please review the CLDSM draft detail packet and provide any questions, feedback, or comments to the proposed changes by October 15th , 2026 via e-mail to [email protected]. The revisions are proposed to become effective November 30th 2026.
As a matter of context, the City of Charlotte ensures that new, improved, and modified infrastructure to be used by the public complies with adopted ordinances, meets technical requirements, and is suitable for City maintenance (where applicable). This manual provides standardized information to be used for the design, review, approval, and implementation of construction plans. By using the approved standards and details provided in this manual, designers can develop plans that align with City requirements from the outset, helping support a more consistent and efficient review process. All design details provided in this manual are approved for use within the City of Charlotte and its extraterritorial jurisdiction unless otherwise noted.
This manual is frequently used as a design reference for the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects to facilitate the design process. CIP projects frequently use a combination of standard and non-standard designs, subject to review by City staff, to best meet the needs of the public infrastructure implementation.
My Take: While this is a technical document and some of you may click the link and immediately want to stare into space, please try to stick with it and read through to the end. Are there new requirements where the cost appears to outweigh the benefit? Do any provisions seem to make sense on paper but would likely be completely unrealistic in the field? Your valuable feedback represents the thoughtful information the city staff needs as they consider changes to the manual. Thanks in advance for taking a look!
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