The Charlotte City Council and Huntersville Town Board requested the honor last fall. Last week, North Carolina Department of Transportation Board Chair Ned Curran read a resolution for approval by the full board.
“I have known Allen for many, many years and consider him a close friend,” said Curran. “He has a remarkable entrepreneurial story and has certainly made significant efforts to affect transportation issues in our region. In fact, if not for Allen’s tireless commitment to see the project through, Charlotte’s outer belt probably would not be completed for many, many years.”
Since launching his real estate career from an office on South Tryon St. in 1957, Mr. Tate has been a pillar of Charlotte’s business and civic community. He chaired the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission from 1970 through 1979, served on the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation from 1988 to 1989, and held a variety of leadership positions with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, including as its chairman in 1999.
Mr. Tate also became a recognized leader among his industry peers. In the 1970s, he partnered with developer John Crosland, Jr., in establishing REBIC, to give the Charlotte real estate industry a voice in local politics and regulatory affairs, and to advocate for the cause of affordable housing. Today, the residential real estate firm he founded, The Allen Tate Company, is the largest in the Carolinas based on volume and transactions, with more than 1,400 professionals in 45 offices from Greenville, S.C., to Raleigh.
In addition to his countless contributions to the business community, Mr. Tate has been a longtime proponent of transportation issues, serving as chair of the Charlotte Chamber’s Regional Roads Committee, the Toll Roads Solutions Committee and the most recent Committee of 21. In 2008, he led the charge for I-485 to be completed ahead of schedule as well as the widening of I-85 in Cabarrus County and of I-485 south of Charlotte.
“For the past 50 years, there has been no greater champion than Allen Tate for the planning, funding and building of roads to meet the demands of our region’s growing population,” added Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber president and CEO.
Mr. Tate was told of the board’s decision by telephone. “Truly it is a thrill for me and all the wonderful people who have worked so hard over the years. I am proud of the things that the various chambers of commerce in the region can achieve. I thank everybody so much,” he said.
Plans are in the works for a naming and opening ceremony for I-485 and the interchange at I-85.
Portions of this post provided by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
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