Dirt NC

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Summary: Janet and I talk all about what the Conservancy is and what they do!

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- The difference between the structure of Dix Park and a typical City Park.
- Janet’s career journey and how it corresponds with the Dix Park timeline.
- The current state of the park and upcoming milestones.

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About Janet: 
Janet Cowell is CEO/President of Dix Park Conservancy and a corporate director. She was North Carolina State Treasurer from 2009-2016.

Dix Park Conservancy is a non-profit that works in partnership with the City of Raleigh to create Dorothea Dix Park, a 308-acre site with a dramatic landscape and complex historical legacy one mile from downtown. The Conservancy has raised ~$40 million during her tenure and ~$70 million since inception.

Cowell serves as Lead Independent Director for New Republic Partners, Chair of IFM’s Global Infrastructure Fund Investor Advisory Committee, Chair of Wharton’s Executive Education Board, and Chair of the NC Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation. She helped to found OnBoardNC, a non-profit organization promoting women on boards.

Cowell held publicly elected office in North Carolina for fifteen years, including eight as State Treasurer. The first woman elected Treasurer, she managed over $100 billion in assets, and health and retirement benefits, for over 900,000 members.

Cowell is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her MBA and MA in International Studies from the Wharton School of Business and the Lauder Institute.

Connect with Janet: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Mentioned in the show:
Dix Park Webcam
Stone Houses
Get Involved at Dix Park
Art at Dix - Attun
Email Janet - [email protected]
Email Nick - [email protected]

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well

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Summary: Anthony and I talk all about the process of opening a local business and hatch a new business idea for a local restaurant venture fund!

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- The brutal process of opening a restaurant.
- How a “Restaurant Venture Capital” model could work.
- The benefits of offering a ladder of options and being “Best in Class” from $30 per meal to $3,000 per meal!

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About Anthony: Fortunate enough to marry his wife Brett in 2015 and has been incredibly lucky ever since. Opened Oakwood Pizza Box in 2017 on a hope and a prayer. In a previous life Anthony spent time running some fancy restaurants throughout Raleigh, but most certainly prefers Champagne and Square pizzas. Currently obsessed with opening restaurant projects for young hospitality professionals so we can enjoy a more vibrant restaurant scene and they can experience the magic of entrepreneurship. Graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. Three Kids and a golden retriever named Pierre make sure there's never a dull moment. 

Connect with Anthony: Website | Instagram | 

Mentioned in the show:
- Ted Williams science of hitting poster

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work.

With each episode of Dirt NC my goal is to make sure you walk away learning something new about land use. I promise to keep it simple and straight to the point.

As always, I am grateful that you have chosen to share this time with me! If you have comments/questions/suggestions about Dirt NC or anything land use related you can connect with me on www.oakcitycre.com.

Until next time, Thank you!

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Summary: Jamie and I talk all about what a land use attorney is and why they are important to the development process. 

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- How Jamie went from studying architecture to becoming a landscape architect to becoming a lawyer.
- The importance of an entrepreneurial mindset and advice for being an entrepreneur within a larger organization.
- “Raleigh, fundamentally friendly”
- Jamie’s favorite podcasts

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About Jamie Schwedler: 
Jamie is a land use attorney practicing with Parker Poe.  She regularly advises developers and landowners on a full range of real property and development matters. 

Her representation has included zoning requests for large land development projects and infill sites, conducting due diligence and entitlement review on real estate acquisitions, navigating local and state regulations affecting development, and analyzing legal issues of transportation and infrastructure improvements.

Connect with Jamie: Website | LinkedIn

Mentioned in the show:
- Dirt NC episode with Ken Bowers
- Dirt NC episode with Paul Zarian
- [Podcast] WorkLife with Adam Grant
- [Podcast] Leading Voices in Real Estate with Matt Slepin
- [Podcast] Dear HBR - Harvard Business Review
- [Podcast] The Working Mothers Mentor with Julie Finn 

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work.

With each episode of Dirt NC my goal is to make sure you walk away learning something new about land use. I promise to keep it simple and straight to the point.

As always, I am grateful that you have chosen to share this time with me! If you have comments/questions/suggestions about Dirt NC or anything land use related you can connect with me on www.oakcit

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Summary: Stephen and I talk all about the City of Raleigh Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- Stephen's journey from a focus on physical education to leading a team of 1,800 (seasonal peak) team members
- How the department is funded.
- The value of an ethic of conservation.
- How the Raleigh Greenway system encompasses over 4,000 acres of land.

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About Stephen C. Bentley: 
Stephen C. Bentley is the Director of the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department and part of the City’s Management Team. With a career spanning over 20 years, he has worked for public park agencies at the federal, state and local levels of government. 

As Director of the Raleigh Parks Department, he is responsible for overseeing the mission, vision and equitable values of Raleigh’s system. For more than a decade, Stephen has worked with elected officials, community and business leaders on approximately $350M in park and recreation improvements across the City. Stephen has extensive experience in public park planning, community engagement, public space design, funding and public-private partnership strategies. 

The values that guide Stephen’s work include collaboration, inclusion and empowerment. 

Stephen has a bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg University in Recreation and Leisure Services Management in Pennsylvania and received his master’s degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Administration from Michigan State University. He holds certificates from National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) Directors School, North Carolina State University Natural Resources Leadership Institute, and the University of North Carolina Municipal Administrators Program. 

Stephen is active in several national organizations and local nonprofits supporting efforts for everyone to live a healthy life.

Connect with Stephen: Website | LinkedIn 

Mentioned in the show:
City of Raleigh Museum
Raleigh Urban Forestry
Raleigh Parks Board
Raleigh Parks Newsletter - MyRaleigh Subscriptions 
Recless Podcast
Podcast Raleigh: Ernest Dollar, City of Raleigh Museum

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can

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Summary: Travis and I talk all about the process of building out a tenant space!

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- The importance of finding a good “fit” in your GC. Interview them like you would an employee.
- Travis’s journey from being a Radio Host to a General Contractor.
- The importance of learning to read your own plans.
-  The overall timeline and process for a tenant upfit.
- The value of spending money on good plans.

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About Travis:
Travis is the Director of Commercial Construction for Williams Realty & Building Co., Inc.  He has been with Williams for going on ten years.  Travis is a native of the area, born and raised in Apex, and  a proud graduate of NC State. 

Connect with Travis: Website | LinkedIn 

Mentioned in the show:
- WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Radio

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work.

With each episode of Dirt NC my goal is to make sure you walk away learning something new about land use. I promise to keep it simple and straight to the point.

As always, I am grateful that you have chosen to share this time with me! If you have comments/questions/suggestions about Dirt NC or anything land use related you can connect with me on www.oakcitycre.com.

Until next time, Thank you!

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Summary: Anthony and I talk all about his path to development, development process, and the new Forge Apartments from on site at Raleigh Iron Works.

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- A greenway system, like a chain, is only as strong as its weakest link.
- The challenges and opportunities of adaptive reuse development.
- The importance of having grace with critique and the impact of constraints.

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About Anthony:
Anthony Smithson manages ongoing development and construction activities at Grubb Ventures, including many of our award-winning multifamily communities and mixed-use commercial projects.

He began his career in commercial real estate as an Investment Analyst and Project Manager for Grubb Properties, where he managed the repositioning of several office portfolios and the development and construction of multifamily communities in North Carolina. Prior to transitioning into commercial real estate, Anthony worked as a structural engineer, designing office buildings, mixed-use developments, multifamily communities, and retail centers.

In 2011, Anthony earned his MBA, with concentrations in investment finance and real estate, from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and he holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  

Connect with Anthony: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Mentioned in the show:
- Modpools
- Forge at Raleigh Iron Works
- Book: Ann Lamott - Bird By Bird
- Book: Christopher Alexander - A Pattern Language
- Book: Keith Ferrazzi - Never Eat Alone
- Book: Yvon Chouinard - Let My People Go Surfing
- Book: Roman Mars - The 99% Invisible City
- Book: Robert Caro - The Power Broker

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work

Send a text

Summary: Phil and I talk all about Transportation Engineering and Design.
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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- Multimodal transportation engineering: What is it? Why is it important?
- Breakdown of industry jargon and acronyms: VMT, LOS, VHOD…
- The importance of starting with a sketch.

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About Phil: 
Phil Veasley is a Professional Engineer with Toole Design Group working to design safer multimodal infrastructure in cities throughout the US. Outside of the 9-5, his goal is to create cites that are safe and effective for all people to move about outside of cars. Whether it’s written articles, sketches, YouTube videos, or just starting a conversation on Twitter Phil is always spreading ideas focus on creating equitable, dense, and vibrant cities full of walkable neighborhoods. 

Connect with Phil: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | Twitter

Mentioned in the show:
- philveasley.com

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to the point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work.

With each episode of Dirt NC my goal is to make sure you walk away learning something new about land use. I promise to keep it simple and straight to the point.

As always, I am grateful that you have chosen to share this time with me! If you have comments/questions/suggestions about Dirt NC or anything land use related you can connect with me on www.oakcitycre.com.

Until next time, Thank you!

Send a text

Summary: Dave and I talk all about how he got into academia and helped build the UNC Real Estate Program!
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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- The power of mentors and exposure.
- How Dave went from an experimental high school to the birth of Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities on Wall Street to UNC for 36 years.
- How Dave helped grow the Kenan-Flagler Business School real estate program from a department of two to a conference of 900+.

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About Dave: 
Dave Hartzell has been a faculty member at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina since July 1988, where he has taught thousands of students in finance and real estate courses in the undergraduate, MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education Programs. He has also served for most of his years at UNC as the coordinator of the Real Estate Concentration within the UNC MBA Program, and as the Senior Director of the Wood Center for Real Estate Studies (www.realestate.unc.edu). He is the founding faculty advisor and an Investment Committee member for the student-managed UNC Real Estate Investment Funds.

Dave serves on the Board of Directors of Highwoods Properties, where he sits on the Investment Committee and the Audit Committee, and was a former Vice President at Salomon Brothers Inc. in New York. His first academic appointment was at the University of Texas at Austin.

He received his PhD in Finance from the Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill and his MA and BS in economics from the University of Delaware, where he was a multi-year starter on the Division I Blue Hen soccer team. He has won several teaching and service awards at the University of Texas and at UNC, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Lerner School of Business at the U. of Delaware (2000), and the North Carolina Youth Soccer Coach of the year (2000).

Most importantly, Dave is married to his high school sweetheart (Randee) and they are the proud parents of two grown children (Jamie and David), and grandparents to two grandsons and two granddaughters.

Connect with Dave: Website | LinkedIn 

Mentioned in the show:
- Business School Expansion Project
- Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life
- Urban Land Institute (ULI)
- National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) 

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Car

If you are seeing/hearing this, the secret episode is working! And you are a subscriber.
Making this podcast is my gift to you, the subscriber. 

I want to make it better, so I am asking for your help. 

Please call or text me at 980-428-4591 (yes, that's my real number...)

Let me know one thing I can do to make the show better!

Thanks in advance!

Best,
Jed

PS This Secred Episode will self-destruct in 2 weeks. "See you" in Season 4!

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Summary: 
Chris and I discuss exhibit design and construction at Marbles!

Big Take Aways:
-The difference between goldsmithing and silversmithing.
- The power of “we didn’t know what we didn’t know.”
- Exhibits as “working prototypes.”

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About Chris: 
Chris Alexander is the Vice President of Exhibits at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, NC. 
His passion for designing and fabricating playful and engaging learning environments is driven by his curious nature, desire to problem solve, and the unique challenge of designing for a young and diverse audience. 
After receiving a BID in Industrial Design from the NC State College of Design in 1993, Chris helped found the Antfarm Studios- a still operational creative collective for artists and designers in Raleigh's Boylan Heights. It was during this time that under the mentorship of acclaimed Goldsmith Mary Ann Scherr, that Chris continued his education in design by exploring metalwork through jewelry as inspiriting and interactive wearable objects. 
The ability to play with scale, material, color, and whimsy eventually led him to his current work with Marbles creating exhibits that spark imagination, discovery and learning through play. Chris continues to engage and collaborate with the creative community in Raleigh, he has taught Design Camp sessions at the College of Design at North Carolina State University, and Metalsmithing at Meredith College as well as Penland School of Crafts. He has spoken on “Fear and Failure in Design” at Hopscotch Design fest. Chris designed and built his home employing adaptive reuse techniques to blend modern design with existing traditional structures. 
Most importantly, Chris is doting father to his daughter, Tess and husband to wife Emily. 
He believes in the power of play to transform children’s lives, and the power of design to create extraordinary experiences for children, families and communities. 

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn 

Mentioned in the show:
- Mary Ann Scherr
- NCSU College of Design
- Antfarm Studios
- Giving at Marbles

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Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Carolina and the people who make them awesome, I am your host Jed Byrne.

Throughout my career in engineering, construction, finance, and development, I have covered just about all sides of the land use ecosystem. This show creates an opportunity for me to share what I have learned with you as well as introduce you to some of my friends, both new and old who are doing transformative work.

With each episode of Dirt NC my goal is to make sure you walk away learning something new about land use. I promise to keep it simple and straight to the point.

As always, I am grateful that you have chosen to share this time with me! If you have comments/questions/suggestions about Dirt NC or anything land use related you can find me on twitter at @OakCityCRE and if you want a simple and to the point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to The Top Five, my free weekly newsletter at