Feb 22, 2011

New Founding Sponsor Charlotte “City Market” at Seventh Street Station

The Charlotte "City Market" welcomed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) today as its Founding Sponsor, joining Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS), which is leading the City Market creation as Presenting Sponsor.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with BCBSNC," said Dr. Dan Murrey, chief executive of Ortho Carolina and chairman of the board of the Charlotte City Market. "Their generous five-year commitment is an unprecedented opportunity to connect the state’s premier health insurance provider with Charlotte’s new public market. This partnership will provide unique opportunities for the promotion of health and nutrition education and wellness programming at the market. It is a great fit."

Brad Wilson, BCBSNC president and CEO, shared his enthusiasm about his company’s investment in Charlotte’s new public market.

"This is the perfect opportunity to directly align our more-than-75-year commitment to strengthening communities with our corporate mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians," Wilson said. "The market will be an outstanding asset for the people of the Charlotte region, and we are proud to be a partner alongside Carolinas HealthCare System and so many others in making it a reality."

Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) is the market’s presenting sponsor. Michael Tarwater, CHS chief executive, said his organization is investing in this new market because of its potential benefits for the health of residents of the Charlotte region.

"We want to invest in the City Market because it supports our mission of ‘Live Well Carolinas’ and our goal of prevention and wellness in the Charlotte community," Tarwater said.

The joint commitments allow the City Market to complete its planned upfit to transform the former grocery store space that was occupied by Reid’s Fine Foods into a market hall. Thanks to these investments, the City Market board does not plan to return to Charlotte City Council to ask for public money for the upfit.

The City Market is an independent 501(c)3 corporation governed by a board of directors and steering committee. The board is beginning the process of hiring an executive director as well as creating design and construction plans. It has begun convening working groups to engage vendors and food artisans, address food access issues, plan for incubating new and existing small businesses and work on organizing a cohesive network of markets.

Charlotte City Market is in Seventh Street Station, which features ample parking that will be free to City Market customers. It is adjacent to the Seventh Street light rail station between ImaginOn and Levine Museum of the New South connected to First Ward Park and the new campus of UNC Charlotte.

As envisioned, it will include approximately 30 individual small businesses and feature high-quality, unique products sold at reasonable prices. Produce and products from local farmers and vendors would support public health by providing year-round access to fresh foods. The vendor mix is proposed to be local and multicultural to represent Charlotte’s growing mix of people from across the globe as well as its Southern heritage. A market café is anticipated.

The City Market will provide programming opportunities to allow the community to learn about healthy eating and living in a warm and inviting setting that features a large variety of fresh foods.

"Our goal will be to provide a wide variety of produce, meat, fish, bakery and dairy products, and other raw and prepared food, brought to market in the center of the city by farmers, growers, producers and chefs," said Dr. Murrey. "We want to create an environment that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of our citizens and fosters their interaction. We also want to strengthen the historic link and mutual dependency of our rural and urban communities and begin to address food deserts in our community."

The concept is the result of years of research and exploration through a partnership with the Charlotte Center City Partners, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Projects for Public Spaces (PPS). The City Market will employ an executive director and an assistant director as well as a custodial staff. The market is expected to open in July 2011.

About BCBSNC: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For over 75 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www.bcbsnc.com.

Carolinas HealthCare System (www.carolinashealthcare.org), one of the leading healthcare systems in the Southeast, includes 32 affiliated hospitals in North and South Carolina, along with nursing homes, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies and other facilities. CHS owns or manages more than 150 physician practices, which serve patients at more than 250 practice locations, utilizing the skills of more than 1,200 physicians and mid-level providers. Altogether, CHS operations comprise more than 6,300 licensed beds and employ more than 48,000 people.

Categories: Business, Charlotte Center City Partners, Urban Living