Stand-up comic Nate Bargatze is building a theme park. The park, to be called Nateland, will span more than 100 acres and include roller coasters, live shows and more with an estimated price tag of $350 million. The park’s three sections will be based on the famed comedian’s life. While renderings of the proposed park have been released, an exact location has not. He says he wants the park within an hour’s drive of Nashville, his hometown.

Bargatze has brought in design firm Storyland Studios. The team also has identified local and state tax incentives.

Fox News tracked him down for a comment on the proposed park,”If I was going to just focus on arenas or that kind of thing, it felt like it was going be too much me… I wanted to focus on a place that I could have for people to bring their families to, and destinations to create memories with your families. I don’t think there’s a ton of that,” he said.

A major mixed-use project in a northern Charlotte suburb has cleared a key regulatory hurdle.

The Huntersville Planning Board voted Wednesday to back a rezoning proposal for a $200M mixed-use development from WLA Enterprises Inc., The Charlotte Observer reported.

Knox Crossing, proposed for a 44-acre site near the Lake Norman intersection of Sam Furr and Old Statesville roads, would reportedly bring nearly 500 apartments and townhomes to the town and around 82K SF of commercial development. It would be anchored by a 45K SF grocery store.

The board voted 6-3 in favor of the project.

WLA first filed a rezoning request in early January, seeking Transit Oriented Development Residential Conditional District and Highway Commercial Conditional District designations for the site, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.

But the planning board initially denied the request, noting several required improvements, including a phasing plan for commercial development to occur alongside residential construction as well as upgrades to architecture, road infrastructure and green space elements.

The town’s board of commissioners will make a final decision on the rezoning proposal at its March 17 meeting.

Knox Crossing’s development team — led by Kevin Rogers of WRS Inc., a local real estate investment firm — is negotiating with three major grocers to anchor the development, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

WRS had estimated it will take two years to complete the project after rezoning approval, according to the CBJ. The company has other developments across the Southeast, including the Shoppes At Mallard Creek in Charlotte. 

Last December, the town allowed developer Peak Development to rezone 21.3 acres at 17220 Old Statesville Road for Station South, a 348-unit residential community with around 25K SF of commercial space.

Pendry is considering opening the Pendry Nashville Hotel & Residences by Montage Hotels and Resorts in the Paseo South Gulch project (photo), one of the city’s largest developments.

The Nashville Business Journal reports the hotel and condo tower is slated to rise 30 stories and include 146 condo units and 180 hotel rooms. The hotel development is estimated to cost $364 million.

Project details also include a 100-seat restaurant, a 75-seat lobby bar/cafe and 13,400 square feet of meeting and event space, including a ballroom, library, conference facilities and more.

Outdoor amenities include a 10,500-square-foot hotel pool and bar lounge and an exclusive condo pool. The 30th floor, it said, would serve as an exclusive amenity level for condo residents, with a whiskey and billiards room, chef’s kitchen and outdoor lounge.

The tower was scheduled to break ground by the end of 2024 and is expected to deliver in early 2027. Investment firm Trestle Studio and construction company JE Dunn are also partners in the project.

Atlas Development is developing “Project Springbank,” a $4.5 billion data center. The proposed facility will be located southeast of Adairsville, near Perkins Mountain Road, approximately an hour northwest of Atlanta.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports It’s the same developer that recently filed plans to build a $17 billion data center, “Project Sail,” in Coweta County.

For the Bartow project, the company plans to construct six buildings, each about 379,000 square feet and using about 72 megawatts of power. Data centers have massive power requirements. Through 2037, data centers will account for almost 83% of Georgia Power’s electricity demand from large potential new customers.

In addition, water use is a big issue as well. The Bartow County project is expected to use about 15,000 gallons of water per day, and it would use closed-loop water technology to reduce water and sewer demand.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2031.

The Texas Biomedical Research Institute has launched a major expansion of its West San Antonio campus. The $210 million plan calls for expanding the 200-acre campus’ structural footprint and capabilities.

Some of the initial work on the expansion has been completed, including the first phase of a new animal care complex and infrastructure improvements.

The bulk of the expansion is to come and includes approximately $160 million worth of new projects expected to be completed by 2028. Plans call for a 30,000-square-foot high containment structure that will house nearly 4,000 square feet of new biosafety level 4 lab space. The new BSL4 building is projected to cost about $75 million to construct.

Plans also include a new Animal Health Center. The 18,000-square-foot facility, a roughly $20 million investment, is expected to be completed by June 2026.

New shipping, receiving and maintenance facilities are also planned, as well as additional infrastructure improvements. 

Davidson Craven has begun work on the CenterPoint 85 Industrial Center. The project is located on I-85 at the intersection of U.S. Highway 64 in Lexington. At buildout, the site can accommodate over 3 million square feet of industrial space. The Triad Business Journal reports that in December, Davidson Craven purchased about 293 acres for the project for a total of $10.6 million.

Davidson Craven has started work on the project’s first building, an approximately 272,000-square-foot tilt-up property located on about 35 acres. CBRE is handling leasing for the project. The first building is slated to be completed in late 2025. The park is a long-term initiative to be completed over the next several years.

The development’s name, CenterPoint, refers to its central location on I-85 between Charlotte, Greensboro, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

NTT Global Data Centers Americas Inc. is eyeing a 225,000-square-foot data center in Lancaster.

The facility could be built on a roughly 108-acre site on the northwest corner of Sunrise and Belt Line roads. The Lancaster City Council recently approved an economic development agreement for the project. The incentives package requires NTT to occupy the facility by January 2028 and donate a minimum of $50,000 annually to city-sponsored events or city improvements projects. The company would also have to create a minimum of 27 jobs with an average salary of $80,000.

NTT has 180 days to close on the site under the terms of the deal.

The development would have a taxable value of about $110 million, which could increase to about $250 million if the company develops additional buildings on the site.

NTT would be eligible to receive 10 years of real and business property tax rebates, if it meets all the requirements of the agreement.

ZOM Living paid $12.55 million for 19.21 acres along Carpenter Fire Station Road west of Highway 55 to develop a new apartment complex in the NC Research Triangle. Azalea at the Park will have 315 units, 15 townhomes and up to 5,000 square feet of retail. Azalea at the Park will be on five parcels near Carpenter Fire Station Park and Northwest Cary YMCA.

The apartments will be offered as studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, while the townhomes will have three bedrooms. They will be between 575 and 1,250 square feet, and the townhomes will be 1,500 square feet. The three-story townhomes will also have attached garages. The apartment buildings will be four stories.

There will be a 15,000-square-foot community gathering space, clubhouse, wellness and fitness center, a convenience market, remote workspaces and direct access to Morris Branch Greenway. 

ZOM Living will break ground in early 2026 with an estimated completion in early 2028.