Preserving the past while embracing change

Charlotte has a reputation as a shiny new city, one that tears down grand old buildings to replace them with bland new apartments and historic marker plaques.

But that’s not the whole truth, and the guests on this episode of “Future Charlotte” are devoted to preserving and promoting more of Charlotte’s history. Historian Dan Morill, longtime director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, launched Preserve Mecklenburg after retiring in 2019. A private not-for-profit group, Preserve Mecklenburg uses a market-based approach, working with developers to secure historic buildings with preservation easements while allowing infill development to help the deals make economic sense.

Morrill is joined by Preserve Mecklenburg board member Tommy Lee. Hear why Morrill thinks market-friendly preservation can make everyone “happy as a church mouse” — and why we should even bother preserving our history anyway.

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In addition to Apple Podcasts, the episode and all others are available on Spotify.

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