Rich Haag at his home near UNC Charlotte. In 1986 as a Charlotte Observer reporter, he wrote an article about the rezoning that made the neighborhood possible.

By Rich Haag.

This newsletter marks my end of 13 years spent helping University City Partners share our community’s good news and big dreams.

Like many of you, I invested my own heart and treasure in University City.

I leave this post feeling satisfied with my contributions, excited about University City’s future and grateful for the tireless work done on our behalf by University City Partners’ staff and scores of volunteer board members.

Reaping the rewards

I’ve seen many ups and downs here since arriving in northeast Charlotte in 1979, about the time that IBM opened near UNC Charlotte and helped birth our community.

I’ve written thousands of articles about University City and its people over the years since, first for The Charlotte Observer and University City Magazine, which I helped launch; and since 2009 for University City Partners.

I feel honored to have been given that opportunity. I feel lucky to have spent so many years benefiting from my family’s life here.

Then and now

UNC Charlotte in 1979, when Rich Haag and his wife, Karen, arrived in northeast Charlotte. This photo is from the university’s archives in the J. Murrey Atkins Library

My wife, Karen, and I raised our sons here and still live in the home we built near UNC Charlotte in 1987. Our neighbors these days include two other couples from that “pioneer” time plus more recent additions from across America and around the world.

In those early years, Karen and I often walked the boardwalk at University Place with our little boys. Now we walk with our little grandsons who live in the lakeside condos.

We attend church near University Research Park. We walk daily at Reedy Creek Park.

We waited, seemingly forever, for the coming of the LYNX Blue Line Extension that University City Partners, UNC Charlotte and others pushed so hard to get for our community. The lofty predictions of how much the transit line might transform North Tryon Street and influence UNC Charlotte seem too low, in hindsight.

Now Karen and I wait expectantly for the coming transit-powered renewal of University Place, including, we hope, the much-needed lakeside public library.

What’s next?

As I finish this short piece, I am both wistful and hopeful. Wistful, because I am closing a chapter in my lifetime of professional storytelling that began when daily newspapers still used typewriters, hot lead and linotype machines, and reporters at distant bureaus sent in their news reports and photo film via the afternoon Greyhound bus.

After all those years and revolutionary changes in how we gather and share information, I still love finding the story ideas for my next publication. I’ll miss that, for sure.

I’m hopeful, because the future looks so promising for University City.

Someone else will soon take over my role at University City Partners. I look forward to reading their latest news reports, and continuing to enjoy our good life in University City.

See you around town!

Rich