For nearly 100 years, the historic 1110 WBT AM transmitter site on Nations Ford Road has been part of Charlotte's, the Carolinas' and America's broadcasting history.

WBT began transmitting from this property in 1928, and for generations, broadcasts from Nations Ford Road carried news, weather, sports, entertainment and conversation to listeners across the Carolinas and far beyond.

Much of that history remains there today. The roughly 19-acre property includes the historic transmitter building, three distinctive Blaw-Knox towers, a Cold War-era fallout shelter, broadcasting equipment and other reminders of a place that grew alongside American radio.

But the importance of Nations Ford Road has never been only about what's standing there. It's also about what came through there.

Major moments in American history came through those transmitters, but so did everyday life: morning commutes and school closings, ball games and traffic reports, weather warnings and local news, music and conversation. Sometimes it was simply a familiar voice keeping somebody company late at night.

That's part of the history, too.

When I learned that the Nations Ford Road property was being marketed for redevelopment, I didn't know what might happen to it. I didn't know what conversations might already be taking place behind the scenes, what could reasonably be preserved or what possibilities existed.

But I believed there was a conversation worth having.

Before this place changes forever, what here is worth saving?

That's why I started the petition.

It was never about stopping development, turning back the clock or demanding that everything at Nations Ford Road remain exactly as it is. The original goal was much simpler:

Start a conversation about preserving this historic place.

That Goal Was Met
By the time the petition closed, 1,956 people had signed it. It had been viewed more than 17,000 times and shared more than 900 times.

But the numbers aren't what tell me the goal was accomplished.

People started talking.

Listeners, broadcasters, engineers, historians, preservation advocates and members of the surrounding community became part of the conversation. The story received media attention. People involved in historic preservation began asking questions.

Eventually, I had the opportunity to sit down with Caroline Beasley, CEO of Beasley Media Group; Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group; and Marsha Landess, Vice President and General Manager of Radio One Charlotte, and talk about 1110 WBT AM and the history of the Nations Ford Road site.

Other conversations followed, including discussions involving people who work in historic preservation.

I don't know everything that has been discussed behind the scenes, and I'm not going to speculate about conversations I wasn't part of or turn private discussions into promises nobody made.

There is no announced preservation plan, and I don't know what ultimately will happen to the transmitter building, towers, equipment or property.

But I do know this:

The conversation happened.

And that was the goal.

Closing the Petition
Because the petition accomplished what I created it to accomplish, I have decided to close it to new signatures and step away from leading the preservation effort.

That decision should not be interpreted as an announcement about the future of the property. There isn't one. Nor does it mean that I've changed my mind about the importance of Nations Ford Road.

I still believe this is an extraordinary historic place. I still believe meaningful elements of it deserve consideration for preservation. And I sincerely hope there is ultimately a way for its history to have a place in whatever comes next.

But my role was to raise the question, make the case, bring people into the conversation and make sure the people involved knew that others cared about what happens here.

That work has been done.

To the 1,956 people who signed the petition—and everyone who shared it, contributed photographs and memories, provided historical information, covered the story, offered advice or simply took the time to care about this place—thank you.

You helped start the conversation.

The petition will remain here as a record of that support and of the effort itself.

I don't know how the story of Nations Ford Road ends. I never did.

My hope remains exactly what it was when this began: that as decisions are made about the future, the history of this remarkable place will be understood, remembered and considered.

Nearly a century ago, engineers built a radio transmission facility on Nations Ford Road. From there, 1110 WBT AM became part of everyday life for generations across the Carolinas.

Some days, it brought extraordinary news from around the world. Other days, it just told somebody whether they needed an umbrella.

Both matter.

The goal was to start a conversation.

We did.

Whatever comes next belongs to the next chapter.

Our Airwaves. Our History. Our Future.