Dedria Kolb is the President of Ideal Ridge Ventures, a development firm focused on creating thoughtful, community-driven places across the Southeast. Her work blends entrepreneurship, land planning, and a deep understanding of how people want to live, with a particular emphasis on attainable housing, small-scale development, and long-term community impact.

Dedria’s path into development has been shaped by a hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset, building projects from the ground up while navigating the realities of land, infrastructure, and market demand. Through her work, she has become known for taking on complex sites and turning them into intentional, human-scaled communities that prioritize both livability and connection.

We sat down to discuss her approach to development, the challenges, and opportunities within attainable housing, and how smaller, more intentional projects can create meaningful impact at the neighborhood level. We also explored her perspective on growth across the Carolinas, and what it takes to build places that are both financially viable and deeply rooted in community...

Branden Piks:

"I really like what you mentioned about understanding how businesses identify risk, which seems like it played a significant role early on in helping you evaluate opportunities and avoid going down paths that might not be worth the time or investment.

Focusing on Poplar Creek, I’m curious about a couple of things. Were you surprised at how quickly those first 10 lots leased up? And as you moved into phase two, was that always part of the original plan on the same parcel, or did you have to acquire additional land to expand?"

Dedria Kolb:

"The full site was about 10 acres, and from the beginning, we always planned to phase the development. Phase one utilized a portion of the land that had previously been a mobile home site, so there was existing infrastructure we could leverage, which helped from both a cost and feasibility standpoint.

We always knew phase two would follow, but I was honestly surprised at how quickly phase one leased up. In the early days, it was slow, we launched, started marketing, and it felt like no one was paying attention. There’s always that moment of uncertainty where you’re wondering if people are actually going to show up.

But once that first resident committed, everything shifted.

After that, it really started to snowball, and we were able to lease the remaining lots much faster.

It was a great validation moment, not just for the project itself, but for the idea that there is real demand for this type of housing product."

​Read the Full Conversation Here​

Colliers: 2026 Q1 Retail Charlotte Report

"In 2025, Charlotte added the second‑highest number of jobs in the country, trailing only New York City. Despite ranking just 21st among U.S. metros by population, the city’s rapid growth and steady economic expansion continue to support strong retail spending..."

​Read Full Article​

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How does this impact our region?

Looking at the latest retail data coming out of Charlotte, it’s clear that this is more than a linear outcome from continued population growth.

According to the Colliers Q1 2026 Charlotte Retail Report, vacancy remains tight across the market, with leasing activity continuing to be driven by restaurants, service-based tenants, and experience-oriented users. It shows me this isn’t just about retail demand but also about what type of retail is succeeding right now.

What’s becoming more evident is that traditional retail is no longer the primary driver of these spaces. Instead, we’re seeing a continued shift toward hospitality-led environments, where food, beverage, and social experiences anchor development. This aligns with broader local coverage highlighting how Charlotte’s dining and hospitality scene is evolving into more immersive, experience-driven concepts rather than purely transactional ones.

That shift has real implications for how these spaces are designed and delivered.

Retail is no longer just about ground floor storefronts. It’s about creating places where people choose to spend time. That means atmosphere, identity, and flexibility are becoming just as important as location. In many cases, these hospitality tenants are driving the success of an entire development, not just occupying it.

We’re also seeing how external factors are reinforcing this demand. Major events and continued regional activity are increasing pressure on Charlotte’s hospitality ecosystem - from hotels to restaurants to surrounding retail.

From a development standpoint, this creates a very active and layered environment. Retail and hospitality projects don’t follow a single lifecycle, they evolve. Concepts change, tenants turn over, and spaces are continuously repositioned to stay relevant.

That creates multiple points of entry for architects and designers:

• Core and shell planning within mixed-use developments
• Vanilla box delivery for retail bays
• Full hospitality and tenant-specific fit-outs
• Second-generation renovations and adaptive reuse

Unlike more static asset types, these spaces are constantly being refined and that creates ongoing opportunities to stay engaged.

At a regional level, Charlotte continues to benefit from strong fundamentals like population growth, in-migration, and sustained investor interest. But what stands out to me is that retail success here is becoming less about square footage and more about how well a space performs as an experience.

And that’s where design plays a critical role.

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Summary Thoughts: The Impact on CLT Architecture...

• Retail is being driven by hospitality and experience. The success of restaurants, social spaces, and service-based tenants is shaping how retail environments are designed across Charlotte.
• Design is becoming central to performance. These spaces are no longer just functional. They need to create identity, atmosphere, and a reason for people to stay and return.
• Project opportunities are continuous. Retail and hospitality spaces evolve quickly, creating ongoing design work from shell through multiple tenant cycles.
• Flexibility is key in both layout and systems. Spaces that can adapt to changing tenants and concepts are better positioned for long-term success.
• Charlotte’s growth continues to support this model. Strong population growth, tourism, and investment activity are sustaining demand but in a more experience-driven way than we’ve seen before.

WRT / Craven Construction | Quaker Square | Akron, OH

​Historic grain silos going through hospitality rebrand, originally owned and built by The Quaker Oats Company in 1932.​

We’re currently in the final stages of design on our latest adaptive reuse and change-of-use project, HYLO Fitness. A 7,000+ square foot transformation of the former Catawba Brewing space into the next franchise location and the first in the Charlotte area market.

Located within a larger historic industrial building in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood, the space carries a layered history — from its origins tied to Charlotte’s manufacturing past to its more recent life as a brewery. Our approach has been to embrace those existing conditions while reworking the space to support a completely new program and user experience.

We are wrapping up construction documents for permit submission with the City of Charlotte, with the goal of having approved drawings in hand and construction underway in June. As with many adaptive reuse projects, a large portion of our effort has focused on aligning new systems, circulation, and life safety requirements within the constraints of the existing structure.

From a design standpoint, this project is about translating HYLO’s established brand into a space that feels specific to Charlotte. While maintaining franchise standards, we’re leaning into the building’s defining characteristics — exposed open truss structure, strong indoor-outdoor connection with the existing patio and corner frontage. The result is a boutique, resort-style fitness environment with a moody, modern edge that sets it apart from a typical gym experience.

This project continues to reinforce the value of working with existing buildings. Finding opportunities in existing stock and shaping it into something new reinforces the value we place on sustainability. We’re looking forward to kicking this one into construction and seeing the next chapter of this space take form!

"There comes a time when Winter asks you what you did all Summer." - Anonymous