Chris Ehrenfeld Joins Corridors of Opportunity Panel on the Future of Chatham County

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On July 10, 2025, Triangle Business Journal hosted its Corridors of Opportunity event in Pittsboro, bringing together local leaders, developers, and business owners to discuss what’s next for Chatham County. BOLD Companies owner Chris Ehrenfeld joined the panel alongside Tim “Bubba” Rawl of Preston Development, Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp, and Rebecca Dickenson, President and CEO of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce.

Held at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, the event centered on the region’s rapidly accelerating growth, infrastructure investments, housing challenges, and the game-changing impact of Disney’s upcoming Asteria community in Chatham Park.

Sewer Capacity: From Bottleneck to Build-Ready

One of the most urgent themes was the long-standing sewer capacity issue that has delayed development across Pittsboro and surrounding areas. With the TriRiver Water utility merger now in effect, several stalled projects are poised to move forward.

Chris Ehrenfeld noted, “You will see in the next couple of years, you will see an explosive amount of development within Pittsboro town limits, in particular, because there are many projects that have been basically bottlenecked and waiting for sewer capacity. And so the demand is there… developers haven’t been able to put out the supply. The supply is going to start coming, and it’s going to come fast.”

He added that, “We don’t have any countywide sewer system… this TriRiver merger is great because it's solving the problem in those cities in Siler City and Pittsboro. I personally think we have a sewer problem that goes beyond the county limits.”

Ehrenfeld advocated for further investment along key corridors: “My hope is that the sewer continues and allows for density on these prime corridors, but then also allows us to preserve the rural character throughout the county.”

Affordability and Zoning: A Call for More Housing Variety

With the median home price in Chatham County now approaching $700,000—up from $400,000 in 2020—housing affordability was another major topic of concern.

“Affordability has everything to do with supply and demand,” Ehrenfeld said. “We're very fortunate that we have a lot of people that want to live here, and that's great. That drives up demand, and that's why our housing values are up.”

He explained how zoning restrictions contribute to limited supply: “Our zoning overlay throughout the county… is one house per acre. So to put that in perspective, if you’re a developer and you have 10 acres… in Durham, if they were in an area where they wanted multifamily, they would typically zone that like R8, which would mean you could have eight units per acre. So you could have 80 townhomes… in Chatham County, you’d have 10 McMansions.”

When asked whether he supports changing zoning overlays to allow more creative density, Ehrenfeld responded, “Yeah, absolutely. I think the county needs to look and understand we’re in a different place now than we were 20, 30 years ago when we were a rural county. We're now on the precipice of a tremendous amount of growth.”

The Workforce Equation: Jobs, Commutes, and Commercial Growth

Panelists also discussed how to retain a local workforce in Chatham County as housing prices rise and job centers remain limited. Ehrenfeld pointed out that the county still functions largely as a commuter hub.

“Chatham has been a bedroom community… There’s actually two people driving out of the county for every person that drives in the county for a job,” he said. “The way you solve that is more businesses and more commercial opportunities located in the county.”

He also emphasized the broader economic impact: “The more opportunity to put supply out there of a variety of home products and home opportunities is only going to help the county in the long run… Teachers are driving from Lee County. They're driving from Alamance County to come and work in Chatham County. That’s not very appealing.”

The Disney Spotlight: Asteria Brings Global Attention to Pittsboro

The panel also addressed the upcoming Disney Asteria project, which will bring 4,000 new housing units to Chatham Park. Ehrenfeld explained the outsized impact of the announcement:

“Ten, fifteen years ago, before Briar Chapel started, it was a big deal that they got a Chapel Hill address. A Pittsboro address sold for a significantly lower number. Now, fast forward to today, the last five years, thanks to Chatham Park, Pittsboro has become a much more desirable location… and now with this Disney project, you're putting one of the most well-known international brands on Pittsboro.”

He continued, “They’re putting a spotlight on Pittsboro. It's an economic halo effect… When Disney says we’re going to open two communities anywhere in the world, and the two places we’re picking are Palm Springs, California and Pittsboro, North Carolina—you better believe our Google searches went through the roof.”

Looking Ahead: Growth with Intention

The conversation closed with remarks on how local leaders can shape this moment of transformation. “Economic development is a long-term play,” said Ehrenfeld. “What we’re seeing today was set in motion decades ago. What we do now determines what Chatham County looks like 20 years from now.”

From sewer and zoning to affordability and transportation, it’s clear that big decisions lie ahead. BOLD Companies is proud to be part of these regional conversations—bringing a long-term lens and a local commitment to thoughtful growth in Chatham County and beyond.