May 20, 2026
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.
On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Michael Lemanski, founder and managing partner of NSV Development, about transforming distressed downtowns across North Carolina. A chemical engineer turned developer, Michael shares how a job shutting down a historic paper mill inspired him to repurpose old buildings rather than tear them down — work that has led to roughly $350 million in development in Durham and a remarkable partnership with the city of Wilson. He breaks down the public-private deals behind the new Wilson Warbirds minor league baseball stadium, an in-stadium hotel, and the $6 billion in surrounding economic development reshaping downtown Wilson.