If you lived in Charlotte in 1994 then you might recall the Final Four coming to the Queen City. In an effort to liven Uptown, which became a veritable ghost town after 5 p.m. and completely lacked a pulse on weekends, the city erected pop-up entertainment venues for visitors.
The Final Four lit the proverbial match under the city to start thinking about creating a thriving downtown area. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of growth.
The city has lost and regained its NBA team and added an arena for the minor league baseball team. Housing, restaurants and entertainment venues have grown in leaps and bounds.
According to the 2015 State of the Center City report, there is more than 300,000 square feet of retail space in planning or construction stage; more than 1,600 hotel rooms in planning or construction; and 28 residential projects planned or under construction.
There are now more than 232 restaurants and clubs Uptown. Upscale Essex Bar and Bistro is set to open in March at 101 S. Tryon. Just this week ground broke on a new 22-story hotel tower to rise above the entertainment and dining complex EpiCentre.
According to the city’s report, the population of South End and Uptown has grown more than 300% for residents ages 20-34.
There are currently 159 residences listed for sale in Uptown, including 4 single-family homes in First, Third (2) and Fourth wards.
Thirty-two of the listings are for pre-sales for space in the new 1Brevard condominium tower that is still in planning stages at the corner of Brevard and Fourth streets. The 174-unit building will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos ranging in size from 687 square feet to 3,197 square feet. Prices start in the $400,000s and exceed $1.5 million.
The newest mixed-use housing tower SKYE condominiums has 13 units available, including one of its two nearly 3,800-square-foot penthouses for $2.35 million. The other units range from 2,077 square feet listed for more than $918,000 to 848 square feet for $315,000. Four of its smaller units are already under contract.
Two of the more established housing towers, Courtside and The Ratcliffe, have a combined 17 spaces available. Courtside, which, as its name implies, is situated adjacent to Time Warner Cable Arena, was completed in 2006. The 10-story Ratcliffe was completed in 2002 and is attached to Overstreet Mall and overlooks The Green park space on Tryon.
The housing growth continues rising to meet the demand of people who want to live and work in Uptown. Gone are Charlotte’s days as a 9-to-5 city!