Definitive guide to 34 Uptown Charlotte development projects (with analysis and map)

It’s expansive, it’s detailed and it’s a bit cumbersome. But I hope this sheds some light on construction sites you see, and hopefully you are surprised by how much is coming soon. Below are words and pictures. Check out the map version and click around, too. Fun!

Stonewall Corridor

(1) Tryon Place

• Description: A truly transformative mixed-use project. Retail, hotel and office come together to form a single site with maximum public usage
• Construction Status: Site work beginning late 2015
• Completion: 2018
• Rumors: W Hotels is the hotel partner; Moffett Restaurant Group is involved Beer Garden
• Office SF: 700,000+
• Retail SF: 30,000+
• Benefits: Focus on usable public space, world cuisine, world class office space, quality hotel brand, pushing Charlotte to be a 24/7 city
• Number of Rooms: 300. Potentially less if residential is incorporated

(2) 615 S College

• Description: Office tower under construction on the Westin Hotel parking garage
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Q1 2017
• Height: 300 ft
• Office SF: 371,000
• Retail SF: 2,500 – 3,500

• Benefits: Great skyline addition, boost to pedestrian level along College

(3) Crescent Uptown/Stonewall Station

• Description: Another ground breaking project from Crescent. This project combines Whole Foods, hotels and residential.
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2017 (but this could easily move to 2018)
• Rumors: Beer garden on 2nd level WF patio. Loews Hotels and Cambria Suites are the hotel partners
• Height: 200 ft
• Retail SF: 47,000 for the Whole Foods
• Benefits: Whole Foods! More quality hotel rooms, beer garden, tons of public use space, pedestrian friendly urban design
• Number of Units: 440
• Number of Rooms: 400

(4) Northwood Ravin Site

• Description: Mixed use of apartments and retail. I would expect little attention paid to the design aesthetics of this project. Imagine every other new apartment complex around town with a bit more retail and you have a good idea of what this will probably be. I hope Northwood Ravin proves me wrong.
• Benefits: Retail

(5) Proffit Dixon Mixed Use Site

• Description: Mixed use of apartments and retail. One can expect yet another boring 8(ish) story apartment building with little to no distinguishing design features….redundant isn’t it?
• Benefits: Retail, I hope

(6) Walton Plaza Site

• Description: City is planning to market this land once it moves everyone out of Walton Plaza

(7) Lincoln Harris/Observer Site

• Description: Massive mixed use development opportunity

• Rumors: LH has been in talks with Simon Malls. Could include office, retail, hotel and residential.
• Benefits: There is an incredible amount of potential on this site. Could be one of the most transformative project in the cities history.

EpiCentre

(8) Midnight Diner

• Description: Midnight Diner is opening a second location in the old La Tagliatella space (next to Mortimer’s).

• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2016
• Rumors: I hope this will maintain a 24/7 mentality. Uptown needs to spread its wings beyond banker hours
• Benefits: More dining options uptown for breakfast and outside of late night and banking hours.

(9) Hotel

• Description: Dual branded hotel being built where the exposed concrete and rebar is at the EpiCentre
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2017
• Rumors: Residence Inn is no longer the second brand (please be true)
• Height: 320 ft
• Benefits: Rooftop Bar!!! Also a slick lounge on the 5th-6th floor, quality boutique hotel brand, finally removes the eye sore of concrete and rebar at EpiCentre
• Number of Rooms: 300

(10) Kandy Bar

• Description: Worst name ever. Seriously, how bad is this? People think it’s a strip club. Will be a club/wine bar/art house/restaurant/other things. I think they are trying to do too much but my guess is, like most things at EpiCentre, it will devolve into a club.

• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: There is definitely potential here. It all comes down to the execution and if executed properly, it then comes down to maintaining identity. Hopefully it doesn’t get sucked into the Epi trap of starting one way great then devolving (see: Bubble).

5th Street Corridor

(11) Sea Level

• Description: Raw bar and seafood restaurant
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: Quality restaurant for the 5th street corridor Pedestrian friendly entrance on 5th

(12) B Tower

• Description: Retail tower being built on Connolly’s Patio
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Height: 74 ft
• Retail SF: 15,000
• Benefits: 2 Rooftop Bars! Top floor of the new building and Connolly’s rooftop is going to be turned into a rooftop bar. Tons of new space for restaurants and other retail. Unique infill project unlike any other in the city

(13) Ivey’s Boutique Hotel

• Description: Boutique Hotel in the Ivey’s second floor with 5th Street lobby
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Benefits: New lounge/bar for the 5th Street corridor. New look for the history Ivey’s Building
• Number of Rooms: 40-45

(14) 204 North

• Description: Full service restaurant and cocktail bar
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: Mid-range quality restaurant that doesn’t exist uptown Evolves Charlotte’s social scene Gives uptown another place (one of a very small few) to hang out and actually hear your friends talk as you enjoy a cocktail

South End

(15) Seoul Food

• Description: Korean BBQ restaurant
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: Nice patio, finally some Korean flavors near uptown, continuing push S Church into a pedestrian haven and expand the Gold District

(16) Magnolia Emporium & Alleyway

• Description: Interior design studio. Also in the alley way behind this building, The Gallery & Craft they are creating an urban alley complete with seating areas, lighting and murals
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: More retail on S Church. The alley will be incredible. The buildings will be covered in art and will be a place for people to just hangout. Gold District enhancement

(17) Market/Biergarten

• Description: From the mastermind behind Futo Buto comes a jack of all trades type place. Part market, part pizza place and part wine & beer garden
• Construction Status: Planning

• Completion: 2016
• Benefits: Also continuing turn S Church into a pedestrian haven Beer garden! Brick oven pizza Gold District enhancement

(18) Brewcade

• Description: Arcade bar
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2016
• Benefits: Gold district enhancement An arcade bar will fight right in here

Uptown Miscellaneous

(19) 300 S Tryon

• Description: Office & hotel mixed use project with ground floor retail/restaurant space. The hotel will be on the Church side of the street. Overlooking beautiful Third Ward, the rooftop will have outdoor and indoor seating, fire pits, a full bar and more.
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: 2017
• Rumors: An independent brand operating under the Kimpton flag will be the hotel partner.
• Height: 463 feet
• Office SF: 630,000
• Retail SF: NA but will be substantial
• Benefits: Rooftop Bar! This will be on the Church street side overlooking 3rd ward. 4 ground floor retail spaces for what will likely be restaurants and bars. World class office space. Fantastic looking building/skyline improvement. Linear park that will seamlessly connect Tryon to Romare Bearden Park along 3rd St.
• Number of rooms: 217

(20) Chupitos

• Description: Shot bar with food
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: Unique bar concept. Evolves our social scene. Gives the city more bar options

(21) Amelie’s

• Description: Amelie’s Uptown!
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Late 2015
• Retail SF: 11,000
• Benefits: Massive facility Brings life to this area of town. 24 hours on weekends! Beer & Wine

(22) Embassy Suites

• Description: Hotel with ground floor retail and lounge

• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Q2 2016
• Retail SF: 5,000
• Benefits: Incredible looking bar. Space for a new restaurant. Enhances life in 2nd ward
• Number of Rooms: 250

(23) Grand Bohemian

• Description: Boutique hotel that will feature art, a classy lounge and more
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2017
• Rumors: Land was closed on for a bit over $3 million. Plans being finalized
• Number of Rooms: 150 (estimated)

(24) Skyhouse II

• Description: A second Skyhouse building to compliment the existing building

• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Benefits: Helps the N Tryon revitalization. Demoed that awful motel
• Number of Units: 336

(25) Ascent Uptown

• Description: More high end apartments….ugh. At least it has retail and is an amazing looking building

• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Height: 332 ft
• Retail SF: 4,800
• Benefits: Incredible looking building. Will have a huge mural covering part of the parking deck (unless this gets value engineered out. Note to Greystar: keep this). Ground floor retail

• Number of Units: 300

(26) Museum Tower

• Description: Ugh, more high-end apartments. This should be a condo building
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Height: 447 ft
• Benefits: Great addition to the skyline
• Number of Units: 392

(27) Packard Place Bar/Restaurant

• Description: Full service restaurant with patio and full bar. I think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity to not make this a beer garden but oh well.
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: 2016
• Benefits: Brings a much needed full service restaurant to 3rd ward with tons of outdoor space. Lounge atmosphere outside, further enhances 3rd Ward

(28) 1Brevard

• Description: Nice looking condo building with a horribly designed pool deck… why is it mostly covered? The art space in the bottom is awesome. The pocket park being added is awesome. Taking from Fahrenheits view is not awesome
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2017
• Height: 30 stories
• Retail SF: Entire retail space will be used by the McColl Center for Art + Innovation
• Benefits: Good skyline addition. Brings much-needed condos to uptown (albeit very expensive ones). Focus on art with the retail space and pocket park
• Number of Units: 174 incredibly overpriced condos

(29) Fourth Ward Bread Co v2.0

• Description: We all want this place back so badly
• Construction Status: Final permit review
• Completion: Late 2015

• Benefits: Fourth Ward Bread Co was such a valuable asset to uptown, I think everyone will be excited to see it come back

(30) Bella Fresco Café

• Description: Bella Fresco Café second location, located in the old blueprint space. Will have signage along the Carillon building and a door on Poplar St.
• Construction Status: Final permit review
• Completion: Late 2015
• Benefits: More breakfast in uptown! Will help the city evolve past banking hours. Full bar, gelato, 7 days a week

(31) 300 S Brevard

• Description: AT&T left the building so the owners are sprucing it up to attract new companies.
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2016
• Office SF: 360,000
• Benefits: Upgrading a dated looking building

(32) Not Just Coffee

• Description: Not Just Coffee’s 2nd Uptown location
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: 2016
• Benefits: Some of the best coffee in Charlotte brought to 3rd wa

(33) Springhill Suites

• Description: Hotel
• Construction Status: Planning
• Completion: Q4 2016
• Height: 180 ft
• Benefits: Restaurant and great light rail trail presence. Attractive building design
• Number of Rooms: 195

(34) Essex Bistro

• Description: Bistro in the Omni Hotel with direct access to the Square from the guys behind Enzo
• Construction Status: Under Construction
• Completion: 2016
• Benefits: Finally puts retail in the middle of the Square

Photo credit: Cover image via Clayton Sealey; Tryon Place image via Crescent Communities; Crescent Uptown/Stonewall Station images via Crescent Communities and The RBA Group; EpiCentre hotel image via Winford Lindsay, BB+M Architecture and McKibbon Hotel Group; Sea Level and B-Tower images via Peadon Finein; 204 North image via d3 Studio; Chupitos image via Optimum Income Properties; Embassy Suites image via Overcast Demmit Architects; Skyhouse II image via Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart; Ascent Uptown image via R2L Architects; Packard Place restaurant/bar image via Andrea Harper and 1Brevard image via their website.