Will this be Charlotte’s new restaurant row?

A group from Toronto is set to transform this area from Mint to Church streets and breathe life into what is now essentially a dead zone.

David Laren of the Larendale Group is the brains behind the operation and has stated that he hopes to turn the corner into a potentially bustling restaurant hub. The possibilities here are virtually endless and Laren could go all restaurants, all soft good retail, all bars, all office or a giant mix of all of them (most likely).

Here is a breakdown of the plans being marketed to potential tenants:

• 20,000 total square feet of retail.
• The site could be divided into five different tenants with space ranging from (approximately) 2,200 square feet to 6,500 square feet.
• Potential for rooftop bars with city views.
• Potential for a mix of tenants from restaurants to soft goods to office.

The design seen here in these images is not final and only represents a vision of what could become of this corner.

Adam Williams is handling the retail leasing and he’s the go-to name around town and will likely bring in some quality tenants. With a great mix of tenants, this could become its own little hub for a night out. 

Overall, the potential here is massive and while I-277 acts as a barrier, this site will appeal to the growth of the Gold District and South End. Plus it’s really not much of a walk from Third Ward.

I think we are looking at a similar situation here as we are seeing at Northside Station: fix up the buildings for a short to medium timeframe with a long term goal of going “up” (building a high rise) on the site for a variety of uses.

More on this project as it kicks into high gear once tenants are signed. Bring on the rooftop bars.

Note: Whiteside Industrial brokered the sale of the land.

Cover image courtesy of Adam Williams.