Does this proposed Charlotte apartment complex really look like Soviet “barracks”?

The apartment community is slated to have 280 units and a minimum of 5,000 feet of ground floor nonresidential use, presumably retail space. It’s on the west side of North Tryon street near UNC Charlotte and just steps from the the future McCullough Street station on the Blue Line Extension. The city’s planning staff recommended it for approval.

The building is part of University Executive Park, a office park that dates to the 1980s.

Here’s how it looks.

All images come from rezoning documents filed with the city of Charlotte.

When the plans were shown to the City Council last week, the reaction was immediate.

Councilwoman Julie Eiselt immediately drew a comparison to the worst examples among some of the apartments built in recent years in South End. “I feel like everything we’re building up there is just massive buildings,” she said. “We did this in the South End. People said we should have been more thoughtful about that. I’m struggling with the density of it, the visibility of it, and just kind of the lack of character of the area when we continue to let these massive buildings get built.”

Councilwoman Claire Fallon was more direct. “They look like barracks!” she exclaimed. “Can’t we get some architecture in this place that is pleasing to the eye? This looks like barracks again. We’re papering Charlotte with barracks. … People have to live here. it’s like Soviet architecture.”

The community did have some defenders.

Councilman Greg Phipps, who represents the University City area said his part of town is just getting started with new development and said that the area needed developer interest. “I guess pleasing to the eye is in the eye of the beholder,” he said. “There’s been a lot of market research and careful analysis placed in this particular design. … Just keep in mind, it’s on the light rail, it calls for intense development. Right now, it’s how it’s shaping up to look.”

The City Council has not yet voted on whether to approve the project. That should happen at the next zoning meeting, in December.