View Renderings: 16 floor office building coming to South End next to Sycamore — and it’ll have a food hall

“This will be a project unlike any other in Charlotte and currently in South End,” said Travis Garland, director of leasing at Portman Holdings. “Because of this combination of surrounding attractions and our frontage on the rail trail, this location will become the center of the main gathering spots in South End.”

Background: Portman Holdings bought the Shook Kelley building and land next to Sycamore Brewing for $12.7M, now we have concrete details and visuals (below) for the aptly named 2151 Hawkins. Gensler, an award-winning architecture firm out of Chicago with another office here in Charlotte, is leading project design.

Cool element: 2151 Hawkins embraces South End’s Rail Trail, creating a “second front door” as Travis puts it.

By the numbers: There will be a total of 16 floors, nine of which will be dedicated to office space. The project will have 275,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of retail.

Food hall: Portman Holdings is in the early planning stages for a food hall that will take up the majority of the retail space. This food hall will provide a huge variety of food and beverage options to an already exploding area.

Agenda related guide: 10 best things to do in South End

Why it matters: This is the signature development in South End, which is becoming one of the coolest neighborhoods in the southeast. I know I sound like a fanboy (which I am), but I love the design, I love that parking is hidden, I love the food hall concept, and I love the attention paid to the pedestrian level.

Timing: Rezoning has been approved, and they are shooting for construction to start in late 2019 and wrap up in 2021.