Levine Museum to be replaced by high-rise luxury apartments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo courtesy of the Levine Museum of the New South
A New York developer called Vela Uptown LLC has purchased the Levine Museum property in Uptown for $10.75 million. In its place, the developer plans to build a high-rise luxury apartment building, according to a statement from the museum Thursday.
Why it matters: The sale marks a major next chapter for the renowned museum, which put its prominent Uptown property up for sale last June.
- For two decades, the 40,000 square-foot, two-story building on 7th and North College served as a community gathering hub and hosted popular exhibits such as K(NO)W Justice K(NO)W Peace, which highlighted police-involved shootings nationwide and in Charlotte following the 2016 death of Keith Lamont Scott.
The museum will use the proceeds from the sale to continue its work “in a newer, more flexible space, and to invest in creating robust digital experiences.”
Apartment details: Vela Uptown LLC is partnering with another developer, Post Road Group, on its Uptown luxury apartment complex. Apartments will range from studios to penthouses.
Of note: The museum will remain open to visitors at its current location through May 15.
- After that, the museum will temporarily relocate to the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA) a few blocks away on North Tryon.
- Additionally, this spring the Levine Museum will host a pop-up exhibit in the Grier Heights neighborhood.
Backstory: Operating in a flexible space isn’t new for the museum. The Museum of the New South, as it was originally called, first opened in 1991, but it didn’t have a building. Instead, it hosted traveling exhibits in places like Founders Hall.
What they’re saying: “Our Museum has been a catalyst for provocative programming that prompts dialogue and fosters understanding. This transaction better positions Levine Museum for our next 30 years given the evolving Museum landscape,” said Kieth Cockrell, Levine Museum board chair and president of Bank of America Charlotte.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the developer on the project is Post Road Group, not Post Road Residential.