Are these Charlotte developments ... ghosting us?

• Among other driving factors, developers are waiting for interest rates to fall, apartment rents to rise and companies to mandate employees back to the office.

The intrigue: Most of these are public-private partnerships — meaning local government spent a lot of time and taxpayer money on projects that haven't happened yet.

To round out 2024, we thought we'd check in on some of the buzziest developments that have little, if any, update to share:

Tremont Alley

Cousins Properties has plans for a two-tower development on a rare vacant lot across from Common Market in South End. One tower would be apartments, the other office.

Why it matters: First reported in 2023, this was one of the last big development announcements we heard about before groundbreakings started to slow.

• More than a year later, the proposed development doesn't have a start date, a Cousins Properties spokesperson tells Axios.

Yes, but: Cousins has a vested interest in the area. It recently acquired Vantage South End at South Tryon Street and Carson Boulevard, where Sixty Vines is.

• Cousins has also envisioned an office tower on the surface parking lot it owns at 205 E. Bland St., near The Rose Honky Tonk. No word on that project, either.

Price's Chicken Coop tower

A year ago, Axios reported this 30-story apartment tower was heading toward an early 2025 groundbreaking on Camden Road. But as of December, there is still no update from Florida-based developer Stiles.

Why it matters: This site has gone undeveloped for so long that modern-day South Enders probably don't even know or respect this property for what it used to be — the home of Price's Chicken Coop, one of Charlotte's most iconic restaurants.

• Price's had its own reasons for closing, unrelated to the development. But it didn't take long for Stiles to snatch up the prime South End property.

Seventh and Tryon

Seventh and Tryon was Mecklenburg County's plan to revitalize a prominent junction of Uptown. It involved turning blocks of North Tryon — bordered by Sixth, Seventh, College and the Spirit Square area — into restaurants, shops, an office tower and residences.

Catch up quick: In August 2023, Mecklenburg County confirmed the endeavor was dead because of "challenges in the development market."

• Washington, D.C.-based developer Metropolitan Partnership backed out of the plans, as did the potential office anchor tenant, Truist Bank.

The latest: The county's dreams for a livelier Seventh and Tryon are still humming, according to a county spokesperson.

• Mecklenburg County will likely launch a sealed bid process with specific conditions to sell the parcels for a separate redevelopment.
• "This spring the county will evaluate whether market conditions have changed substantially enough to proceed with advertising a sale of portions of the property," the spokesperson said.
• The county will self-develop a public parking deck at the corner of Seventh and College for the new Uptown library and Spirit Square.
• Meanwhile, work on that 115,000-square-foot library on the block is moving along. It's projected to open in the spring of 2026.

Ten Tryon

Uptown would have had a Publix grocery store by now if Ten Tryon — a 215,000-square-foot tower — had ever started construction.

Catch up quick: Armada Hoffler Properties detailed plans in January 2020 for a 15-story tower in Fourth Ward. It would have had 175,000 square feet of office space "anchored by a Fortune 100 company" and the popular grocer, according to a press release.

The latest: Progress halted during the pandemic. Axios has not received a response from Armada Hoffler Properties. Publix says it doesn't have a timeline to share for that location.

Why it matters: Again, North Tryon is denied its long-sought-after revitalization.

Excelsior Club

The Excelsior Club redevelopment would carry on the legacy of a historic Black club by turning a vacated 1944 building into a hotel and entertainment venue.

• But that project has run into numerous hurdles and for now, it seems dead.

The latest: Land owner Kenwood Investments is shopping around the property, WBTV reported in October.

• Since then, "it's been really quiet, too quiet, actually," says Charlotte council member Malcolm Graham, who represents the Beatties Ford Road corridor.

Why it matters: The Excelsior Club, once the only social club for Black professionals in the city, hosted performers such as Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and James Brown.

• One of the National Trust's Most Endangered Historic Places, the building is still standing, but it is in disrepair.
• "The building itself is going to have to be demolished," Graham tells Axios. "I think what people want to see, though, is that the legacy and the history of what was there continues, which is a venue for arts and entertainment."

Brooklyn Village

Brooklyn Village is a project to build a 150-room hotel, hundreds of housing units, retail and two office buildings.

• The community is intended to honor Brooklyn, once a prosperous Black neighborhood that was razed as part of urban renewal in the 1960s and '70s.

• The project sets aside at least 10% of units as affordable and employs minority-owned contractors for construction.

The latest: The county's handpicked developer, The Peebles Corporation, continues to postpone vertical construction. Construction won't start until at least mid-2026.

Why it matters: Some community members are frustrated with the wait. County commissioners have even questioned if there's a legal "out" from their relationship with Peebles.

• The Peebles Corporation got a deal to buy the land from the county at a discount.
• A county spokesperson says staff reviewed the county's agreement with Peebles, as requested by some commissioners. To date, they say the developer has complied with its contracts.

Charlotte Gateway Station

Amtrak ridership is growing at record levels in North Carolina. But when out-of-towners get dropped off by the train in Charlotte on North Tryon, they have few options to reach their destination: Bus, or maybe call an Uber?

Charlotte plans to open a Uptown train station that would bring people right to center city. The state has finished building the infrastructure and successfully tested running trains to the station.

• But the station hasn't opened because the city and its partner developers haven't started building a mixed-use development that's supposed to accompany the station.

Catch up quick: The city is working on a "preliminary master plan" with Charlotte-based The Spectrum Companies and Republic Metropolitan to build the development, incorporating hospitality, shops, and residential and office towers.

The latest: Axios asked the city what the hold-up is:

• "Charlotte Gateway Station is a transformational project involving the private sector, the City of Charlotte and the State of North Carolina. Naturally a complex project like this can take time," a city spokesperson said. "There is nothing delaying the project."
• "There is no deadline; however, all parties involved are diligently working to move this project forward as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

Charlotte Transportation Center

Charlotte Area Transit System has shelved plans to rebuild the nearly 30-year-old Charlotte Transportation Center as part of a mixed-use development.

Catch up quick: City officials spent a lot of time planning different scenarios for a new Uptown transit center, including whether to put the main bus station underground.

• Developers White Point Partners and Dart Interests were chosen to partner with the city on a mixed-use tower that would go above the CTC, possibly with a hotel and commercial uses. It was supposed to finish in 2028.

The latest: Interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle said earlier this year that the project's costs had ballooned amid construction inflation. Plus, Mecklenburg County hasn't agreed to chip in.

• The city will likely pursue improvements to the CTC.

Why it matters: CTC was seen as a catalyst to reimagine East Trade Street as a buzzy "festival" district near the Spectrum Center.

The intrigue: Some suggest it's poor planning to create two main transit stations, rather than one central hub where all major lines intersect.