Uptown's center of gravity has shifted south
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The corridor along South Tryon, South College Streets and what's now known as Brooklyn Village Avenue has seen a substantial amount of new development and new businesses.
Why it matters: The city's urban core has shifted south, almost blurring the lines between Uptown and South End.
Context: The Duke Energy Plaza, Ally Charlotte Center, and Legacy Union all opened within the last decade, creating more jobs in Uptown and adding new restaurants and things to do, like the Museum of Illusions.
- Plus, the Convention Center, which is also in this corridor near I-277, underwent substantial renovations.
What they're saying: "Urban cores are like living organisms," Charlotte Center City Partners president and CEO Michael Smith tells Axios.
- "Its center of development and center of life changes based on many forces, including development patterns and availability of lands and investments in transportation systems and then complementary uses."
Between the lines: Uptown's heartbeat once was the EpiCentre (now Queen City Quarter), where you could eat, drink, and play.
- But the EpiCentre couldn't recover from financial woes that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Even with a new name, fresh paint and new tenants, it's far from the destination it once was.
Flashback: Uptown's southern edge was once mostly occupied by parking lots and a few prominent buildings like those of the Charlotte Observer, Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, and a Goodyear tire shop-turned-temporary home for artists.
Today, those buildings have been razed and replaced with towers that reach for the sky.
- Some are apartments, hotels and offices. While others house headquarters for organizations, including Honeywell and the ACC.
- "This was one of the really big wins in the economic development narrative the last couple years when the ACC decided to stay in North Carolina and chose Charlotte," Center City Partners' economic development SVP James LaBar tells Axios.
- The area is also drawing restaurants from some of Charlotte's most established names, like Dogwood by Rare Roots Hospitality Group and Milkbread and Albertine by Joe and Katy Kindred.
The intrigue: The opposite side of Uptown is in the midst of its own transformation.
- Spectrum Center is going through renovations and the Charlotte Hornets have begun construction on a new standalone practice facility, which team and city leaders hope will spark a district similar to Milwaukee's Deer District.
- Charlotte Mecklenburg's new $137.3 million main library is expected to open in spring 2026 off North Tryon Street, and the nearby Carolina Theatre recently reopened after a $90 million restoration.
- Beyond development, thousands of people will gather in First Ward Park in May for Lovin' Life Music Fest. That same weekend, people will also gather at Bank of America Stadium for Kendrick Lamar's concert.
What we're watching: Development is slated for either side of I-277, with a 42-story apartment tower, Queensbridge Collective, and a restaurant overlooking the Rail Trail Market on Morehead on the South End side.
- As for Uptown, Bank of America Stadium is slated to undergo major renovations in the coming years.
The bottom line: "There can be great activity in many places, but centers of activities move," Smith says.
- Areas positioned for future cycles of development include the Iron District between South End and Uptown, The Pearl in Midtown, North Tryon, and the Gateway District.