Sugar Creek motel rooms are being turned into $1,000/month apartments
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The Charlie Apartments replace two former motels in northeast Charlotte. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Two budget motels in the West Sugar Creek area are being converted into studio apartments with rents starting at about $1,000 — a rarity in Charlotte.
Why it matters: The conversions replace crime-linked motels with much-needed, organically affordable housing in northeast Charlotte, a roughly 20-minute drive to Uptown.
The latest: This is Washington-based Sage Investment Group's first adaptive reuse conversion project in Charlotte. The Charlie Apartments is beginning leasing at the end of September.
- Construction began at the former Rodeway Inn and Speedway Inn in January and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
By the numbers: The floor plans range from 298 to 673 square feet and rent for $1,070 to $1,299, plus fees for pest control, cable and internet.
- Units under $1,000 a month are disappearing in America, declining by around 30% over the past decade, per a Harvard report.
Between the lines: Converting motels into housing is a fast and relatively low-cost process, making it an attractive investment. The motels already come with amenities like pools and gyms.
Yes, but: During a construction tour, Sage's team told Axios they often uncover unforeseen issues once they're inside the walls. It's also a significant effort to rework all the mechanical wiring.
- Typically, people are living in these hotels, providing another challenge. With the help of Crisis Assistance Ministry, Sage rehoused about 60 people who were living in the motels during the acquisition.
The big picture: Charlotte is actively trying to revitalize the Sugar Creek and I-85 intersection, a high-crime area. The city even bought a motel itself to tear down and is partnering with a private developer to build affordable townhomes on the site.
- The Charlie Apartments will be a gated community with a full security camera system.
- The city's Corridors of Opportunity program provided $50,000 for local artists Jen Hill and Liz Haywood to paint murals on the property. Sage is gathering feedback on what the community wants to see.
What's next: Sage is already eyeing two other properties for conversions in the Charlotte market — another in Sugar Creek and one off Tuckaseegee Road.
Tour the construction.
Sage is converting the old hotel lobby into a temporary leasing office. Later, it will become bike storage.
This area between the two motels will become an amenity called "The Porch" with grilling stations, rocking chairs, dining tables and yard games.
The second hotel was in poorer condition and required more structural repairs to address water damage and stabilize the building. It will open after the first building.
The pool is being renovated and brought up to code. There will be another amenity space close by with a fireplace and seating.
This is the entrance to the future clubhouse, with a fitness center, leasing office, coworking space and restrooms.
