Camp North End's new owners detail expansion plans
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Camp North End will get a lot bigger in the coming years, as a new lead developer expects to accelerate multifamily, hotel, retail and office construction across the 76-acre site's empty parking lots and buildings.
Why it matters: Atlanta-based Jamestown's undisclosed investment in Camp North End, the 1920s Ford plant-turned-mixed-use destination, comes with land entitlements allowing up to 3.2 million square feet of future development across 41 acres. That includes open land and unused historic buildings.
- To compare, what's been restored so far spans about 500,000 square feet and 35 acres.
The latest: Some construction could start later this year, Jamestown president Michael Phillips tells Axios, though plans and timelines will be shared later. The firm is also seeking different tenants to fill spaces.
- Phillips envisions more apartments, plus retail focused on wellness and home decor. The firm will target sit-down restaurants, a grocery store or market, art galleries and studios, and family entertainment and recreation (rock climbing).
- An educational component, such as short-term classes in coding or AI, would be a fit, Phillips adds.
- For food, Jamestown is looking for local and regional chef-driven operators. For retail, it's more open to national brands.
Zoom out: Jamestown previously owned Birkdale and co-owns Optimist Hall. It's known to sign leases with the same businesses across its properties (Botiwalla, Honeysuckle Gelato).
- Jamestown could replicate its signature projects at Camp North End. One is Scout Living, a flexible hotel for short- and long-term stays.
Yes, but: An ownership shake-up draws concerns about businesses being pushed out. Camp North End, home to over 95 mostly local businesses and organizations, has succeeded as an incubator for entrepreneurs.
- Longtime tenant DUPP&SWAT wrote a letter to the QCity Metro editor, pleading for transparency, equitable leases and protection for creative businesses under Jamestown's ownership: "Charlotte deserves development that honors the people who shape its soul."
- Phillips says it's in the company's "DNA" to support tenants by driving foot traffic, helping with marketing, and providing a food-and-beverage specialist.
- The firm points to Ponce City Market, where the businesses are approximately 71% small or local, and about half are owned by women or people from diverse backgrounds.
- "We thrive because our tenants thrive — not we thrive at the expense of our tenants," Phillips says.
The intrigue: The future Red Line commuter train will run through Camp North End, which may have a stop, too.
- This could be a step toward solving one of Camp North End's challenges: There's less density north of Uptown, so visitors often come from across the city and need a reason to make the trip. The site draws more than 1 million visitors a year.
- When Kinship, the first apartments at Camp North End, opened in 2024, it created a permanent customer base for the site.
- "Great places get support from new residential construction, but in order to make them thrive, they need to be a draw from a bigger geographical area outside the neighborhood," Phillips says.
The bottom line: Phillips emphasizes that Jamestown's goal is to amplify and accelerate the original vision of Camp North End.
- The original developer, ATCO Properties & Management, and partner Shorenstein are staying involved. That partnership has eased concerns that Jamestown could alter the vibe.
- The partners are aligned, Phillips says, in their strategies for building on the existing community — "and we think we bring some more horsepower to do that."
My thought bubble: In a city that struggles to define its identity, some residents fear Camp North End's character could slip away. The same protectiveness is seen in longstanding neighborhoods like NoDa.