See renderings: Nonprofit plans major arts hub in south Charlotte
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Concept for Charlotte Center for the Arts' community arts hub. Rendering: Courtesy of Charlotte Center for the Arts; Progressive Companies
A new nonprofit plans to create an arts hub in south Charlotte called Charlotte Center for the Arts.
Why it matters: South Charlotte lacks accessible, affordable arts space, CCA co-founder Julia Zilke tells Axios, and the nonprofit hopes to fill that gap by repurposing underused real estate.
State of play: CCA hopes to build a 100,000-square-foot flagship campus in south Charlotte in the next 10-12 years.
- The plans include an 800-seat theater, a black box theater with a shared lobby, plus a classroom and event space.
- The project is estimated to cost $125 million, and CCA is considering locations south of SouthPark.
What they're saying: "If you live in city limits, you pay city taxes; you would like to think that access to cultural assets would be equitable across all geographic areas," Zilke said.
The big picture: Neighborhoods further from Charlotte's urban core are absorbing the city's growth. CCA hopes to provide affordable arts infrastructure to help address barriers to arts access.
Zoom in: Within the next five years, CCA plans to build a smaller arts hub with a black-box theater and community space.
- The location of the roughly $5 million community arts hub is still TBD, but Zilke says they're looking at strip malls for potential leases.
What's next: CCA must first raise $90,000 for a feasibility study, expected to take 6–8 months. Then, they'll start fundraising for the hub.
The latest: CCA will host a happy hour Wednesday, April 29, from 5:30-7:30pm at Grace O'Malley's (157 N. Trade St.) in Matthews.
- CCA leaders will share where the project stands, next steps, and their long-term vision for the Community Arts Hub.
- Event registration is required. Tickets are $25 and include a drink ticket and small bites.