Levine Museum is already bringing people into its new South End home

Catch up quick: The museum bought the .57-acre Grace Covenant Church property at 1800 South Blvd. earlier this year for $7.5 million.

Flashback: Chalmers Memorial Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which originally occupied the site, was dedicated in 1910. Billy Graham, who became a world-renowned evangelist, grew up going to church there.

The latest: Now museum leadership is in the process of planning what the museum's campus will entail and how to preserve the historic church in the process.

• So far they've held two community events onsite, museum CEO Richard Cooper tells Axios.

What to expect: Prior to renovations, the museum will continue to host events at 1800 South Blvd, including continued opportunities for community feedback (dates TBD) on the campus as well as the museum's overall offerings.

• Once ready, the museum will host public events in addition to exhibitions.

If you go: Upcoming events at the museum are scheduled for:

• Aug. 4: Pride Was a Protest: Then and Now is a pay-what-you-can community conversation from 6-7:30pm about the Pride movement.
• Aug. 19: The Next 250 is a free event from 6-7:30pm celebrating America's 250th anniversary. It will explore the evolution of democracy, voting
  rights and civic participation throughout the nation's history.
• Aug. 27: Seize the City: Welcome to Charlotte is from 6-8pm and will examine the city's history. Tickets are $35.

Between the lines: The Levine Museum sold its former building off 7th Street in 2022 and was temporarily housed in the Three Wells Fargo Center.

• The time without a permanent location has allowed them to meet people where they are, both in-person and online, Cooper says. They still plan to have a presence in the community even with a permanent home.

The big picture: Charlotte's growth is particularly reflected in South End, one of the hottest neighborhoods in the nation. The neighborhood boasts walkability and accessibility to the LYNX Blue Line light rail.

• Museum leadership looked at more than 35 properties around town before choosing the South End site, Cooper says. While there are a number of cultural institutions in Uptown, there wasn't one in South End.

What's next: The goal is to complete the museum's new campus by the early 2030s, with work on renovations beginning in in the next few years. Construction is estimated to take roughly 24 months, but an exact timeline has not been set.

• The Museum is working with Pickard Chilton, an architecture firm, on the design of their new campus.

Go deeper:

• Exclusive: Levine Museum finds a new home in South End
• The church that stood before South End's boom — and what happens next