Carbon Performance is a 45,000-square-foot luxury fitness and recovery center opening in Lower South End later this summer.

Why it matters: The Tennessee-born fitness company's expansion to Charlotte reflects the city's growing appetite for high-end wellness spaces that combine strength training, recovery and lifestyle amenities under one roof.

• Carbon Charlotte will be one of the area's largest gyms, roughly the size of the Dowd YMCA, with amenities similar to other upscale fitness-meets-wellness clubs, like Motion Fitness, The Health Club and Life Time.

Catch up quick: Carbon launched in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2020 before expanding to Nashville and, most recently, Atlanta. Charlotte will be its largest location yet.

What to expect: Charlotte's facility will have more than 175 strength machines, over 40 cardio machines and 20-plus cable stations.

The facility will also include:

• A 2,000-square-foot women's-only training area and a reformer Pilates studio.
• Personal training and specialty HYROX classes.
• A posing room with mirrors where people can snap progress pics.
• A nutrition bar offering protein shakes, snacks and meal prep.

The members-only "Carbon Elite Lounge" will combine co-working space with a recovery lounge featuring private cold plunges, saunas and showers, plus compression boots, Theraguns, hydromassage and Cryolounge recovery chairs.

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Johnson & Wales University is embarking on a $42 million renovation of its former hotel-turned-residence hall in Charlotte's Third Ward.

• The 8-story, 97,000-square-foot building — formerly the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel — will be gutted and redone with 150 upperclassmen rooms and 276 beds.
• It's also getting a 6,500-square-foot admissions welcome center that doubles as a nightly student lounge, new student services, and upgraded mechanical and building systems, according to a press release.

Flashback: JWU purchased the 1988 building in 2004 for $8.4 million. It operated as the hotel until 2024.

• Students then lived in the building, called "The Maple," during the 2024–25 academic year while work was done to adapt it for dorm life. But the university decided to close it in May 2025 to complete the full renovation at once.
• "We always knew that we would make more improvements," a university spokesperson tells Axios. "Not all the floors were converted and opened during that year. We also had planned to complete exterior work on windows and cladding."

What's next: Construction should take about two years.

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A former Hampton Inn has been transformed into a new Spark by Hilton near Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Why it matters: Situated near Interstate 85, the property is well-located to accommodate business and leisure travelers coming to Charlotte.

• The 121-room property features 320 square feet per room.
• Construction on the space, which began in August 2024, cost roughly $6.5 million.

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A gas leak caused a massive fire and explosion in Matthews yesterday, prompting evacuations, officials said. (WBTV)

🛣️ The I-77 saga continues. Charlotte City Council is holding (another) meeting today on the proposed toll lanes — just a few days after members voted to withdraw support of the state Department of Transportation's controversial project.

📓 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a $2.1 billion budget Tuesday with some tweaks. This comes after weeks of tensions following the board's rejection of the superintendent's first proposal in an unexpected 8-1 vote. (WFAE)

"We should not be fighting over whether we fund mental health, whether we fund family engagement, whether we can move a teacher from one school to the other. The system is broken."

🧐 Tomorrow: Get intrigued by a thought-provoking conversation on the psychology of serial killers at the Carolina Theatre. | $46+ | 7:30pm | Details

🎤 Saturday: Vibe to Dave Matthews Band at Truliant Amphitheater. | $69+ | 7:30pm | Details

🌳 Sunday: Set up your own picnic and hang out with friends at Freedom Park with a DJ spinning soulful tunes. | Free | 3–7pm | Details

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If your gym routine is typically headphones on, head down, Y Happy Hour is a great way to meet other fitness enthusiasts in Charlotte.

Catch up quick: The high-energy monthly mixer draws hundreds of people across the city's health and wellness scene for a free social.

• It was started by Y members (hence the name) but has no affiliation with the organization and is open to anyone, whether you're into lifting, running, Pilates or just want to connect with others in the fitness space.

💭 My thought bubble: Every mixer I've attended has packed out the house, so expect a crowd and to make new friends. The vibe is noticeably social — not just full of people sticking to their own groups.

• The free mixers typically happen once a month, in addition to occasional ticketed events.

What's next: Y Happy Hour's May meetup is today at Platform Sports from 7-11pm.

Not a gym person? 30+ other ways to meet people in Charlotte