CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- If you've driven through Charlotte's Historic Optimist Park neighborhood recently, you know the neighborhood is seeing a huge building boom.
- Areas just outside of Uptown are seeing huge development.
- Historic Optimist Park will be home to the new Optimist Hall.
- It will have a food hall, office space, and a brewery.
Nestled along Parkwood Avenue, just outside of Uptown Charlotte, is a building more than a hundred years old that is getting a new lease on life.
It had become dilapidated inside and covered by brush outside.
The building, the former Highland Mill, was built in the 1890s, so there is a lot to upgrade, and developers have already been working on this spot for a year.
When it's all done, the 153,000 sq.foot space will be called Optimist Hall.
It will have office space, half of which will go to Duke Energy. There will also be a food hall with 19 tenants and a brewery. 10 food tenants have already signed on.
This is just one piece of a bigger development picture happening in Optimist Park and the newest building booms that are springing up just outside of Uptown.
"From [Interstate] 277 to 36th Street, we should have some 4000 units up and running in the next 14 months,” said developer Jay Levell.
Construction on Optimist Hall expected to be completed later next year.
City Councilman Larken Egleston says City Council is mindful of the impact it could have on Optimist Park natives and that he wants to make sure longtime residents aren’t priced out of the area.
"We’re doing what we can to make sure that people who have been the glue in these communities, and have held these communities together are able to stay here and reap the rewards,” he said.
Christian Henson also contributed to this report.