CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New developments and apartments are popping up left and right as more people migrate to Charlotte.
What You Need to Know
In March, neighbors received a letter about a meeting to discuss a new redevelopment project in NoDa
Ascent Real Estate Capital LLC is looking to buy property from Forest Hill Church located off of Alexander and East 36th Streets
Their plan is to create a five-story building with 225 rental units, a private parking deck and 1,500 square feet of retail space
Over in the NoDa neighborhood, there’s been talk about a new apartment complex coming, but not everyone is excited about it.
NoDa is one of the few places left in Charlotte with a sense of uniqueness, residents say. This area is where arts and entertainment collide, but there’s also a lot of history.
These were the things Paula Martinac was looking for when she moved to the neighborhood seven years ago.
“I think 37th Street … is one of the prettiest streets,” she said. “It feels like when you cross the railroad tracks, it’s like you're maybe going back in time a little bit.”
That charm also brought Paul Oppold to the neighborhood from New York City 16 years ago.
“I just enjoy the feel of this neighborhood,” he said. “I liked that there were shops. I liked that there were these houses. I liked the history. There’s not a lot of historic areas in Charlotte.”
All of that is starting to change.
In March, these two, along with their neighbors, received a letter about a meeting to discuss a new redevelopment project.
Over one-and-a-half acres of land off Alexander and East 36th Streets could potentially transform into a five-story apartment building.
“If you’re talking about an 85-foot structure right here, you’re talking about complete shade in those backyards, changing the eco-system, changing the dynamics of how you live,” Oppold said.
Ascent Real Estate Capital LLC is looking to buy this property from Forest Hill Church.
Their plan is to create a five-story building with 225 rental units, a private parking deck and 1,500 square feet of retail space.
“Our major concern has been consistently the height,” said Oppold. They are pushing for 85-feet, which would be the tallest building in NoDa by a considerable amount.”
When Martinac thinks about what this site could be in the next year, it saddens her.
“A few people have been kind of baiting me on Facebook, like well you should have known when you moved here seven years ago that this would change, and it’s like well seriously, there was a church there seven years ago,” she said.
The two are hoping developers will listen to neighbors and consider making changes, so that their neighborhood doesn’t loose the character and charm they say brought them there.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to Ascent Real Estate Capital LLC’s lawyer Collin Brown, who shared that he does believe his client can lower the height of their building.
Brown said he expects there will be more conversations with neighbors and the city before a final decision is made.
Ascent Real Estate Capital LLC still has to bring their plans to the city’s planning commission, zoning commission and city council where a decision is anticipated to be made sometime in the fall.
Martinac and other neighbors have created this website sharing more information about the project for residents.