While NoDa and South End boom, one area stays dormant
It’s no secret the Charlotte development scene is booming. Areas like South End, NoDa, Wesley Heights, Optimist Park and Plaza Midwood are leading the way, with every development sector humming along with no end in sight.
All these areas are blossoming under the promise of future or current transit connectivity, and their close proximities to the robust Center City area. As these areas grow, the Elizabeth Avenue area between CPCC and Novant Health sits quiet, with fixed rail transit installed, breathtaking sightlines to Uptown, and every advantage a true urban neighborhood needs just within its grasp.
On Nov. 27, 2007, opening day of the Lynx, I was lucky enough to be with a close friend on the first train leaving the I-485 station. I remember riding through the strip malls, the empty land, and the squat 1960s industrial buildings, and seeing nothing but opportunity. I see that same potential walking down Elizabeth Avenue.
Ever since its opening a decade ago, the Lynx Blue line has been the primary catalyst of the explosive changes that has turned the once industrial area of South End into a thriving mecca for mixed-used development. From opening day until today, private developers have invested more than $2 billion.
When the Blue Line extension opens in March, commuters northeast of uptown will see an already changing urban landscape. The success of the initial rail line has led to developers betting big on similar success in Optimist Park, Villa Heights, and the already well established NoDa area.
A streetcar called progress
Around 20 years ago, the Charlotte Area Transit Authority (CATS) started outlining its plans for Charlotte. Part of its vision plan was a street car running from West Charlotte to East Charlotte. The first phase of that line, known as City Lynx, is open today and it runs straight through the heart of the Elizabeth Avenue District.
Shortly after the plans were made public, Charlotte developer Grubb Properties, founded in 1963, announced a grand vision for the district.
The six blocks of land surrounding Elizabeth Avenue between Charlottetown Avenue (called South Independence at the time) and Hawthorne Lane was set to be the “next big thing.” Grubb Properties outlined an urban utopia; a mixed-use district complete with pedestrian-scale buildings for residences, shoppers, and visitors. The district would have seen a mix of mid-rise and high-rise buildings and would have included Charlotte’s first Whole Foods, and an AMC Theatre.
Ultimately CATS’ inability to move at any pace faster than a crawl, a collapsing housing market, and an economy on the verge of a recession brought the plans to a halt. In the end, only a small stretch nearest to the hospital saw much action.
Why is Elizabeth so important?
Elizabeth Avenue is an area with a plethora of upside!
Pedestrian Scale: Elizabeth Avenue is two lanes, slow speed, and has a solid grid system. You can feel comfortable walking on Elizabeth Avenue. On South Boulevard, you have to worry about getting killed crossing the street. While on Camden, you can only develop one side of the street because of the train.
Employment: Novant Health, who owns the land in partnership with Grubb Properties, is Charlotte’s leading employer, with more than 25,000 employees.
Students: Elizabeth Avenue is home to the central campus of CPCC, one of the region’s largest community colleges.
Proximity & Access: Just ask editor Katie Toussaint, Uptown is just a quick jog away. Uptown sits just up the hill and a short drive or street car ride away.
[Related: Katie vs. Charlotte’s new streetcar. Which is faster?]
Ample park land: Independence Park, which was Charlotte’s first master planned park, is adjacent to the district, and the Greenway runs just to the south. Independence Park is anchored by Memorial Stadium and the Grady Cole Center, home to dozens of events a year.
History: The area was named for Elizabeth College, which sat where Novant Health is today. Believe it or not, when the college opened in 1897, this area sat on the outskirts of Charlotte (mind blown!). A lot of Charlotte’s early prominent citizens called the Elizabeth neighborhood home.
What’s holding it back?
I couldn’t get anyone to go on the record and say it, but I suspect this area is suffering from the same plight as numerous districts around the country.
Hospitals and developers tend to work on a different wavelength. As a wise man once told me, “Developers operate on what will work for them two to five years down the road, sometimes 10. Hospitals, on the other hand, work on a 100-year plan.”
Hospital growth is directly proportional to population growth. Because of this they like to keep their options open. Hospitals land bank for their future — people will always get hurt or sick after all. Their land seems more valuable to them as a future expansion versus “the next urban neighborhood.”
Little do they realize, that land can house their doctors, provide convenient amenities for staff and patients, and revitalize the area they call home.
Some of the blame has to fall on CATS. The long drawn out streetcar construction process made Elizabeth virtually inaccessible for years, and pushed beloved Charlotte businesses, like NOFO restaurant, out of business. Its inability to move forward expediently on the project left many in the lurch. You can’t build the next great neighborhood on the promise of “someday.”
What’s next for Elizabeth?
Elizabeth is on the precipice of becoming the next “it neighborhood.” Last month, NAI Southern Real Estate filed plans with City Council to build a 20-floor office tower, with 500,000 square feet of office and ample retail. Its plans show that developers find immense value in the area, and that it’s ready to get to the next level.
Emily Ethridge, from Grubb Properties, assured me that Grubb remains committed to the area.
“Grubb Properties continues to believe in the potential for Elizabeth Avenue to be one of Charlotte’s most vibrant retail districts, and we are working with Novant to finalize the 2018 business plan for the area,” Ethridge said.
Local bike shop and bar, The Spoke Easy, is a prime example of the direction of the neighborhood. The company, opened in 2015, has signed a lease across the street from its current location in the Eagle building. It will be doubling its footprint, and its old space will be up for lease, opening the door for the next great local Charlotte company.
In 2018, it’s my hope that Novant lets up a bit on its strangle hold on Elizabeth Avenue and we see the type of progress that the neighborhood deserves. Charlotte deserves a stroll/shopping district on Elizabeth Avenue that it can be proud of.
Photos: Risden McElroy, Little Diversified, Grubb Properties, Ely Portillo, Gensler
This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "While NoDa and South End boom, one area stays dormant."