Derita neighbors fret over old Puckett’s Farm Equipment building, as development looms
A developer’s plan to build a $19-million apartment complex in the Derita neighborhood has residents concerned about the fate of a local landmark, the nearly century-old Puckett’s Farm Equipment building.
NHE Inc., a Greenville, S.C.-based company, filed a rezoning petition for the project with the Charlotte Planning, Design and Development Department for the 3.36 acre-site. The Puckett’s building is part of that site that sits on the southeast corner intersection of Mallard Creek and West Sugar Creek roads.
The real estate company is planning to add affordable housing options with the project, said Joseph Kass, NHE development manager, with funding from the Charlotte Housing Trust Fund.
The farm building at 2740 West Sugar Creek Road has been around since 1932, when it opened to provide services to farmers. After Prohibition ended, owner Ralph Puckett started selling beer there too. Third-generation owner Gary Puckett continued the tradition and hosted events with country, bluegrass and rock music. It’s currently operating as a bar.
Puckett said the building is under contract with NHE, but there are still conditions that need to be worked out. According to online real estate records from Loopnet, the property was being offered for $2.2 million. It’s been on the market for about seven years, Puckett added.
Puckett said he tried to keep the business open as long as he could, but the business model for Puckett’s Farm Equipment is no longer viable since Derita isn’t the rural community it once was.
“The bottom line is that business has declined over the years to the point where I can no longer stay here,” Puckett said. “It’s time to move on and it’s time to retire.”
The fate of the farm building
Neighbors are expressing concerns online about the possibility of losing the building and an apartment taking its place. As one man put it: “Without question not the highest and best use.”
Puckett questioned why there’s an interest to save the building now, especially since it’s been on the market for almost a decade.
“They wait until I’m under contract with a company, and the company applies for rezoning, to step up and say anything,” he said. “They haven’t been in here to support my business or help my business whatsoever.”
Some people on Facebook had mixed feeling about the plans.
”I grew up in Derita and loved every minute of it,” one person wrote on the Derita News Facebook page. “I know you can’t stop the wheels of progress, but I so hate seeing this happen.”
Another said they preferred a restaurant, bar or community center over apartments.
A community meeting hosted by the developer is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Sugar Creek Recreation Center, 943 W. Sugar Creek Road, Charlotte.
Theresa McDonald, a board member for the Derita Statesville Road Community Organization Board, is planning to attend. McDonald said residents have mixed feelings about the project, with some wanting to preserve the building and keep the area the same, while also desiring affordable housing and the ability to bring new businesses in to the area.
“I would never choose preserving an old structure over housing people,” she said. “But if there’s a balance that could be struck, that’s what we’ll be looking for.”
The history of the building goes back to a time when there were just farms in the area. McDonald intends to talk with Charlotte’s Historic District Commission to see if members want some aspect of the building preserved.
Unlike some other Southern cities like Nashville, Tennessee, McDonald said she knows many old buildings around Charlotte are simply knocked down for development rather than being preserved.
Developer’s plans for Derita
The four-story apartment project is in the early stages of development, Kass said. The request to change the land from business to neighborhood zoning is one of the first steps, along with the upcoming community meeting.
“I think the Derita community is interested in seeing development in their area,” Kass said about having early conversations with residents. “So, that’s always an encouraging and positive thing.”
NHE wants to put up a 60-unit apartment complex with one-, two- and three-bedroom options. Rent will range from $500 to $1,400 a month, according to Kass.
What’s next for the Puckett’s Farm building?
Plans for what to do about the old farm equipment building are not set yet, Kass said. NHE is looking at various options for the building because of the historical aspect of Derita.
“Honestly, it’s too early to know yet anything about that building or what kind of shape it’s in,” he said. “That’s an analysis that will take some time to play out.”
If the project is approved by city officials, Kass said permits would be submitted in January 2025, followed by construction in the spring. The apartment building would be finished by 2026, either by the summer or fall.
NHE manages apartments and community developments across the Southeast. The company represents more than 18,000 homes, apartments and condominiums in 15 states. NHE was established in 1969 with a focus to provide management services to multifamily properties and homeowner associations.
At this point, McDonald is keeping an open mind about NHE’s plans for Derita.
“We do have a severe housing problem in this city and we do need affordable housing,” she said. “And we need all kinds of housing.”
But at the same time, she emphasized that the Puckett’s Farm Equipment building is a staple of Derita.
“It’s kind of ‘the building’ that anybody thinks of if they know Derita at all,” she said.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 6:06 AM.
