Charlotte’s old Manor Theatre site off Providence Road in line to get redeveloped
A new development is coming to the former site of a beloved movie theater in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood.
The former Manor Theatre complex at 609 Providence Road may be transformed into a mixed-use development featuring 120 to 130 residential units and about 35,000 square feet of retail space.
Eastern Federal Corp., which owns the complex and first ran the historic movie theater back in 1947, will be redeveloping the site in partnership with StreetLights Residential, according to a Wednesday news release from the developers.
Besides the shuttered theater, several other businesses are in the strip, including a Starbucks and Divana Nail Bar.
The plan, called The Manor as an ode to the theater, would include a residential community along with retail and an internal street that would include outdoor dining spaces, emphasizing the walkability of the site.
But first, portions of the over 3-acre plot will need to be rezoned.
The developers filed a rezoning petition with the city of Charlotte Wednesday to change a section of the site from an office campus to a neighborhood center. While the change doesn’t unify the existing zoning on the site, it does make the parcels similar enough so the developer can change the whole site.
The rezoning and the redevelopment are in the early stages. With rezonings, there will be public meetings, a public hearing at city council and an eventual vote by council. That could take at least six months.
But the theater has been closed since 2020. And changes have already been on the horizon for that location. The Charlotte Ledger newsletter first reported on the proposed rezoning and development on Wednesday.
More redevelopment around Providence Road
Providence Road has become a busy corridor for the city.
The Panera Bread at the complex closed in 2024, the Charlotte Ledger previously reported. And Laurel Market is relocating to 1900 E. Seventh St. in Elizabeth, the Charlotte Business Journal previously reported.
It’s also unclear what will be the fate of other nearby businesses, which includes Bond Street Wines and Deejai Thai.
The entire site will be demolished, but the developers said they would remain in touch with the businesses, possibly inviting them back to the new site.
From Manor Theatre to The Manor
The Manor Theatre opened in 1947 and was operated by Eastern Federal. It was Charlotte’s premiere independent art house theater.
Eastern Federal sold the theater to Regal in 2005, which continued running the show as Regal Manor Twin until the pandemic.
Like many theaters, social-distancing requirements forced movie houses to temporarily close. And many did not reopen.
Regal Manor Twin didn’t reopen. At the time, it was Charlotte’s last full-time art house, the city’s oldest movie theater and was dubbed “the last great community cinema in Charlotte.”
But Charlotte did get a new independent theater, when Independent Picture House opened in 2022.
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
