Strategic Plans

Great cities have vibrant urban cores and Charlotte has the most vibrant in the Southeast. Creative public/private initiatives are key to building the robust Center we enjoy today, and Charlotte Center City Partners has played a vital role in bringing many of these ideas together.

The context for many of our new and ongoing developments was established in the Center City 2020 Vision Plan, which serves as a framework for future development in the Urban Core. Center City Partners orchestrated the public process for approval of that plan. In the Fall of 2008 we partnered with the planning staff of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to start the process for the 2020 Vision Plan.

We also worked with County Parks and Recreation Department to produce a Center City Open Space Plan for Uptown and South End. Other initiatives are detailed below, along with helpful publications that provide more information on the Charlotte Center City.

Center City Initiatives

Charlotte Rail Trail

Charlotte’s Rail Trail will be a vibrant public park that winds through the very heart of our city, where the unexpected can be found around every bend. The 3.3 mile trail will connect communities and knit together neighborhoods from Sedgefield, Southside Park, Brookhill, Dilworth, Wilmore, South End to Uptown. But it will belong to everyone in the Queen City. The Rail Trail will become the place to discover cafés and bars, explore galleries, see artists at work, stumble upon an impromptu concert, stroll with your family, or relax on a bench and watch the city come alive around you. More Information

Community Arts & Culture

Charlotte Center City Partners is dedicated to bringing art into the community in a way that is accessible to all Charlotte residents. Specific initiatives include the artspace pop-up galleries, ArtPop in collaboration with the Arts & Science Council and Adams Outdoor Advertising and the Ulysses Festival of the Arts.

Romare Bearden Park

Romare Bearden Park is designed to cover the space between Church and Mint Streets and MLK Boulevard and Fourth Streets. The Park is named after Romare Bearden, an internationally renowned artist who was born in Charlotte in 1912 and at one point lived in close proximity to the location of the proposed park. Romare Bearden Park is designed to allow people to gather, relax and mingle in an open space in Uptown Charlotte. The project broke ground on the 100th anniversary of the famous artist’s birthday on September 2, 2011 and was completed in 2012. More Information

BB&T Ballpark - Home of the Charlotte Knights

The Charlotte Knights’ Uptown Stadium is part of a proposed “Land Swap” plan that originated in the 2010 Center City Vision Plan. The “Land Swap” is an exchange of public and private property in Uptown Charlotte that creates two major urban parks, a AAA Uptown Baseball Park as well as Brooklyn Village in Second Ward which includes affordable and workforce housing along with shops and offices. The project was delayed for many years due to funding issues. The County Commission created new deadlines for the project in the summer of 2011, requiring that the Knights account for adequate funding by June 30, 2012, begin construction in October 2012, and finish construction in time for the 2014 season. More Information

LYNX Blue Line Extension

CATS is expected to complete the 9.3-mile extension of the Lynx Blue Line light rail in 2017. The new line will extend from Seventh Street Station north to UNC Charlotte with 11 new stations and peak service every 7.5 minutes. A $580 million grant from the Federal Transit Agency will fund half of the total cost for the new system. CATS projects more than 25,000 riders daily.

Work is now underway to relocate public utilities and acquire right of way for the rail line. Construction began in 2014, and service is scheduled to start in 2017. More Information

LYNX Gold Line Streetcar

The Lynx Gold Line streetcar began operation in the summer of 2015. This new 1.5 mile segment runs from the Charlotte Transportation Center to Presbyterian Hospital at Fifth and Hawthorne streets. The Starter Line is funded by a $25 million urban circulator grant from the Federal Transit Agency and $12 million in matching funds from the City of Charlotte. The mode of transit is three replica historic streetcars that CATS already owns.

The 2030 Transit Plan calls for ultimate build-out of the streetcar line to a 10-mile route with modern streetcars and 37 stops from the Rosa Parks Transit Center on Beatties Ford Road to the Eastland Transit Center on Central Avenue. More Information

Charlotte Gateway Station

In late 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $25 million grant to fund track and platform work needed to advance Charlotte Gateway Station.

Located on West Trade Street, this project offers a unique opportunity to bridge the vibrancy of Tryon Street to the Gateway Village around the nucleus of a new multimodal station, and it will stitch together the Third and Fourth Ward neighborhoods. The city envisions an iconic terminal that will combine Amtrak, commuter rail, street car and local and long-distance buses. However, plans for the area go far beyond transit. 27 acres of publically owned land along the Norfolk/Southern railroad tracks positions this area perfectly for a public-private partnership to catalyze the development of a new employment, residential and retail hub in the heart of Center City.

In early 2016, partners will develop a multi-modal station area plan which will define needed infrastructure and identify opportunities for the development of the Gateway Station and surrounding area. Charlotte has seen the transformational power of the new downtown central rail station in cities like Denver, Chicago and San Francisco. We anticipate that same outcome here in Charlotte. One day, this facility will connect to our airport and the major cities of the East coast. The development of Charlotte Gateway Station is a monumental next step towards fulfilling Charlotte’s transit vision. Learn more about the Charlotte Gateway Station.

North Tryon Vision Plan

The North Tryon Vision Plan is a joint collaboration among the City of Charlotte, Foundation For The Carolinas and Charlotte Center City Partners focused on a 60-acre, 50-square-block district in Center City Charlotte. More Information

Historic West End Initiative

Through a three-year grant from the Knight Foundation, we launched a new initiative to support job growth and economic investment in the Historic West End. We hired a Director of Historic West End wo is tasked with developing and implementing a strategic vision and tactical work plan for this important corridor.

Publications

Center City 2020 Vision Plan

Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP), in collaboration with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, worked with MIG, Inc., Cole Jenest & Stone, Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc., and Wray Ward to develop and facilitate an innovative 10-year growth, development and urban design plan for Charlotte’s Center City. Based on comprehensive research and analysis, the plan establishes goals, recommendations and strategies to guide the public and private sectors when making growth, development and investment decisions for Uptown and the adjacent neighborhoods.

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Center City Development Opportunities

This brochure highlights development opportunities with two of Charlotte’s urban neighborhoods: Uptown, the City’s Central Business District or “CBD,” and; South End, the design and creative district. Vacant and underdeveloped parcels are shown accompanied by key information, including location and acreage.

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Historic South End: Good to Great

Over the past decade, South End has grown into one of Charlotte’s most dynamic places, transitioning from a predominantly commercial and industrial area into a creative design district and a vibrant urban residential neighborhood. But, given South End’s rapid development, neighborhood leaders decided to seek input and real-world expertise of national and local experts as well as government professionals to help guide the neighborhood growth and development over the next five to 10 years.

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Uptown Charlotte Map & Retail Guide

This is your ultimate guide to retail in Uptown Charlotte. Find dining & nightlife, shopping, hotels, and entertainment attractions, along with parking and transit options. Also available in printed format at the South Tryon Info Center and CCCP office.

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Historic South End Map & Retail Guide

This is your ultimate guide to retail in Historic South End. Find dining & nightlife, shopping, art galleries, and entertainment attractions along with parking and transit options. Also available in printed format at the South Tryon Info Center and CCCP office.

Download PDF