Charlotte Pipe details mixed-use plans off Morehead Street

Homes, office, hotel, retail planned for prime site — with renderings!

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‘Iron District’ would start with 500 housing units, hotel, office and retail space in prime South End/uptown location

by Tony Mecia

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co. announced plans for a first phase of what it is calling the Iron District, a mixed-use development on the prime 55-acre site straddling uptown and South End.

The plans call for…

• 500 residential units

• a 150-room hotel

• 100,000 s.f. of retail space

• 150,000 s.f. of office space

The site would also have 1,200 parking spaces and a light rail stop (assuming the light rail will eventually be built).

Oh — and there are renderings! Behold:

Thursday’s announcement helps shed light on the future of one of the largest and most desirable pieces of land so close to South End and the southern part of uptown. Charlotte Pipe decommissioned its century-old plant in 2023 and built a new plant in Oakboro, about 40 miles east of Charlotte.

At one point, the Charlotte Pipe land was thought to be a possible site for a future football stadium for the Carolina Panthers. But the team and city settled instead on a renovation plan for Bank of America Stadium, which the Charlotte City Council approved in June.

The development of the Charlotte Pipe land would seem to rule out any future stadium being built on the site, which is located off Morehead Street near the John Belk Freeway (I-277) — although the site will be developed in phases.

Charlotte rezoned the site in 2021 in a way that would allow a stadium but also give developers leeway in developing mixed-use projects.

In addition, Blumenthal Arts is converting a former Charlotte Pipe warehouse into an event space for its Blume Studios arm, a development that was announced this spring.

No timeline: The announcement from Charlotte Pipe did not include a timeline. Generally, developers have found it challenging to start new construction because of the difficulty in securing financing.

Charlotte Pipe confirmed this week that developer Trammell Crow will lead the master planning of the Iron District development. The Charlotte Business Journal previously reported Trammell Crow’s involvement in March.

The Business Journal was first to report details of the development’s first phase earlier today, ahead of a press release.

Related Ledger articles:

• Charlotte Pipe puts 56 acres on the market in uptown (Nov. 16, 2022)

• Charlotte Pipe rezoning would allow a stadium (Nov. 16, 2022)

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman