It took 17 years, but final plans are settling in for old Charlotte Coliseum site
After 17 years, the final part of a developer’s vision for new homes, stores and restaurants are becoming a reality for vacant land in a sprawling neighborhood at the former Charlotte Coliseum site.
The City Park development has been in the works since the 2000s from Pope & Land Real Estate. A rezoning approval in January allows for more development options, including a new brand from a hotel company, according to Pope & Land.
The 150-acre project is on the property where the old Charlotte Coliseum once stood before it was demolished in 2007. It had served as the home of the Charlotte Hornets.
Pope & Land acquired the site for $23.3 million from the city of Charlotte in 2006. City Park was established in 2008. Zoning changes for the final 20.4 acres impact three locations.
One area that takes up 16 acres near Billy Graham Parkway is south of Yorkmont Road and west of Price Lane. The other two sites cover about 4.5 acres are north of Tyvola Road and south of National Avenue. These are the last plots of unused land, according to Mason Zimmerman, CEO of Pope & Land.
It took about a year to finalize what is allowed to be built on the property, he said.
What’s next for the site?
A hotel developer and its associates are finalizing a deal with Pope & Land for a spot near the Tyvola Road entrance. Zimmerman declined to disclose the name of the hotel because the deal wasn’t done.
More projects could be on the way through the rezoning changes that gives Pope & Land options for mixed-use development.
For the property by Billy Graham Parkway, this includes options of 220 town homes, condos or single-family homes, 300 hotel rooms and 60,000 square feet of retail. Rezoning for the other two sections across Tyvola Road also provides retail options totaling 75,000 square feet and storage.
The areas by Billy Graham Parkway and Tyvola Road could contain any of those uses, but not all of them because of the amount of space available. As an example, Zimmerman said a project with hundreds of homes would swallow up property near Billy Graham Parkway.
What’s at City Park now?
There are now four apartment complexes, three hotels and two subdivisions built in conjunction with Ryan Homes and Meritage Homes at City Park. About 1,000 people live in the area.
Places such as the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, Renaissance Park and The Billy Graham Library and Museum are within walking distance for residents. A Panera Bread, Chipotle and Starbucks are also part of the neighborhood.
City Park is about 3 miles away from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and 5 miles from uptown.
