Leveling up University City

Plus: Office site eyed for redevelopment; Center City’s ‘inflection point’; A familiar story plays out in Plaza Midwood; Digging up dirt in Elizabeth; Amex confirms Charlotte office

Today’s Real Estate Whispers is sponsored by The McIntosh Law Firm. At The McIntosh Law Firm, we offer experienced legal guidance in real estate development, property revaluation appeals, government relations, land use, estate planning, and business law—helping clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges.

---

Welcome back to our weekly look at Charlotte real estate and development news. Charlotte Commercial Real Estate Whispers is where we get real with real people about real estate.

Got a tip on a deal, a development or a debacle? Drop me a note at ashley@cltledger.com.

You can add and drop newsletters from The Charlotte Ledger — including this one — on your “Manage Your Subscriptions” page.

In today’s edition:

• How University City is leveling up from being a suburban “back office” submarket

• 1980s-era office site pegged for residential development

• A conversation with Michael Smith and James LaBar at Charlotte Center City Partners

• American Express confirms its Charlotte plans

• And a wrap-up of land deals and real estate news from other sources

---

University City’s next phase: More retail, more residential, maybe labs?

The Shoppes at University Place, at 8931 J M Keynes Drive, is now The Boardwalk at University City. (Photo courtesy of University City Partners)

UNC Charlotte is one of the biggest universities in North Carolina, and yet the school doesn’t really have a true “college downtown.” But could it?

The larger submarket known as University City is attracting a surge of investment, development and revitalization, some of it propelled by the Lynx Blue Line that opened there in 2018. The area has long been suburban in nature, but new companies, investment and population growth may be starting to change the dynamics there.