Mixed-income apartment community coming to uptown

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are big plans to build a mixed-income apartment community at the corner of 7th and Alexander Streets in uptown’s First Ward.

[Special Section: Affordable Housing Crisis]

Pastor Dwayne Walker of Little Rock AME Zion Church said, “The issue of affordable housing is something that most communities are grappling with and we are happy to be part of a solution.”

Walker said the land was donated by the church’s nonprofit, Little Rock CDC, and the City of Charlotte to build affordable housing.

Laurel Street, a mixed-income developer, plans to relocate historic homes and develop the green space into a mixed-income apartment community.

Its president and CEO, Dionne Nelson said, “We describe it as a truly inclusive community. It will be a community where people of all income levels, all occupations, all backgrounds can live together.”

Nelson said they’ll build 105 apartments, about half of which will be affordable. Apartments will be available to families making 80% AMI (Area Median Income), 60% AMI and 30% AMI. For example, a family of four making $25,000 a year would qualify.

The community will have several amenities, including a gym, café and business center. Parking will be limited due to accessibility to uptown, bus service and light rail. However, they can partner with the church if more is needed.

Nelson and Walker agree it’s a community that’s needed in uptown, and they believe there will be a lot of interest.

“As we get closer, we will put up signage where people can contact us and notify us that they are interested in our interest list,” said Nelson.

"We do hope this will inspire others to do a similar thing that it would close the gap and end homeless, said Walker.

Nelson said they were able to keep half of the apartments affordable thanks to the land donation and financing from the Charlotte Housing Trust Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation and others.

Construction is expected to start early next year. The goal is that people can start moving into the new units in 2022.

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Cox Media Group