‘We’re really excited’: Renderings shed light on proposed Gateway Station in uptown

CHARLOTTE — Hotels, shops, offices and a hub for public transit. It’s a wish-list of items the city is working on to become a reality for the proposed Gateway Station along Trade and Tryon streets in uptown Charlotte.

The area will be transformed into 12 neighboring acres that will include a number of transportation modes like buses, trains, ridesharing services and improved pedestrian access.

The latest renderings show what the project would look like once it’s finished, complete with businesses, residential property and an urban garden that will span several blocks.

Gateway Station project (Nowacki, Matt (CMG-Charlotte)/WSOC)

Those who live in uptown said the change is welcome.

“Any efforts to kind of bring more people, more young professionals to the city from a social aspect, I think would be a fantastic effort,” said Matt Freese.

Gateway Station is an effort between the city, NCDOT and a private company, Charlotte Gateway Partners. That is a joint venture formed by the Spectrum Companies, a Charlotte-based developer and Republic, a real estate firm out of Washington, D.C.

“We are on the map for so many companies, so many individuals. And, in order to continue that, I think we have to continue to build out a great city,” said assistant city manager Tracy Dodson.

The project planning committee voted to work with Charlotte Gateway Partners exclusively after narrowing the list down in March. Steve McClure and his team are in the process of creating new renderings.

“We’re going to make sure that it’s true to Charlotte from our side of things because that’s critical to us,” said McClure, the COO of Spectrum Companies.

The Amtrak train station off North Tryon Street would also move to the site. Crews started working on that infrastructure last year with a completion date sometime in 2022.

They have already spent $90 million on the first phase, including track realignments, a 2,000-foot platform, and construction on five bridges.

The second phase of planning and design will begin with McClure and his team at the helm.

“We just can’t wait to keep going down and get things going,” he told Channel 9. “We’re really excited about it.”

The city doesn’t have a timeline on when the entire project would be completed or a running total on the cost, but said they are working to get that information.