Some south Charlotte residents concerned about redevelopment plans

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some neighbors in south Charlotte are concerned about possible changes coming to their community.

Charlotte developers are looking to redevelop land on Providence Road, near Sardis Lane and Old Providence Road. The plan proposes a mixed-use development and hundreds of apartment units, some for low-income residents.

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Currently in that area are the Gladedale Apartments, affordable housing units that have been there for decades. 

Inlivian is in charge of the property and has submitted a new proposal that would knock down the apartments to build a combination of market-rate, workforce, and affordable housing development.

“People who work in Charlotte, can’t afford to live in Charlotte," Inlivian spokesperson Cheron Porter said.   

Inlivian has plans to tear the apartments down and redevelop the site into 380 units, which would be mostly market-rate housing. A 660% increase in apartment units has neighbors like Tom Griffin concerned.

“My number one concern will be traffic," Griffin said.

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Griffin thinks the size and height of the project will create problems. He's worried about the changes coming to a neighborhood he's lived in for over a decade. 

“It’s been a nice quiet, open space, neighborhood, for a long time and suddenly that’s going to all go away," Griffin said. 

But for Inlivian, this is part of a bigger plan. 

While residents will have to temporarily relocate to another affordable housing unit or use a housing voucher, the goal is to use mixed-income housing as new revenue. 

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“We’re not getting any additional money from the federal government, the federal government hasn’t built any new housing in nearly 50 years so if we want to serve the people, we have to be creative," Porter said. 

Porter said it's important for low-income residents to be part of a thriving community. 

This project is still in the early stages. It would be about five years until the Gladedale Apartments would be demolished. 

There are also plans for more redevelopment in the area. Levine Properties is working on a mixed-use redevelopment that would provide housing. 

All proposals require the Charlotte City Council to approve the rezoning. 

Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.