CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Camp North End, which is just outside of uptown has a little bit of everything and a whole lot of creative flair.
Ally Bank has space there along with artists, coffee shops and lots of food and drink offerings. All of it designed around being outside.
"We have 76 acres of fresh air we're trying to take advantage of that and offer it to people in creative ways," Varian Shrum explained.
The CDC has said outdoor gatherings are safer than indoors so the folks at Camp North End wanted to figure out how how to make sure people could use the outdoor space even during the chilly winter days.
The planning started when we were all still sweating.
Back in August, the team started buying up heaters that are now scattered throughout the massive outdoor space. There are also firepits and even tents for rent.
The idea was to help keep customers coming to the businesses that call Camp North End home and encourage people in the public to use the space for their own business.
"Before the pandemic, we had something every day ranging from a fitness class to an art opening to corporate lunches, and now trying to offer the same groups of people to do their same business outside," Shrum said.
Already they’re seeing people take advantage of the heated options.
"I think it’s easy to be pessimistic about the winter but we're trying to shift our mindset and embrace being outside in the cold weather this winter," he said. "I think that’s our best option in having some shred of normalcy in our daily lives."