CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A one-of-a-kind condo building is coming to one of Charlotte's most notable neighborhoods, all while preserving the community's historic charm.
Wesley Heights is getting ready to welcome "The Arches," a church that is getting converted into 15 condo units.
The project has been spearheaded by Whitestone Capital, working for nearly the past decade to make this project a reality.
"A lot of times, developers get a bad rap because they take a beautiful area of green space, and it becomes a concrete jungle," David Hoffman, the realtor selling the property said. "Here we're preserving the history but also giving 15 new families and new buyers an opportunity to be a homeowner."
The structure became available after a West Charlotte church decided they didn't need all the space anymore. An event space and entertainment venue were all considered, but a condo building was the best option.
"We would love to have seen the church maintained as a church because it had all of its original character inside, it had never been altered," Shannon Hughes, president of Wesley Heights Community Association, said. "The next best thing was, saving the outside of the structure."
The neighborhood is rich in history. In the 1920s the community was built around horse-drawn carriages.
In 1995, Charlotte City Council designated the neighborhood as a historic district, giving the community extra protections from redevelopment and exterior design changes.
"Without the historic overlay or designation, I'm afraid that we would have been just another neighborhood kind of like Third Ward that was just raised and rebuilt," Hughes said.
Before "The Arches" could become a reality, developers worked to get its design approved by the Charlotte Historic District Commission, a group that oversees the Queen City's eight historic districts.
"It's just preserving the historic piece and element of West Charlotte that so many people have fallen in love with, but also given the modern features that people want," Hoffman said.
Pre-sales have started for the property. Hoffman says prices for the homes start in the 500,000s.
Developers hope "The Arches" will open up by the end of 2022.
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