CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 10-story, 250-foot office tower will be allowed to replace a long-standing movie theater inside Phillips Place in South Park.
Charlotte City Council approved the project by local developer Lincoln Harris. Chief Executive Officer Johnny Harris said the firm's goal is to try to keep the space evolving as the needs of the neighborhood change.
The South Park Association of Neighborhoods (SPAN) was also not completely on board with what will end up as the tallest structure in the area but agreed their top priority is more green space and walkability.
"We were able to negate some of that discussion because we are doing other things that are not necessarily required to do," Harris said.
Harris said they're going to commit $100,000 to the construction of the South Park Loop, a three-mile greenway that would integrate Phillips Place.
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"That will be minimum," Harris said. "It will be significantly more than that. If we didn't do anything, the $100,000 is a commitment to South Park."
Ultimately, Harris' vision is about how the space could stay pertinent as Charlotte is trying to become more pedestrian-friendly.
"If you think about it, we used to build office parks on large pieces of property with large parking lots and no parking structures and we don't do that anymore," he said. "What you do, is try to make it more dense and more concentrated so that the effects of it are a better plan and better control. And that's what a pedestrian environment is all about."
Harris said there is no timetable for when the office building would be built and that it depends on the market, but he said he hopes in the next year and a half, they'll be in a position to start the facility.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the new office tower will only replace the movie theater. The existing retail space will remain.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.