Developer Wants To Build 560-Unit Apartment Complex in University City

A huge building project could reshape 51 acres of Charlotte's University Research Park. Flourney Development Group plans to put up 560 apartments, build 20 townhomes, and add 7,500 square feet of retail space with no drive-thru options. City leaders will decide on the project this spring. The Charlotte Zoning Committee looks at it first on April 1, with the City Council following up on April 21. If given the green light, the property would change from office and single-family areas to a special community activity zone. The land has a noteworthy history. Centene Corporation owned it until 2022 when they dropped their plans for a billion-dollar office campus. The property sits surrounded by existing apartments and offices in the busy research park. Local leaders are split on the proposal. While Councilmember Dimple Ajmeria supports the plan, pointing to almost ten years of area growth, Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson wants careful consideration of neighborhood impacts. "Smaller square footage for single-family homes versus these stacked apartment buildings. I think we've got our quota of that. I feel there needs to be much more green spaces, park areas," said Jerard Hazelton to WCNC. This isn't Flourney's first project in Charlotte. They created Optima Mallard Creek with its 397 units and are now building Union NoDa, which will bring 271 more homes to the area. University City is booming. Major companies are moving in, construction is everywhere, and more workers need housing. This development would give them another place to live near their work. The combination of homes and shops matches what's happening across Charlotte's outskirts. As the city grows, these projects try to keep up with the need for more housing.