City Leaders Look At Uptown, Plan 2020 Vision

City leaders toured uptown Charlotte on Tuesday, already planning for 2020 by looking at developing vacant lots into urban living centers and extending the light rail line.

On an hour-long tour, city leaders saw residential buildings like The Vue, 210 Trade and the Park Condominiums. All are stalled construction projects.

City planner Debra Campbell blames the crumbling economy because, she said, without jobs, people are not buying.

While residential towers in uptown Charlotte are a problem, vacant office space is holding steady.

Center City Partners President Michael Smith said Charlotte has the lowest vacancy rate of any downtown in the country. His nonprofit group is working to keep it that way.

"Tomorrow we are going to New York, meeting with financial service firms to talk about Charlotte specifically as a great place to locate headquarters," he said.

Some of the plagued residential properties will be converting to apartments to ease the vacancy rate. But bringing young professionals to Charlotte at a faster pace may not seem realistic.

"I don’t know that is going to happen. This is not just an issue for Charlotte. It’s a national issue. Our ability to attract people to Charlotte is being hampered," Campbell said.

The city is hoping for community input to create the blueprint for 2020. A meeting is set for Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center.

• PDF: 2020 Vision Fact Sheet