3 big developments off south Charlotte road would bring hundreds of housing units

CHARLOTTE — Three rezoning petitions will generate potentially hundreds of new housing units, including more than 100 new affordable housing units, and new jobs. But as one city leader put it, the council must grapple with the old-age question: “What about the traffic on Providence Road?”

The three rezoning petitions are all off Providence Road near Sardis Lane and Old Providence Road.

Developers have a vision to bring three transformational developments that will build hundreds of housing units and new amenities including retail, a small park, and potentially a 100,000-square-foot grocery store.

Plans call for redeveloping Inlivian’s Gladedale affordable housing development. A developer wants to tear it down and build a new development that will have even more housing and the same, if not more for residents with low incomes.

“The only reason we are doing this development is the residents will have a higher quality development,” said Inlivian president Fulton Meachem.

“We are very confident we can make something tremendously positive for this area,” attorney Jeff Brown said.

But neighbors are worried about adding hundreds of new housing units and all of the new amenities to an already busy Providence Road.

“It’s like a snowball rolling downhill,” resident Chris Chotard said.

“It would be the biggest building on the Providence corridor,” resident Dennis Grills said.

Charlotte City Councilmembers say they like a lot of what they are hearing about the projects. However they share resident concerns about traffic and infrastructure. Over the coming months, they are going to talk to the developers and neighbors and see what they can work out.

“The age-old story of Providence Road and what we go through and it is going to be amplified by what we talk about here,” Councilman Tariq Bokhari said.

There is no timeline for when the city will vote on the projects.

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