Nearby residents unhappy with Midtown development

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly six acres of prime real estate is up for sale in the Midtown area of Charlotte outside of Uptown.
 
It is one more in a list of developments that has sprung up in the past year, changing the face of nearby neighborhoods like Cherry.
 
One person in the historically African-American Cherry neighborhood said the transformation has been so sudden with the construction of luxurious condos, restaurants and shopping.
 
But it's costing some folks who can't afford the increasingly prestigious address.
 
The Charlotte Realtors Association is looking for a developer for a prime lot on Kenilworth Avenue across from the Metropolitan complex to bring in housing, office and retail space, and possibly a grocery store.
 
"We think there is a lot of excitement," said Joe Rempson, president of the association. "Good vibes in this market, with the greenway, there is a lot of demand and a lot of people want to be part of this. There is easy access to the freeway and downtown. 
 
New apartment construction is underway down the street at Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
 
Also, there will be a high rise condominium building near Kings Drive, a 30-story hotel planned next to Trader Joe's and two more housing units rising across from the Midtown Target.
 
But just a block away, some in the Cherry neighborhood worry it signals an end to a historically black community.
 
Some said low-income residents are being driven out of the area.
 
Ronelle McIntyre who owns Queen City Wings said it's costing him customers and money.
 
"The properties, the big houses that are going up, they are driving taxes up," McIntyre said. "My rent is going up because taxes are going up."
 
The gentrification of wealthier families driving out lower income families is nothing new to Charlotte.
 
The Elizabeth and Dilworth areas saw it start in the 1970s and more recently, the Plaza Midwood, Wilmore and North Davidson neighborhoods.
 
But some are hoping now it won't happen in the Cherry neighborhood.

The city has assigned staff to look for ways to let the Cherry neighborhood grow along with Midtown instead of being swallowed up by it.
 
One of the biggest challenges as home prices rise is keeping affordable housing for lower-income families.

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