Plans for a new entertainment district surrounding the Spectrum Center in Uptown

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Spectrum Center, a new Transit Center, and a revamped Epictre, now known as Queen City Quarters will come together in new plans to create an entertainment hub in the city.

City leaders tell WBTV it’s a public-private partnership with the Spectrum Center being one of the centerpieces in the district. It would attract people throughout the year instead of just gamedays and concerts.

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Edmund Driggs, a Charlotte City Councilmember who chairs the Transport, Planning and Development Committee said, “this project has grown from being just a transit center to being an exciting new hub.”

The district, as it’s referred to in city documents would encompass about a dozen city blocks along Brevard and Trade Street, creating an entertainment corridor in the heart of Charlotte.

James LaBar, the SVP of Economic Development for Charlotte Center City Partners said the district would be “a 360-day place where all types of people can enjoy it.”

Ethel Hollins, who works a few blocks away in Uptown said, “any kind of driver to bring back more activity in the Uptown area, I think would be good.”

Currently, people see this area as a void, mainly parking lots and the transit center.

People living in Charlotte want to see a district like the Epicentre, but better.

“I would like to see something similar, but probably without the clubs because I think the clubs were part of the reason why some of the other stores closed,” said Hollins.

Councilmember Driggs said, “so the idea is that we create an activity space there, restaurants, shops, pedestrian area, people could walk, so it would be a destination.”

The new transit center tower, Hornets training facility, redeveloped Epicentre and the district would create a public-private partnership that’s not dependent on each other.

LaBar said, “If an area becomes solely dependent upon one function, just a bunch of office, it’s going to be vulnerable to different types of things, but balanced neighborhoods that have office, entertainment, residential is really important.”

Driggs added, “I think this will be an exciting development in that area, Charlotte needs more of these attractions for visitors, more exciting places to go, things to do.”

Councilmember Driggs tells WBTV if things go as planned, we could see shovels in the ground in about a year, starting with work on the new transit center. It would take about 5 years once construction starts until the district and new transit center are complete.

The district and buildings would seek corporate naming rights which could bring in $60 million dollars over a 10-year period.

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