West Charlotte development continues to boom

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - There is no denying the development boom around Charlotte and in the West part of town, it is no different.

Massive new development has either just opened, is being built, or planned along Freedom Drive and Morehead Street.

Apartment complexes Arlo, Asbury Flats, and Wesley Village are all recently opened. New restaurants and businesses are opening along the 'FreeMoreWest' area.

"Frankly, we just love the atmosphere and vibe," said Brian Quinn, the head brewer at Town Brewery. "We want to continue to build that up and kind of become a focal point for that community here."

Town Brewery is set to open late September or early October. It is located next to Rhino Market.

The Arlo Apartments just opened across the street from Open Kitchen, a West Charlotte staple.

"It is becoming residential again. When you have people that live here, that can walk here," said Christina Skiouris, owner of Open Kitchen. "I think the west was ignored for the last 100 years. Everything developed South."

Skiouris' family has owned Open Kitchen for nearly 70 years and has witnessed the change.

"We now have businesses from the neighborhoods and people that live here which is great," said Skiouris.

A new 280-unit residential development will be voted on next month. If approved it would sit behind Pinky's restaurant.

"You have to strike that balance. SouthEnd is like you have these apartment complexes everywhere. It is like a jungle of apartment complexes. We do not want to exactly see that happen over here," said Quinn.

Up the road, in Enderly Park a new coffee shop just opened.

"About a month ago opened this brick and mortar. We built here, this is our neighborhood, this is where we should be," said Tony Santoro, the owner of Enderly Coffee.

Santoro's business sits of Tuckaseegee Road, currently surrounded by older businesses and buildings.

"I see people hanging out all across Tuckaseegee road. This will hopefully be another option where people will find comfort," said Santoro. "There are a lot of positives to development, but just making sure that certain demographics of people are not taken advantage of in the process."

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