Charlotte City Council has approved a rezoning plan for a micro-apartment complex near the heart of the NoDa neighborhood. It calls for more than 200 units along with retail space. The council’s 9-2 vote this week came amid controversy over the project.
The small apartments typically start out at around 400 square feet. The recently approved development will join another micro-apartment already in Charlotte's South End area.
"We don't have a lot of the specifics on the sizes or the prices necessarily, but the thinking is that not everybody wants a huge apartment or can afford a huge apartment," said Tony Mecia of the Charlotte Ledger business newsletter. "So if you make them smaller, you make them a little more affordable,"
Controversy between NoDa residents and the proposed development sparked as the city works to balance the need to create more housing for its growing population and maintain the character of its historic neighborhoods.
"You have neighbors who live nearby in single-family homes that like the character of NoDa and they worry that new apartment complexes popping up all over the place is going to destroy the character of their neighborhood," Mecia said.
You can listen to the full BizWorthy conversation above. Here's a quick look at what else Mecia and WFAE's Marshall Terry covered this week:
- Some gas stations are ditching convenience stores.
- Liquor shortages persist in North Carolina with the most recent wave affecting Scotch and cognac as Raleigh plans to send more truckloads to Charlotte.
- Doctors in Charlotte make more than in other major cities, according to a report.
