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Charlotte Talks: Growth And Development Shape Funky Plaza Midwood

Charlotte Observer / Jeff Siner
The Thirsty Beaver on Central Ave. surrounded by apartment construction.

Monday, May 8, 2017

What happens when mega development moves into the neighborhood? We head to Plaza Midwood where a tiny bar has become the poster child for rapid growth in an old neighborhood.

As growth and development continues to shape Charlotte, some of the city’s longtime neighborhoods are seeing big changes.

One striking example sits on Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood, where a tiny, hole-in-the-wall bar is dwarfed by surrounding apartment construction. The Thirsty Beaver has become the poster child for what happens when mega development mixes with funky neighborhood charm.

The booming growth of the area has residents and business owners wondering how to preserve the character that made the neighborhood popular in the first place. 

Next in our Block by Block series, guest host Sarah Delia explores Plaza Midwood with some of the people who know it best.

Guests

Ely Portillo - Reporter for the Charlotte Observer

Mark Wilson - Owner of the Thirsty Beaver Saloon

Blake Barnes - Owner of the Common Market

Warren Stiles - Owner of Midwood Country Club

To read and listen to more reports about how Charlotte area neighborhoods are changing, visit our Block by Block archive.

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Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE's Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. She's a native Charlottean.