Bordered by South End and Dilworth communities is a 17–acre tract of land that has received plenty of attention over the last few years. The Strawn Apartment tower and 121 cottages sit on the property and provide affordable housing for seniors and other Charlotte residents.
Because of its size and location, members of the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA), the Dilworth Community Development Association (DCDA) and other developers believe the property has greater potential. In fact, in 2008, CHA employed the prestigious Urban Land Institute (ULI) to develop a panel for deciding how to best use the Strawn site.
The resulting plan called for “rehabilitating the tower and using the rest of the tract for a mixed-use, mixed-income development with residential units and street-level retail and commercial space,” according to the Charlotte Business Journal.
The ULI panel considers the Strawn site an area long overlooked in what is otherwise a thriving, revitalized area of Charlotte.
Thus, CHA decided to request rezoning of the area in order to sell off portions to developers and bring the Strawn site into better light. City Council recently voted unanimously to oppose the rezoning and current project plans.
What are some of the concerns? According to Dilworth residents represented on the DCDA Web site, there are many. That CHA’s current plans ignore the recommendations of the ULI and increase by too much the number of units planned for the site. That the current plans don’t take into consideration affordable housing for Charlotte residents. That surrounding communities and historic districts aren’t protected by current standards.
Another vote on the rezoning requests and development plans is scheduled for September 2010, but if you’re a resident of Dilworth or surrounding neighborhoods, let your voice be heard. The DCDA and CHA welcome your opinions through their online forum, online petition, standard mail and email.
For now, the Strawn site remains and residents wait to see what the final outcome will be for this prized Charlotte property.









