The aging, dilapidated white office buildings on the corner of Idlewild and Monroe have been replaced by a mountain of dirt – clearly something’s finally happening on that corner. Suncap Property Group and Selwyn Property Group have announced a major redevelopment, bringing up to 80,000 square feet of mixed use commercial including an anchor grocery store, coffee shop, gas station and other retail space.
MoRA (rhymes with Laura) has been working with the developers over the past year for a plan that is more pedestrian and bike friendly, uses higher end materials, includes public art, greenspace, and serves the neighborhood. This highly visible corner intersects two of the longest roads in the city. Approaching from Independence Boulevard, in fact, this intersection is considered the gateway to the MoRA community.
With this gateway in mind, the new development will be named MoRA Point.
“MoRA (Monroe Road Advocates) is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that was formed primarily to create an identity and improve neighborhood services for this important area of Charlotte. MoRA’s mission is to bring art and people together, to attract businesses and amenities, and to be a voice for the community,” said Monroe Road Advocates head chair Kathy Hill. “This pivotal project provides needed shopping for neighbors, and helps gives a name to the area between Oakhurst and Matthews.”
“We are bringing neighborhood retail back to a fast-changing and underserved area with dense population,” said Jensie Teague, Selwyn Property Group Partner spearheading the development. “This site’s visibility and access to Monroe, Idlewild, Long and Independence at the newly completed Idlewild interchange, will allow for a new retail node with unique access that does not exist anywhere else along Independence or Monroe,” added Teague.
“It is great to be a part of bringing a transformative development like this to Charlotte,” said Senior Vice President, Paxton Hollar. “SunCap is excited about the opportunity to bring our fifth project to Charlotte and to continue to diversify our portfolio into retail.”
The Monroe Road Advocates will continue working with developers to ensure MoRA Point is a great fit for the neighborhood. New tenants, future plans, and renderings will be announced soon. The group is excited to lend their name for the new project that illustrates the positive changes happening in southeast Charlotte.
