Centrum, Sorelle Dilworth Megaproject Includes Apartments

Centrum Realty & Development and Sorelle Capital are moving ahead with a major mixed-use project in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood, filing plans that outline a dense multifamily and hospitality development spanning an entire city block.

The joint venture submitted a development construction plan in late January covering 1.8 acres at 1901 and 1909 South Boulevard and 216 East Worthington Avenue. The Charlotte Business Journal reported that the filing calls for a 422-unit apartment development alongside a hotel, parking structure and restaurant and bar space.

Larry Powers, managing partner at Chicago-based Centrum, told the outlet that more details about the project will emerge as the development moves forward, but the plan filing addresses elements such as site layout, grading, erosion control and utility infrastructure.

Powers previously said it would stretch across a full block between South Boulevard and Cleveland Avenue. Centrum assembled the parcels between 2021 and 2023 through a series of acquisitions totaling more than $16 million, including $8.3 million for a roughly 1.2-acre property on Worthington Avenue, $4 million for a parcel on South Boulevard and another $4.5 million for an adjacent tract.

The first phase of the project is expected to be a 130-room boutique hotel on roughly 1.1 acres at the corner of Cleveland and East Worthington avenues. Centrum and Sorelle have not disclosed the hotel brand, but said they are pursuing a “highly regarded” restaurant operator to anchor the property’s food-and-beverage offerings, including a restaurant and lobby bar.

The development cleared a major hurdle earlier this year when the Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning request that changed the Worthington Avenue site to its regional activity center designation, allowing greater density and mixed-use flexibility.

The Dilworth project is part of a broader push by the developers to assemble and reposition sites across Charlotte’s urban core. Over the past five years, the partnership has targeted high-profile parcels in South End, Dilworth and Elizabeth .as the city’s growth has accelerated around transit and walkable neighborhoods, according to the publication.

The first project from the partnership to break ground locally was an $85 million multifamily building at 1801 East Seventh Street in Elizabeth, the outlet reported. The six-story development, now under construction, will include 161 apartments, ground-floor retail and extensive amenities including a rooftop lounge, pool deck and courtyard.

Last year the firms paid $6.1 million for a 1.1-acre site on East Boulevard in Dilworth that could accommodate up to 20,000 square feet of retail or office space. They also control a 1.6-acre site near South End’s New Bern Lynx Blue Line station, where they are considering either adaptive reuse or a ground-up redevelopment. — Eric Weilbacher