The Line is a development currently under construction composed of a 16-story office building in South End Charlotte, North Carolina, which stands at a height of The second building 2161 Hawkins is currently under construction, a 24 story apartment tower being developed by Portman Residential with 370 units along with of ground floor retail.
History
The recent history of 2151 Hawkins began in March 2000 when Shook Design Group and Whelchel & Associates Inc. purchased a previous industrial building, built in 1957. The 2.21-acre lot and the building were sold for $1.6 million. At the time of the sale it was occupied by Grice Showcase & Display Manufacturing Co.
The Shook building was initially put on the market March 6, 2018. Portman Holdings bought the plot along with the 1.5-acre plot at 2161 Hawkins for $12.7M in October 2018. At the time of the sale Shook Kelley leased the building on the lot. Shortly after the land was sold it was announced that a mixed-used building would be constructed on the 2151 Hawkins site.
The recent history of 2161 Hawkins began in October 2013 when Sycamore Brewing signed a lease for the 1.62-acre property which contained a building that was previously an auto garage. Then in September 2015 Sycamore Brewing owners Justin and Sarah Brigham purchased the property for an undisclosed price.
Office Building
The building is composed of of space. Of the 16 floors 9 are dedicated to office space for a total of of Class A office space. The building will border the rail trail in South End south of the East/West Blvd Station.
In May 2020 Portman Holdings secured a $95.6 million construction loan with PCCP, a real estate finance and investment management firm. This was the fourth construction loan PCCP has extended to Portman Holdings. PCCP was also Portman's construction lender for the building Regions 615 in Uptown Charlotte.
Sycamore Brewing is the anchor tenant of the building. Sycamore co-owner Sarah Brigham said this about the project, "We are beyond excited to be a part of this amazingly cool space. With an expansive beer garden, second-story patio, house-roasted coffee offering, and a dynamic chef-driven food and beverage program, this experience is going to be second to none in the Queen City". Sycamor features of space on 2 levels with another of space for a rooftop beer garden and outdoor area along the rail trail. The space will also include four bars. The expanded space will allow Sycamore to have live music in two locations on the rail trail and rooftop beer garden, a coffee shop that will also serve pastries and sandwiches, a taproom that is 5 times than the size of their former taproom, and an enhanced beer selection. In early October 2022 Sycamore Brewing closed its taproom next store to allow the new 2161 Hawkins apartment building to break ground. Their space in The Line opened May 31, 2023.
The building features of retail and restaurant space, mostly on the first floor. The ground floor is intended to be a gathering spot. The location of the rail trail enhances this intent since the trail stays busy with a continuous stream of bicyclists, walkers, transit riders and visitors. Foundry Commercial believes that both retail and office tenants of the building will benefit from the energy of the rail trail.
One of the other retail tenants of the first floor is Chapter 6, a restaurant by Jon Dressler, occupying in the building. Dressler is the owner of Rare Roots Hospitality the company's current restaurants in the Charlotte area include Dressler’s in midtown, The Porter’s House in south Charlotte, Fin & Fino in uptown, and Dogwood Southern Table in South Park. Chapter 6 will feature Mediterranean, Morocco, and southern Spain cuisines. Dressler expects to invest $2 million into the restaurant. Its opening date is September 20, 2023.
Another retailer that will that occupy of the retail is Savi Provisions with . It is an Atlanta based restaurant featuring locally grown gourmet and organic food. In addition to its indoor space the restaurant will have a patio. The restaurant is expected to open in late 2023.
The final retail space will be occupied by Grit Box Fitness, occupying . Grit Box focuses on high intensity kickboxing and strength training. The studio will offer 45 intensity classes. Cody Cooper, company founder said this about the studio “We are excited to deliver a fitness experience that makes working out fun and exciting. We want everyone — beginner and advanced — to walk out of every class feeling more confident and motivated to get what they want out of life”. The studio planned to open in the summer of 2022.