Three development teams have been shortlisted in the city's search for a master developer at the ambitious Gateway Station project in uptown.
The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Gateway Steering Committee said Wednesday that they have selected Charlotte Gateway Partners LLC, a joint venture between Republic, a developer based in Washington, D.C., and Charlotte-based The Spectrum Cos.; Chapel Hill-based developer East West Partners; and Hoffman & Associates, a real estate developer also out of D.C., as finalists. The Gateway Station project involves building a multimodal transit station as well as mixed-use development on surrounding blocks.
A request to the Charlotte Area Transit System for copies of the proposals submitted by the teams was not immediately fulfilled on Wednesday.
Four responses to the city's request for proposals were received by Sept. 17, the project's deadline. The team not selected was Columbia, South Carolina-based Southeastern Real Estate Group.
The finalist groups must now respond to another RFP in late 2019, CATS says.
The Gateway site includes two "main blocks," bounded by West Third, West Trade and South Graham streets and the Norfolk Southern Railway mainline, that's about 5.8 acres. Those blocks will be home to the Amtrak station, the Lynx Silver Line platform, the CityLynx Gold Line streetcar platform and bus service.
The remaining land is owned by the N.C. Department of Transportation and includes 8.1 acres across three sites: one bounded by West Trade Street, West Fifth Street, Wilkes Place and the rail line, then two contiguous blocks bounded by West Sixth, North Smith and West Ninth streets and the rail line. The value of all Gateway blocks is about $94.4 million, according to the RFQ.
"As construction continues on the rail infrastructure of the station, we are excited to take another step in finding the right partner to build out the district," said David Howard, NCDOT chief deputy secretary, in a statement. "The Charlotte Gateway Steering Committee and its members are committed to finding the best team to create a development that serves as a new center of gravity for the region."
Tracy Dodson, assistant city manager who is chairing the steering committee, said in a statement that the Gateway District will be one of the city's "signature spaces" and will change the energy of Charlotte.
"The right developer must not only be a great partner, but grasp our ambitions for this project and reflect Charlotte’s character, charm and future with an innovative development plan," Dodson said.
CATS broke ground last summer on Gateway's infrastructure portion, which includes 2,000 feet of rail track, signals, five new bridges and a boarding platform. That work is expected to wrap up in 2022.
The request for qualifications submitted this summer sought a number of items for the development, including a 12,000-square-foot local and express bus facility, a 27,000-square-foot Amtrak station, "aesthetic enhancements" like lighting under the new bridges, at least 40 affordable-housing units, and a multi-use path that provides connectivity and includes retail space.