First Ward
Wander through First Ward neighborhood in the early morning hours and you will see a steady stream of office workers trekking to the Center City office towers or to Reid’s for their morning cup of coffee and then to catch the LYNX light rail train. Students of all ages are on foot as well as they head to the neighborhood First Ward elementary school, Trinity Episcopal School and the new UNCC uptown campus. Hear the hum of construction activity as Levine Properties embarks on a premier mixed use development, which includes the new First Ward Park and UNCC.
Residents of this award winning neighborhood, where edgy urban condos and apartments befriend beautiful town homes and craftsman houses, enjoy easy access to growing vibrant cultural, arts and entertainment amenities. The First Ward neighborhood is bordered by bustling E. Trade Street, Tryon Street business and entertainment district, and I-277 urban loop highway, but it’s the beautiful garden district and parks that anchor this truly mixed income community of more than 1,000 residents.
Development:
With the recent additions of Imaginon and the Time Warner Cable Arena and planned restoration of the Carolina Theater, First Ward’s future appeared to be cultural, arts and entertainment focused. However, with the new UNCC uptown campus, First Ward Elementary and Trinity Episcopal School, and both the public library and Imaginon, First Ward has also developed as a learning laboratory. Levine Properties’ development and the addition of a market street anchoring the west side of the First Ward Park, will bring much anticipated retail to the neighborhood.
History:
During Charlotte’s industrial age, First Ward provided housing to laborers, masons and mill workers. As Charlotte evolved, First Ward became one of city’s most blighted inner city neighborhoods. In 1993, The Charlotte Housing Authority received a $41.6 million Hope VI federal grant to re-develop Earle Village (a public housing project). The grant resulted in the nationally acclaimed First Ward Place, an economically viable alternative to low-income housing which combines a gleaming community of apartments with single family homes. The entire neighborhood was completely rebuilt and the success of this renaissance has spurred significant development activity.
