Rendering of new buildings in Birkdale as seen from Sam Furr

Oct. 18. By Dave Yochum. If you think of Birkdale Village as you would a house, the 20-year-old property needed a renovation. That’s complete, but now there are plans for major remodeling and expansion.

North American Properties (NAP), which purchased the mixed-use center in Charlotte with the intention of creating an entirely new experience, celebrated the renovation with parties and special events last week as a means of reintroducing itself to the public.

Background

Birkdale Village originally opened in 2003, but in the meantime retail has changed dramatically with online being part of the brick-and-mortar mix. Anchor Pier 1 imports filed Chapter 11 in 2020 and closed its doors.

“Nostalgia doesn’t pay rent,” said Tim Perry, managing partner of North American Properties.

Details

NAP will show plans for the major expansion at a meeting Oct. 24 in the clubhouse for Birkdale residents. The Planning Board will take up Birkdale at the Oct. 25 meeting which starts at 6 pm.

Birkdale plans include:

—A complete revamp of parking, with two new parking decks that will be taller than the existing apartments

LKN Economic Development shared this sketch of a possible hotel in Birkdale Village

—Barnes & Noble would make way for a 125-room hotel

—350 new multifamily units

—Dick’s Sporting Goods would eventually be razed

—150,000 square feet of new office space

“Power centers are no longer relevant,” Perry explained.

Economic impact

The just-completed renovation was worth on the order of $20 million. The remodeling and expansion will be valued at around $275 million.

Ultimately, the expansion plans will go before the Huntersville Town Board for approval.