Trammell Crow will lead development of the first phase of the massive Iron District development

Charlotte Pipe named Trammell Crow Company as the lead developer of the first phase of the Iron District , a prominent 55.5-acre property bridging Uptown with South End. The highly anticipated development's initial phase includes a hotel, apartments, retail and office space.

Why it matters: Sprawling tracts of undeveloped land in highly desirable locations are increasingly hard to come by in a fast-growing city like Charlotte.

• For years, speculation swirled that the property could ultimately house a new NFL stadium for the Panthers.

Context: Trammell Crow, a Dallas firm, will oversee "master planning of the overall site and serve as lead developer for the northernmost 12 acres along Morehead Street," Charlotte Pipe said in a statement Thursday.

• "What's unique about this project is that there is one owner of 55 acres of contiguous urban land, so we can really be intentional about how we design and plan for the Iron District," Charlotte Pipe spokesperson Brad Muller told Axios.
• Charlotte Pipe plans to retain ownership of the Iron District site for the foreseeable future, he added.

What to expect: The first phase of the multi-phase project envisions:

• A 150-room hotel
• 500 residential units
• 100,000 square feet of retail space
• 150,000 square feet of Class A office space
• More than 1,200 parking spaces

Between the lines: Iron District LLC also will donate approximately 4 acres for the development of a light rail stop for the eventual Silver Line to serve the Iron District and Bank of America Stadium.

Timeline: Construction on the first phase is expected to begin next year, and it'll take two years to complete, Muller said.

• Other partners in the development include LandDesign, Of Place and S9Architecture, the firm that designed and planned Camp North End as well as Ponce City Market in Atlanta, CBJ reported .
• A representative from Trammell Crow could not immediately be reached for comment.

Flashback: Charlotte Pipe, one of the region's oldest manufacturers, melded scrap metal into pipe at its old Iron District facility on Clarkson Street off Morehead from early 1900s until last year, when the family-run company relocated operations to Stanly County.

• In 2021, city council approved a mixed-use zoning district for the site, allowing for a range of outcomes. Charlotte Pipe engaged CBRE to start marketing the property last year.

The latest: The Iron District's first tenant, Blumenthal Arts' Blume Studios, converted a former Charlotte Pipe warehouse into an immersive art space for experiential programming.

• It'll host NASA-inspired "Space Explorers: The Infinite," beginning Sept. 20.

What they're saying: "Trammell Crow Company is extremely good at what they do, connecting developments with the communities around them," Charlotte Pipe CEO Hooper Hardison said in a statement. "We know TCC is the right developer to help us achieve our Iron District vision."

Zoom out: The Panthers this year outlined plans for an $800 million overhaul of Bank of America Stadium , meaning the team isn't immediately pursuing a brand-new facility.

• "We don't anticipate having an NFL stadium as part of the Iron District. Never say never but that's the current thinking," Muller said.