Birkdale Village’s new owner linked to iconic U.S. buildings, invests in its properties

Birkdale Village in Huntersville’s new owner following its $20 million transformation has ties to some of the most iconic properties in the country and one in Charlotte.

Atlanta-based Jamestown is acquiring the Atlanta subsidiary of North American Properties , which owns the mixed-used development, the companies said last week. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

Jamestown’s projects have included some of the most iconic buildings in the U.S. They include One Times Square where the New Year’s Eve ball drops in New York City, the historic San Francisco landmark at 400 Post St. in Union Square and Ponce City Market in Atlanta.

Jamestown also is a joint owner of two North Carolina properties: Optimist Hall in Charlotte and the mixed-use development Raleigh Iron Works.

The Birkdale redevelopment is assured to continue as planned, Tim Perry, managing partner of NAP’s Atlanta subsidiary said Friday in a email to The Charlotte Observer. Perry will be Jamestown’s managing director and co-chief investment officer.

No layoffs are expected for the Cincinnati-based NAP, which has more than 200 employees, according to Jamestown, a privately-held global $11.7 billion real estate investment and management agency.

Expect to see the same NAP employees “operating the property as usual,” Perry said. “The only difference will be the name on our business cards.”

More about Jamestown

The real estate firm Jamestown was founded with 10 employees in 1983 by German investor Christoph Kahl, according to the company.

Jamestown now owns some of the largest landmark buildings in the U.S., according to the company’s website, including:

▪ The iconic 25-story, 363-foot-high One Times Square in Manhattan was acquired from Lehman Brothers for $110 million. The billboard-lined building where the New Year’s Eve ball drops is undergoing a massive transformation that includes a new observation deck, curtain wall and immersive experiences, according to The Architects Newspaper. The ball itself had a makeover last year.

▪ Former Sears, Roebuck and Co. building in Atlanta. Jamestown created Ponce City Market , a mixed-use development with a food hall, office, retail and apartments.

▪ Ghirardelli Square , a landmark in San Francisco and former headquarters of Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.

Some of Jamestown’s property investments

Jamestown is known for investing in its properties.

The company invested $790 million in Chelsea Market in New York City before selling it in 2018 to Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc.

Since acquiring The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in 2019, Jamestown has been transforming the 300,000 square feet of retail, office buildings, and two luxury apartments. Now called The Buckhead Village District , nearly all of the 70 stores are open and an outdoor space used for festivals and gatherings and a dog park have been added, according to Hirsh Real Estate Group .

And in North Carolina, Jamestown’s has addressed changes at its properties.

In Charlotte, Optimist Hall opened in August 2019, transforming the former turn-of-the-century textile mill between uptown and NoDa into the city’s first food hall. Two years ago, opinions were mixed when Optimist Hall partnered with LAZ Parking to transition to paid parking . Jamestown has been a partner since 2020 with White Point Partners, which developed the property and manages daily operations, Jamestown spokeswoman Lisa Serbaniewicz said.

In Raleigh, Jamestown and Grubb Ventures are working with the city to devise a plan to make the busy intersection near Iron Works area pedestrian-safe , News & Observer reported last month. The area is filling up with restaurants, retail and residences that includes nearby Dock 1053 and Salvage Yard developments.

About Birkd ale Village

Birkdale Village has been undergoing a major transformation over the past four years when North American Properties acquired the mixed-used development.

Birkdale Village was one of the first of its kind in the Charlotte area when it was built in 2003 by Charlotte development firms Crosland and Pappas Properties. The 250,000-square-foot complex has 60 retail stores and restaurants , a 16-screen movie theater, 320 apartments and 50,000 square feet of offices.

North American Properties’ re-imagined the 52-acre property as an entertainment destination with the addition of an outdoor stage, greenspace and retail kiosks.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate company and manages more than $7 billion in properties across U.S. It’s Atlanta subsidiary was founded in 1996 and has $2 billion in assets, including Birkdale Village. Other properties and services are in Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida and New York.

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