APARTMENT FINDER

Brookhill Village, a low-income community in bustling South End, would be developed into a mixed-income community according to a proposal by Tom Hendrickson of Zebulon, who bought the land lease.

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Brookhill Village may yet get a new lease on life.

South Tryon Community Development Corp. has bought the land lease to the low-income housing community in bustling South End for $792,000 with the intent to rebuild Brookhill as a mixed-income neighborhood. Developer Tom Hendrickson of Zebulon, who closed on the leasehold rights, is collaborating with community stakeholders that include South Tryon Community Development Corporation. An affiliate of Lookout Ventures Inc. will develop the 36-acre property and Brookhill Land Lease Ventures is the leasehold tenant. Hendrickson owns both companies.

The South Tryon Community Development Corporation and adjacent South Tryon Community United Methodist Church will help with community outreach and resident support.

“The redevelopment of Brookhill Village represents a truly unique opportunity to both preserve housing for those in the 30% [area median income] range, and to build new workforce housing in the 30-60-80% AMI range,” Hendrickson said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing this vision with community leaders and to working with them to find resources that will honor the legacy of Brookhill Village and keep the positive momentum going in Charlotte’s South End,” said Hendrickson.

New Brookhill will commit to affordable housing and adheres to previous agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which in 2016 began the process of seizing property due to alleged drug activity, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. The proposed project will meet the development guidelines of Local Initiatives Support Corporation guidelines, Freddie Mac’s Forward Permanent Loan Program and settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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“The issues that have clouded Brookhill Village for years are gone,” Hendrickson said. “New Brookhill is an exciting half-affordable/half-market rate mixed income community that should be a case study on how to redevelop an area by providing quality housing without ignoring its history and displacing its residents. Now it depends on the Charlotte community joining us to find the resources to bring New Brookhill to reality.”

McKinnon, who is senior pastor at South Tryon Community United Methodist Church and president of its community development corporation, said the project will benefit residents of the community, which was originally developed in 1950.

“For two years, we have worked hard with Tom and his team to address complicated issues surrounding Brookhill Village,” said McKinnon, who has been the church’s pastor since 2016. “I’m proud that we have accomplished this, closed a very difficult transaction, and are ready to move forward. New Brookhill represents true collaboration with community partners who care about the people, history and legacy of Brookhill Village. Now with support and financial resources from the greater Charlotte community, we can prove that Brookhill matters in the future of this entire community.”

New Brookhill would include 324 multi-family apartments with three-story flats and two-story townhomes on 15.5 acres. Sixty-five units would be available to renters at 30% of median income, 97 at 60%, two at 80%, and the remainder at market rates. The community, which will be built in phases to prevent resident displacement and relocation, would also include an office, community center, computer center, laundry facility, pool, pool house and recreation center. 

Demolition and construction will begin in an area where no buildings are occupied and roll through the project in phases.  Current residents in units to be demolished will be given priority application to move directly into new housing for which they qualify.  

“New Brookhill will prove that we can walk the walk and not just talk the talk that ‘Brookhill Matters’ for Charlotteans from a wide spectrum of incomes and backgrounds,” Hendrickson said. “Affordable housing is a community priority in Charlotte and our proposal for this historic area prioritizes current residents for affordable housing opportunities.  Now, we are hopeful that the Charlotte community will step up as partners in this effort with funding resources to make this vision a reality.”

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