The Line (development)

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The Line is a completed two-building development in Charlotte’s South End. It includes The Line, a 16-story office building standing 212 feet tall, and Linea, a 24-story apartment tower with 370 units and about 18,700 square feet of ground-floor retail. The two buildings sit on roughly 3.7 acres at 2151 Hawkins, along the Rail Trail, and are connected by a fourth-floor bridge with a shared outdoor plaza.

Development history and details:
- The project began with the purchase of an old industrial site in 2000. Portman Holdings acquired the plots in October 2018 for about $12.7 million.
- Groundbreaking for The Line occurred in fall 2019. A $95.6 million construction loan from PCCP was issued in May 2020.
- In June 2022, CBRE Investment Management bought The Line for about $206 million; at that time the building was less than 50% leased, with plans for continued leasing and growth.
- The Line’s anchor tenant is Sycamore Brewing, which expanded into the site with a large beer garden, a second-story space, coffee, and food offerings.

Tenant highlights and occupancy:
- IT staffing firm Experis signed a 23,610-square-foot lease on the 12th floor in March 2023.
- In 2023–2024, more tenants joined, including SignatureFD and Society Awards. The building’s occupancy rose to about 65% by mid-2023 and reached around 85% by late 2024.
- In 2025, Capital One announced it would occupy the entire 13th floor (34,500 square feet), bringing occupancy to roughly 95%.

Ground-floor retail:
- About 18,700 square feet of retail and restaurant space hosts Night Swim coffee, Bar One South End, True Food Kitchen, Savi Provisions, Chapter 6 by Jon Dressler, and Grit Box Fitness, among others. The design aims to create a lively gathering spot along the rail trail.

Construction and design:
- Construction started in October 2022 after Sycamore Brewing moved out, with a two-year timeline and a projected opening in late 2024.
- The Line and Linea were designed by Gensler, with Portman Holdings as the developer.

Overall, The Line and Linea together create a mixed-use corridor in South End featuring offices, apartments, ground-floor retail, and enhanced public space along the rail trail.