Atrium Health says it is finally closing in on the affordable housing commitments tied to The Pearl, the high-profile medical innovation district rising near Uptown Charlotte. Executive Vice President Collin Lane told reporters Thursday that Atrium plans to transfer a 14-acre parcel on North Tryon Street to the city’s housing authority and that roughly 5 percent of units in a planned residential tower, about 19 apartments, would be reserved for low-income households. The update comes after months of public scrutiny over whether the health system followed through on promises made while seeking $75 million in local tax incentives.
As reported by WFAE, Lane said the land transfer to the housing authority should be completed "in the next couple of weeks" and that Atrium is working with a private developer on the planned apartments. WFAE also noted that Atrium did not give any timeline for when the affordable units might actually open and that an Atrium spokesperson declined to answer additional questions. Lane pushed back on what he described as "inaccurate" coverage of the housing plans.
A 2025 investigation by North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger found that the contracts and slide decks Atrium used while lobbying for incentives did not legally require affordable housing in Phase I. The reporting also showed that some subsidized apartments could be set aside for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income and that the touted 14-acre donation had been folded into a proposed land swap with the city and the housing authority instead of functioning as an outright gift.
Developer Plan
City filings described by The Charlotte Ledger outline a 20-story residential tower at The Pearl, called ANOVA. Developers say the project would include ground-floor retail and luxury amenities while hitting the 5 percent affordable housing target. They told The Charlotte Ledger they plan to mix the subsidized apartments throughout the building so they look the same as market-rate units, a design choice they argue will keep residents in affordable homes fully connected to the building and neighborhood amenities.
Atrium's Response And Local Reaction
On The Pearl’s FAQ page, Atrium notes that the site was deed restricted to require future development to include affordable or workforce housing and points out that the district held its grand opening in June 2025. North Carolina Health News reports that local advocacy groups, including Redress Charlotte, argue the numbers still fall far short of what is needed to address the damage done to the historic Brooklyn neighborhood. Greg Jarrell called the 5 percent affordable set-aside "quite disappointing."
What’s Next
Lane did not offer any construction schedule beyond saying the land transfer should wrap up soon, so the timeline now hinges on completing that deal along with zoning and developer approvals. Inlivian, the city’s housing authority, would play a central role in subsidizing and managing any units on the 14-acre site and in administering project-based vouchers if the arrangement moves forward, according to Inlivian materials and the plans currently under discussion.
