Arts+ is gearing up to turn the former Plaza Presbyterian Church buildings at 2304 The Plaza in Plaza Midwood into a full-blown arts and community campus. Plans call for classrooms, a performance theater, exhibition galleries and community gathering rooms, plus an elevator and other ADA upgrades and roughly 5,000 square feet of new space. The nonprofit says the roughly 2.5-acre site sits between Plaza Midwood, NoDa, Belmont and Villa Heights and is targeting a 2027 completion.
Plans and permit
According to WhatNow, Arts+ President and Executive Director Devlin McNeil said the group filed a permit with Charlotte Water, a sign the redevelopment is moving through approvals and that local artists, nonprofits and community groups will be able to use the campus. "In addition to classrooms and performance space, the redevelopment will also include areas for exhibitions and community gatherings," McNeil said. The filing suggests the project has entered a planning phase that could clear the way for construction once fundraising is complete.
A long-sought home
Arts+ says it signed a long-term lease for the church property and has been staging classes, open studios and small events on the site as it prepares a full renovation, according to the nonprofit's project pages. The organization lists the address as 2304 The Plaza and says it plans to preserve much of the historic fabric while increasing accessibility and public use. That ongoing presence has given neighbors an early look at how the campus could function once work is finished.
Scale, funding and timeline
Queen City Nerve reported the campus includes three buildings totaling about 35,000 square feet on roughly 2.19 acres. And Tuesday Forum described the redevelopment as a roughly $16 million project, with about $10 million already raised and construction contingent on reaching a $13 million milestone, figures that will determine when a multi-year upfit can begin.
Neighborhood programming and access
Even before major construction, Arts+ has brought programming to the site, including classes, camps and an open spring festival that introduced neighbors to the campus footprint. The Charlotte Observer listed Arts+'s spring festival at 2304 The Plaza among local events and noted the nonprofit's efforts to introduce programming to neighbors. That early activity has helped build support among nearby groups that would use the campus once it is finished.
Next steps for Arts+ include clearing municipal approvals, finishing its capital campaign and beginning a three-year renovation that leaders say will preserve the site's historic buildings while opening them to regular arts programming. As the nonprofit outlines on its project page, the campus is intended to be a shared resource for artists, nonprofits and residents across Plaza Midwood and the surrounding neighborhoods.
