University City Report (PDF) - Charlotte Chamber of Commerce

Reaping the Benefits of
A Bold Vision
It shouldn’t be hard to imagine the outskirts of
Charlotte, N.C., back in the 1960s. If you longed to
escape the urban confines of the Queen City, a
short drive would have placed you alongside the
familiar fields and pastures of the quiet, North
Carolina countryside. Northeast of the city
you would have found a typical rural setting,
another large expanse of thriving farmlands.
along with them. With countless amenities the
area has become a haven to these residents
and also a comfortable locale for the thousands
of commuters who are employed there with
companies large and small.
University City has evolved over the years.
But if you’re ever heading northeast of Charlotte,
still hoping to escape the hustle and bustle of
the big city, have no fear: you’ll still find plenty of
green space there, and that pastoral setting you’re
looking for is probably right around the corner.
Higher Learning is at the
Heart of University City
Fast-forward 50 years, and today that same
northeastern stretch of the Mecklenburg County
map has been completely transformed. The area
is still thriving, but in a new and exciting way. Half
a century ago visionaries conceived a plan to
transform those farmlands into University City, a
town located on the fringe of Charlotte that has,
over time, grown strong enough to stand on its
own merits. Identified mostly in the past by UNC
Charlotte and the University Research Park (URP),
those building blocks served as a foundation
for a surge in population that now transcends
those two institutions. Today, if University City
were separated from Charlotte, it would be the
seventh largest city in North Carolina. That’s a
fairly substantial growth rate for only 50 years of
existence.
Branching out from the intersection of W.T.
Harris Boulevard and North Tryon — the nexus
of University City — the local community has
exploded to more than 170,000 residents, and
a strong infrastructure has developed right
Obviously, University City would not be
University City without UNC Charlotte. In fact,
it’s quite possible that the town would have
an entirely different name had its centerpiece
institution not matured over the past 60 years.
Originally a small evening college center that
opened in 1946, UNC Charlotte now boasts a
student enrollment that exceeds 25,000 students.
Early on, the college went through a series
of transitions before becoming the blossoming
educational institution it is today. When the state
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University City Report