Charlotte mixed-use community unveils plans for food and retail hall
Savona Mill, a 27-acre re-use community in Charlotte’s West End District will soon have a retail and dining complement.
Portman has announced plans for creating the Savona Food Works, a 30,000-sq.-ft. food and retail center, within a 105-year-old former textile mill. To be operated by food hall creator Robert Montwaid, it will deliver a mix of local culinary talent and retail concepts.
The space will feature some 25 food stalls alongside a full-service restaurant and bar, coffee shop, flower market, and rooftop bar as well as indoor-outdoor seating and event spaces.
The eclectic food and beverage experience will be located in the old mill’s “Weave” building.
“Well-executed food halls have the ability to become true community gathering places that reflect the culture and energy of the neighborhoods that surround them,” said Montwaid. “Savona Food Works will bring together local chefs, makers and entrepreneurs in an authentic and historic setting that people can enjoy throughout the day and into the evening.”
Montwaid is best known for the Gansevoort Market in the Meatpacking District of New York City; Chattahoochee Food Works, a 25,000-sq.-ft. food hall at The Works in Atlanta’s Upper Westside; and CTR Food Works, a 24,000-sq.-ft. food hall at The CTR, the former CNN Center in downtown Atlanta.
“Robert is a veteran in the food hall industry and one of the best operators in the country," said Dotan Zuckerman, head of retail development for Portman. “We believe that great F&B and activated spaces are the true anchors of a mixed-use community and we look forward to partnering with Robert to curate unique and local concepts for Savona Food Works.”
Portman converted most of the old mill into 200,000 square feet of creative office space. The property also includes 319 multifamily units, with a second phase of residential expected to break ground next year.
Located just 10 minutes from Uptown Charlotte and the city’s central business district, Savona Mill sits adjacent to the expanded Stewart Creek Greenway, a pedestrian trail that connects to the LYNX Light Rail and Blue Line Rail Trail.
