Developer plans to demolish and rebuild historic Charlotte club

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A historic place in Charlotte is getting new life. A developer is tearing down the Excelsior Club on Beatties Ford Road to rebuild it. Developer Shawn Kennedy plans to tear down the existing building and recreate it with a modern twist.

“It is the most important to honor the legacy and the history of The Excelsior, but the building we’re going to do is actually make it sustainable for the future,” Shawn Kennedy said.

Renderings for the club show a rooftop terrace with an art deco feel. It will be a museum, meeting place and restaurant all-in-one.

“Believe it or not, on the West End corridor, Beatties Ford Road, there’s nowhere after 5pm we can even sit down and have dinner. So we’re going to add that element to Beatties Ford Road,” Kennedy said.

This is an $8.3 million dollar project. The city and county invested $1.5 million dollars each. Kennedy says he and his partners raised the rest.

“When the city and the county got involved, that showed the business community and the financial community that this project could be done,” Shawn Kennedy, developer said.

After seeing the building empty and falling apart for more than a decade many community members say they’re ready to see its new life.

“I’m really excited to see what Excelsior is going to do with regard to keeping true to the roots of the community,” Rose Jones-Edwards said.

Many community members believe the new spot could elevate the entire corridor.

“With the new idea, you know, it’s got to be a better place, you know, that’s all I want, Beatties Ford to be a better place,” Larry Mackin said.

Kennedy says he is applying for a demolition permit and the building should be knocked down before the end of the summer. He says the goal is to open the Excelsior Club by early 2028.

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