If you haven't been to Ballantyne in a few years, the middle of it may surprise you. The fairways of the old Ballantyne golf course are gone. In their place are an outdoor amphitheater, a creekside park, apartment buildings, restaurants and, as of October 2026, Charlotte's first Wegmans. The project behind all of it is called Ballantyne Reimagined. This explainer covers what it is, how it got approved, what's open now and what's still coming.

Ballantyne before the makeover

Ballantyne was developed on farmland beginning in the early 1990s, mainly by The Bissell Companies, and grew into a roughly 2,000-acre community in far south Charlotte with homes, a hotel, a golf course and a large corporate park. In March 2017, Northwood Investors bought Ballantyne from Bissell for $1.2 billion, which Northwood describes as the largest real estate transaction in Charlotte's history.

The office park was successful, but it went quiet after 5 p.m. According to Northwood Office, the 535-acre corporate campus had more than 4 million square feet of office space and about 17,000 employees before the pandemic. Its old zoning allowed retail only on the ground floors of office buildings and didn't allow apartments at all. Northwood's plan was to change that.

The 2020 rezoning

Northwood worked with the city and Mecklenburg County on a three-year rezoning process, and the rezoning was approved in June 2020. The Charlotte Ledger reported that Charlotte City Council voted 10-1 to rezone 454 acres. The approved plan, as the Ledger described it, allowed for:

  • About 2,000 apartments and 300 townhouses, including 260 affordable units for households earning 50% to 80% of the area median income.
  • About 300,000 square feet of retail and 400,000 square feet of new office space, built in two phases.
  • More than 100 acres of open space, with 3.4 miles of trails, four parks and more than 6 miles of bike lanes.

Council also agreed to put public money into roads. The Charlotte Business Journal reported that the city committed $42.5 million to the project. Northwood says it invested $111 million in infrastructure, including two new main roads and more than 20 intersection improvements, with work starting in February 2021.

The Golf Club at Ballantyne closed at the end of 2020, according to B-Man's Guide to Golf in Charlotte. In May 2021, part of the old course reopened as a public park called Ballantyne's Backyard, with cart paths turned into walking and biking trails, WBTV reported.

What's open now

Northwood says the first phase is now mostly complete, including about 600 apartments, the amphitheater, Stream Park, about 70,000 square feet of retail and a 300,000-square-foot office building. Here's what that looks like on the ground.

Stream Park

Stream Park is a public park of about six acres behind The Ballantyne hotel at 14105 Stream Way. It's open dawn to dusk and has a covered pavilion, an interactive playground, a stream and pond, hammocks and an event lawn that can be rented. Public restrooms are at Stream Park and The Amp. Stream Park and TD Amp Ballantyne opened in September 2023, according to the GoBallantyne timeline.

TD Amp Ballantyne

The Amp is an outdoor amphitheater at 11115 Upper Avenue that Northwood describes as holding 5,000 people. It hosts concerts and community events. From late November into January it becomes an outdoor ice rink. See our South Charlotte holiday events guide for this season's Ice Skating at The Bowl dates and prices.

The Bowl at Ballantyne

The Bowl is the restaurant, retail and residential center around The Amp. Tenants began opening in 2024 and 2025. When Wegmans announced its Ballantyne store, it said The Bowl's tenants would include Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, North Italia, Flower Child, Harriet's Hamburgers and Roosters. Oro Ballantyne is the apartment community at The Bowl.

Wegmans

Wegmans' Ballantyne store opened on Oct. 14, 2026, at 11550 N. Community House Road. It's a 110,000-square-foot store with about 450 employees, and it's the chain's first in the Charlotte region. Our news desk covered its record opening day.

Greenway connection

A joint Northwood and Mecklenburg County project connected Ballantyne Corporate Place to the Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway. That gives Ballantyne trail access to the Lower McAlpine, McMullen Creek and Four Mile Creek greenways and, according to GoBallantyne, more than 20 miles of paths and bike lanes.

What's next

  • More apartments. The Charlotte Observer reported on Oct. 1, 2026, that Northwood Ravin has started site work on 476 rental homes on about 37 acres off N. Community House Road near Upper Avenue and I-485, a mix of apartments, stacked units and townhomes, with amenities including a pool, fitness center and pickleball. The Observer said it could open in 2028. Northwood Ravin has also proposed converting an office building at 10840 Ballantyne Commons Parkway into apartments and building a mixed-use tower on Stream Way.
  • Road connections. The I-485 Express Lanes between I-77 and US-74 opened Feb. 28, 2026, according to NCDOT. GoBallantyne says NCDOT is building a direct connector from the Express Lanes to Johnston Road. No opening date has been announced for it.

Plans can change, and some projects are still in design. Check GoBallantyne and city rezoning records for the latest.

What it means if you live or work here

  • More to do close to home. Concerts, a park with a playground and weekend restaurants mean the corporate core now gets evening and weekend traffic.
  • More housing options. Apartments and townhomes in and around The Bowl give renters a walkable option that Ballantyne didn't have before.
  • Busier event nights. Big shows at The Amp and opening-week crowds at Wegmans can mean heavier traffic around Johnston Road and N. Community House Road. Plan around event schedules.

For the rest of the area, including housing, schools and commutes, read our Living in Ballantyne guide and our Ballantyne neighborhood page. For a comparable town guide to the east, see Living in Matthews, NC.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ballantyne Reimagined?

Ballantyne Reimagined is owner Northwood Investors' plan to turn Ballantyne's 535-acre corporate park and former golf course into a mixed-use district with homes, shops, restaurants, parks and an amphitheater. Charlotte City Council approved the rezoning in June 2020.

What is The Bowl at Ballantyne?

The Bowl is the mixed-use center of Ballantyne Reimagined, built where the old golf course was. It includes TD Amp Ballantyne, restaurants and shops, and apartments such as Oro Ballantyne. Announced tenants included Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, North Italia, Flower Child, Harriet's Hamburgers and Roosters.

Where is TD Amp Ballantyne?

The Amp is at 11115 Upper Avenue in Ballantyne, next to The Bowl. Northwood describes it as a 5,000-person amphitheater, and in winter it hosts Ice Skating at The Bowl. Public parking is in the lot next to The Amp off Ballantyne Corporate Place.

Is Stream Park free and open to the public?

Yes. Stream Park is a six-acre public park behind The Ballantyne hotel at 14105 Stream Way, open dawn to dusk. It has a covered pavilion, a playground, a stream and pond, hammocks and an event lawn.

What happened to the Ballantyne golf course?

The Golf Club at Ballantyne closed at the end of 2020, after the rezoning was approved. Much of the former course has been redeveloped as part of Ballantyne Reimagined, including Ballantyne's Backyard, Stream Park, TD Amp Ballantyne and The Bowl.

What's still being built in Ballantyne?

Northwood Ravin has started site work on a 476-unit rental community off N. Community House Road that the Charlotte Observer reported could open in 2028, and NCDOT plans a direct connector between the I-485 Express Lanes and Johnston Road. No opening date has been announced for the connector.

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