The Levine Museum of the New South has a new home in South End.
Why it matters: The local cultural institution operated in Uptown for decades, showcasing Charlotte’s history and acting as a community gathering hub.
- The move into Charlotte’s trendiest neighborhood marks a major new chapter for the museum, known for provocative exhibits like the one showcasing police-involved shootings nationwide following the 2016 death of Keith Lamont Scott.
Driving the news: The museum is purchasing the .57-acre Grace Covenant Church property at 1800 South Blvd. for $7.5 million, with plans to renovate the site.
- It’s at the high-profile corner of South and East boulevards near the 110 East tower and the Lynx Blue Line. The deal is expected to be completed in the coming days.
- The Charlotte Ledger first reported on the Levine Museum’s potential interest in the site last fall.
What to expect: The timeline for opening the new location is TBD. Museum leaders plan to use the space as a community hub, with exhibition galleries, event spaces, classrooms and educational areas, as well as a possible café and gift shop.
- Plans will be developed over the next year, per a museum spokesperson. These will include evaluating how to preserve the church and integrate it into the museum’s campus.
- The museum intends to continue in-person and digital programming leading up to the opening of its new location.
- The site will not include parking, but it is surrounded by street and parking garage options, plus a nearby Blue Line stop.
Flashback: The museum sold its longtime 7th Street property in 2022 for $10.75 million to a New York developer called VeLa Development Partners.
- During the transition, the museum spent two years in a temporary 6,000-square-foot location at Three Wells Fargo Center in Uptown. Its temporary home there closed in May 2025.
- Since selling the 7th Street site, the museum has also named a new CEO. Richard Cooper took over in September 2023.
Context: The Levine Museum of the New South was incorporated on April 25, 1991, staging exhibits throughout Charlotte. It later moved into its longtime 40,000 square-foot space on 7th Street in Uptown, where it spent over 20 years.
Zoom out: Museums nationwide for years have grappled with high operating costs, shifting audience preferences and other financial pressures, prompting many to rethink their real estate strategies…