Another piece of Charlotte’s history could soon disappear as a century-old Uptown landmark faces demolition to make way for a new data center, reigniting concerns about the city’s rapidly vanishing historic buildings.
The Court Arcade, located on Trade Street, has stood since the 1920s. It once housed attorneys’ offices above ground-floor retail, making it one of Charlotte’s earliest mixed-use developments.
Digital Realty, a major player in the data infrastructure space, purchased the property at 725 E. Trade Street—home to the historic Court Arcade Building—and an adjacent parcel for $16 million. The project will expand their existing data center footprint at 113 North Myers Street.
After nearly a year of fighting, preservation advocates are now hoping that at least part of the building can still be saved. According to Mecklenburg County’s Historic Landmarks Department, Digital Realty has committed to preserving the building’s front façade as part of the redevelopment.
The project highlights the ongoing tension between preserving Charlotte’s historic landmarks and meeting the growing demand for modern infrastructure. If demolition proceeds, another piece of Uptown’s architectural history will be lost to redevelopment.
