Development is ramping up in a previously quiet pocket near NoDa and the Sugar Creek station, with the latest groundbreaking on an upscale apartment building.

Driving the news: Earlier this month, construction began on the next phase of a 12-acre mixed-use development called “The Pass,” which will flow below the Sugar Creek overpass and eventually encompass 260,000 square feet of commercial space.

Why it matters: “The Pass” is one of several transformative developments across the light rail tracks, in an area near NoDa that for years has gone largely unused. These days, plenty of planning and early construction is ongoing in the area.

• “The Pass” is within walking distance to Flywheel Group’s newly opened Independent Picture House and close to the shuttered Asian Corner Mall, which Charlotte developer Beauxwright is expected to turn into a mixed-use development with apartments and offices.

Details: Third & Urban, the Atlanta developer behind the Lower Tuck office and retail complex in west Charlotte, announced this week it recently broke ground on “The Residences at The Pass,” a 335-unit upscale apartment building with a mix of studios, one- and two-bedrooms.

• Amenities include a club room, work lounge and cafe, and a rooftop terrace overlooking a courtyard and pool deck.
• The first residents are expected to move in by the summer 2025.
• Third & Urban secured $64.5 million in construction financing for the project.

Context: Construction is well underway on “Pass41,” the first phase of The Pass. It will include 80,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and office space.

• In a much anticipated announcement, the owners of Soul Gastrolounge announced last month the beloved restaurant will reopen as one of the first tenants at The Pass this fall, giving further notability to the development.

[Go deeper: Beloved Soul Gastrolounge will open in new location near NoDa]

The big picture: The development repurposes a warehouse and incorporates new buildings “to create a walkable retail district” along Raleigh Street, per the developer. It will feature outdoor gathering spaces, including a pocket park underneath the overpass. It also connects to the Cross Charlotte Trail and light rail.

Address: 530 East Sugar Creek, 4100 and 4212 Raleigh St.