Camp North End has added to its growing list of office tenants.

Software startup Mentra, a hiring platform that helps neurodivergents find successful career paths, signed a five-year lease for 2,463 square feet at 201 Camp Road in Camp North End's Mount District.

The startup was co-founded in 2019 by Jillikah Kumar and Conner Reinhardt while they were students at Georgia Tech. They moved the company to Charlotte after graduating in 2020, and the 10-person team worked from Kumar's home until moving into the office last week.

Kumar said the two-floor office was designed with open space for collaboration, conference rooms and private areas for phone calls that resemble phone booths. It also has casual common areas. It's decorated with plants as well as quotes and poetry on the walls, including some written by Kumar's non-speaking, autistic brother, Vikram.

“As a neurodiverse team ourselves, we’re building a neuroinclusive culture that allows us to tap into our cognitive strengths while being in a supportive workplace environment,” she said. "We want it to be a cutting-edge, novel space where we can show what the future of work could look like if every employee has the support they need to thrive."

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If a getaway to nowhere has been calling your name, Room Service at Camp North End might be serving up a Charlotte staycation idea on a platter.

The cocktail and small bites lounge will open on Nov. 14, pledging a boutique hotel experience — just, without the hotel.

Owner Rachel Hopkins, who is also the co-owner of Camp North End’s Black Moth Bars, seeks to combine the welcoming ambiance of a hotel with a mid-century modern aesthetic. While you’re there, you’ll be ordering up new items to try, à la room service, of course.

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Soul Miner’s Garden is adding a brick-and-mortar location at Camp North End.

The 385-square-foot vegan food stall will celebrate its grand opening Nov. 3-5 before launching regular hours next week, says Sasha Quinn, owner and chef. It will be in the former Plant Joy space, sandwiched between Bleu Barn Bistro and Saru.

For Quinn, the Camp North End location fits the brand’s continued growth.

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Tipsy Pickle is set to join Charlotte’s pickleball scene next year. Entrepreneurs Mike Salzarulo and Tanner Brooks recently signed a lease for 35,000 square feet — including indoor and outdoor space — in the heart of Camp North End.

The duo’s “pickleball eatertainment” venue is set to open by next August. Think food, drinks and fun at an affordable price, Salzarulo says.

“We love what pickleball brings to any occasion — recreation, friendly competition and something to socialize around. But we’re not taking it too seriously,” Salzarulo says. “Anybody — at any level — can come in and have a great time.”

Tipsy Pickle combines the pair’s shared passion for hospitality and bringing people together. Salzarulo also is one of the owners of Protagonist Brewing.

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An abandoned railroad track could bring new life through Camp North End.

Norfolk Southern recently proposed a transaction to build a commuter rail connecting Charlotte to Mooresville.

The “Red Line” would run directly through Camp North End. Developers and business owners say the line would offer direct access to the shops, offices and restaurants at the location and boost jobs.

“It would help this area but it would the city as a whole, just building out our transit network in Charlotte is just so important for the growth of our city and ensuring we can row in a responsible way,” said Tommy Mann, Camp North End’s development director.

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Soon, Camp North End fans will have a little more music in their lives — Hardy Boys Records is opening its first independent location at the adaptive reuse complex in October. If you’re into records, then you might have seen this coming. Our recent CharlotteFive guide to independent record stores mentioned Camp North End was a possibility for Hardy Boys’ newest location.

“We’ve always dreamt of having our own dedicated store, where music enthusiasts can gather, peruse, share stories and just enjoy each other’s company,” Hardy Boys Records owner Dean Hardy said. “Our family has been coming to Camp North End for a long time, and we’re convinced that the dynamic atmosphere here, where people simply want to spend time, makes it the perfect place for us to plant permanent roots in the community.”

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A joint venture is looking for an equity partner to build a retail property near Austin without debt. Corner on Main, a planned 48,000-sf neighborhood center in the fast-growing suburb of Buda, is expected to cost $20 mil- lion to $25 million. The partnership, between Atco Properties & Management of New York and Austin-based CLD Realty, wants to fund that entirely with equity to avoid the volatile capital markets. Hodges Ward Elliott has the assignment.

Construction projects rarely are fully funded with equity, but the sales pitch for Corner on Main is that the approach is justified by the outsize returns investors can achieve building necessity retail in a booming suburb. That's particularly true as lenders continue to crimp their allocations for commercial real estate amid a broader market drop in property valuations.

The pitch highlights the strength of Buda, which has seen its population grow 121% since 2010, outpacing surrounding Hays County and the Austin metropolitan area, which grew 36% over that period. Multi-tenant retail properties in the Buda submarket are 100% leased.

Corner on Main, slated to comprise seven buildings, is about one-third preleased. It's at 2260 Main Street, at the corner of Fire Cracker Drive and near Interstate 35. The property is adjacent to Sunfield, a 2,700-acre master-planned community projected to have some 15,000 residents once completed. Average household income within a mile of the project is more than $132,000.

Downtown Austin is 13 miles north.

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Work on Camp North End's first apartment community is underway.

Kinship is a two-building, 240,390-square-foot project that will bring 301 units to the Atco Properties & Management's adaptive-reuse development in the city's North End. Damon Hemmerdinger, co-president of Atco Properties, said multifamily development was always part of the plan for Camp North End.

"We’re trying to create an environment that is active and dynamic all the time, and residents are always an important component of that," he said. "Bringing them onto the site itself is a way to make sure there is vitality for the retail business on site and provide another housing choice for folks living in Charlotte."

Kinship, located at 110 and 115 Razades Way, is slated to deliver in early 2025. The project cost was not available. Hemmerdinger said the plan is to eventually develop up to 1,800 total units on the site.

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Garrett Tichy and Jessica Berresse’s first date included taste-testing an ice cream flight — complete with an option created by Tichy.

Now, the couple is set to open their own ice cream shop, called Seemingly Overzealous. That 700-square-foot venture opens on May 20 at Camp North End. It’s located at 701 Keswick Ave., Suite 102.

It all started when the duo met via Instagram during the pandemic. Tichy had turned to baking and making ice cream to fill his time; Berresse offered to be a taste-tester. Their relationship stuck — and so did the ice cream, with a focus on making it approachable to all. They called on friends to become taste-testers before turning to online sales.

Seemingly Overzealous is focused on high-quality, dairy-free options. Expect standard flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate chip, as well as creative combinations like strawberry pretzel crunch, banana pancake, peanut butter & jelly, Earl Grey and toasted coconut and almond, in the opening lineup. Flavors will rotate monthly.

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Charlotte tech firm Kingsmen Software has officially moved into its upgraded headquarters space at Camp North North End. 

The software-development company opened its 16,000-square-foot office at 1801 N. Graham St., Suite 310. Founded a decade ago, Kingsmen innovates custom software products for various customers across the financial services, fintech and health-care markets.

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