Birkdale Village has new owners again, with Texas-based real estate investment firm Hines taking over the property.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The popular Birkdale Village shopping and residential center in Huntersville has changed hands again, marking the third ownership transfer since 2024 and reigniting concerns among neighbors about controversial expansion plans.
Global real estate investment firm Hines announced it has acquired the 673,000-square-foot mixed-use property through its flagship U.S. core plus fund. The sale transfers control from a joint venture between Nuveen and Jamestown, which had pushed through a contentious rezoning plan just last year. Hines, based in Houston, Texas, has approximately $92 billion in assets across its portfolio.
“My immediate reaction is we knew this was going to happen,” Julia Kiewit, who lives near Birkdale Village and was among residents who opposed the previous owner’s expansion proposal, said.
The rezoning petition, approved by Huntersville town leaders in 2024, cleared the way for significant development including a boutique hotel, new apartments, additional office space, parking decks and expanded retail. However, construction has yet to begin under the new ownership.
Kiewit and other neighbors had argued the expansion would fundamentally alter the village’s character.
“There’s issues with parking, density, safety, but in addition was maintaining the integrity of Birkdale Village,” Kiewit said. “My concern was this is going to go from a village to a New York City skyline.”
The property currently features 255,000 square feet of retail space that is 99% leased, housing tenants including Apple, Arhaus, Kendra Scott, Lilly Pulitzer, lululemon, North Italia, Pottery Barn, Sweetgreen, Warby Parker and Williams Sonoma. The center also includes 320 apartment units above the retail space that are 97% leased, offering studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts with amenities such as a pool, fitness center and dog park.
Residents worry the approved development plans will now be implemented by an entirely different company than the one that negotiated them.
A spokesperson for Jamestown told WCNC Charlotte that “all commitments made during the rezoning are connected to the land sale and binding as part of the purchase agreement.”
Paul Zarian, managing director at Hines, said the firm is taking a measured approach.
“We agree that properties should evolve over time to meet the needs of their communities,” Zarian said. “With that said, the first step is to learn the intricacies of how Birkdale operates. Once we do that, we will have a better idea of what our customers’ and guests’ needs are, and what we can do to meet and exceed their expectations in the future.”
Conor Lalor with Newmark represented the seller in the transaction. Paul Zarian and Jesse Amundson led the acquisition on behalf of Hines.
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