by Eric Frazier (Charlotte Observer)

Some 28 cranes towered over construction sites around uptown Charlotte in 2008, but they became a rare sight as the recession ground development to a halt.

Today, the cranes are rising again in the city’s center.

Shannon Binns, head of the nonprofit advocacy group Sustain Charlotte, said more development needs to replace the many surface parking lots uptown, but it shouldn’t just be apartments.

“Ideally, the redevelopment that takes place uptown will be a mix of uses, both residential and commercial,” he said, “including retail, so that people can easily walk, bike or ride transit to their destinations instead of needing a car to meet their daily needs.”

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