Regular readers of my Storied Charlotte blog might remember a post that I wrote in December 2024 in which I announced that Charllotte Lit had found a new and permanent home. As I mentioned in that post, Charlotte Lit had just signed a lease for a large, open studio space in the Ascend Nonprofit Center located in Uptown Charlotte. In that post, I quoted Paul Reali who explained that they were in the process of designing the space and raising funds to pay for the construction of the interior renovations. Well, after months of planning and fundraising, the construction of Charlotte Lit’s new home is now underway. I contacted Kathie Collins and Paul Reali, the co-founders of Charlotte Lit, and asked for an update. Here is what they sent to me:
Mark, we have great news: construction has begun on Charlotte Lit’s new home.
We will remain forever grateful for the former Midwood International and Cultural Center space in which Charlotte Lit was born and nurtured during its first seven years of programming and for the following two-year temporary headquarters at hygge coworking, but we’re thrilled to announce our permanent home, a brand-new studio and true center for the literary arts, right in the center of Charlotte.
Community has been the heart of Charlotte Lit since our debut in 2016. Bringing together a community requires commitment, shared interests, and space. We now have all of these: a ten-year renewable lease, thousands of writers and readers who want to connect with each other, and, by this October, a beautiful, conveniently located studio housed within the Ascend Nonprofit Center on 5th Street in Uptown Charlotte.
Before we say anything else, we want to express our deepest thanks to Anne and Steve Schmitt for their generosity and enthusiasm, and to Merriman Schmitt Architects, Inc., for donating their time, professional expertise, artistry, and patience to help us make this dream a reality. Big thanks to Steve, Mackenzie, and Simone for working so hard and holding our hands through the process. We’ve included some of Merriman Schmitt’s renderings of the completed space to show your readers.
Our single 1200 square-foot space will be multi-purpose, with space for classes and special events like readings and community conversations. We’ll have integrated tech throughout and a stylish, functional kitchen to help us keep patrons and guests properly caffeinated and, shall we say, “inspired.”
Under the front windows will be the Dannye Romine Powell Poetry Place, outfitted with comfy chairs, excellent lighting, and a decided poetic ambiance. Thanks to the many generous folks who donated in Dannye’s name—and to Lew Powell for his continuing support of Charlotte Lit, including the donation of Dannye’s personal poetry library.
Chzstaff will have a space in one corner, we’ll have storage in another, and—does it need to be said?—there will be books. Bookshelves line an entire wall, and we’ll have several floating bookcases, too, in our curated lending library. Need a good novel or poetry collection or craft book? We’ll have options!
The second phase of the capital campaign to pay for this amazing new community space is now underway. We have just over $100,000 pledged, but another $100,000 to go. We’re confident our community will help us make it happen and would deeply appreciate support from the greater Charlotte community as well! (Information on giving and helping connect us to donors is at charlottelit.org. Or simply contact Paul Reali at paul@charlottelit.org.) Doors open this October. We can’t wait to see you there!
I congratulate Kathie, Paul and everyone else who has helped Charlotte Lit reach this milestone. In following the story of Charlotte Lit’s quest for a permanent home, I am reminded of the cumulative nursery rhyme “The House That Jack Built.” The story behind Jack’s house involves lots of steps, but the rhyme always comes back to the line “the house that Jack built.” The story behind the creation of Charlotte Lit’s new home has also involved many steps, but in the end, it will be the house that Charlotte Lit built. Everyone in Storied Charlotte will benefit from this new community resource.
