Spotlight On: Brad Tuttle, Manager of Development Operations, CrossRidge
Key points:
- • CrossRidge is evolving into a walkable destination combining retail, office, residential, and community spaces.
- • Indian Land’s growth and proximity to Charlotte are driving demand and investment.
- • Long-term ownership allows CrossRidge to prioritize quality, amenities, and lasting community value.
August 2026 — Invest: spoke with Brad Tuttle, manager of development operations at CrossRidge, about the long-term vision behind the CrossRidge Center and why the project is being built with a multigenerational mindset. “This isn’t a shopping center we’re planning to flip and move on from. This is a legacy destination,” Tuttle said.
Join us at the Invest: Charlotte 6th Edition Leadership Summit! This premier event brings together hundreds of Charlotte’s business and regional leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses and investors. Buy your ticket now!
What stood out to you most about the past year at CrossRidge, and how has the CrossRidge Center project evolved during that time?
Over the past year, we transitioned from vertical construction into full activation. Delivering Target, Whataburger, Chase Bank, and all Phase 1 inline retail fundamentally changed the identity of the corridor. That phase includes tenants such as Eyemart Express, Metro Diner, M Nail Salon, Taste Buds Kitchen, and Ideal Dental, marking a significant milestone for the development.
This project has been nearly 20 years in the making. Ownership began assembling land two decades ago with a clear vision for what this area could become. Seeing that long-term vision materialize into a fully functioning destination has been incredibly meaningful.
You delivered CrossRidge One during a challenging moment for office development. How has the market responded?
CrossRidge One delivered at a unique moment. We broke ground before COVID and completed the building as the pandemic began to subside, just as remote work was reshaping office demand in ways that have lasted longer than many anticipated.
Today, we are actively pursuing tenants across both traditional and medical office sectors while maintaining strategic flexibility. The building is a 120,000-square-foot, class-A asset designed to compete for institutional-quality users.
Our leasing approach has been deliberate. Rather than fragmenting the building with smaller tenants, we are focused on securing a user that can activate a full floor or more and meaningfully contribute to the campus dynamic. We are patient because the right tenant strengthens the entire ecosystem.
What differentiates CrossRidge One from more established office hubs like Ballantyne or SouthPark?
A big part of the original strategy was value. By crossing the state line into Indian Land, there are tax advantages and incentives that companies can benefit from, while still remaining closely connected to Charlotte’s core business districts.
This location offers true class-A shell space, which is increasingly rare. In many traditional office hubs, tenants are walking into second-generation space and adapting to what already exists. CrossRidge One offers companies the ability to control their environment from day one, at a cost basis that established submarkets simply cannot match. Here, users can design exactly what they need from the ground up. That flexibility, combined with proximity and cost advantages, creates a compelling alternative.
The other differentiator is the environment. CrossRidge is designed to be walkable and amenitized, so an office user is adjacent to retail, dining, and community gathering space in a way that supports today’s workplace expectations.
How is the broader retail and entertainment campus performing, and what comes next?
Retail performance has exceeded expectations. Target’s consistent daily traffic reinforces the depth of demand in this trade area, and that momentum has translated directly into leasing velocity for Phases 2 and 3. Across all phases, we’ll have about 80,000 square feet of inline retail, with roughly 55,000 square feet coming online in 2Q26 with Phases 2 and 3.
We have a strong lineup underway, including King of Fire pizza, Milkshake Factory, Ilios Crafted Greek, Haraz Coffee, and Paris Baguette. We’re also negotiating several additional letters of intent and leases for restaurants and soft-goods users.
Beyond retail, we’re building experiences. Phases 2 and 3 offer a large amenity area that includes a 250-seat outdoor amphitheater, playgrounds designed with natural elements, a splash pad, walking trails, and interconnected green space. These areas will host free community events and give families reasons to spend time here beyond shopping.
We even reimagined our original stormwater design, relocating detention underground so we could create a true central green space. The goal was always to build a destination, not just a place to run errands.
Why is Indian Land and Lancaster County the right setting for a project of this scale?
Connectivity is everything. We sit just outside Ballantyne, with easy access along Highway 521, which makes it simple for people who live or work in the Charlotte region to get here. Lancaster County also offers a different value proposition, including more favorable taxes and a slightly more relaxed feel.
Indian Land has grown tremendously over the past 10 to 15 years. The demand is clear. Our Target location, at 147,000 square feet, is busy all day, every day. That kind of consistent traffic reinforces what we already knew: people want to live, work, and spend time here.
What are you hearing from office tenants about workforce expectations and space design today?
We work closely with Stream Realty, our leasing partner, and their role has been invaluable. Demand exists, but we’re focused on finding tenants that truly fit the CrossRidge environment.
We’re not interested in simply filling space for the sake of it. Activating a building of this size requires the right scale and quality of user. Our standard across the entire development is to deliver something better than the norm, whether that’s retail, office, or amenities. Everything we bring in needs to elevate the overall experience.
How does CrossRidge contribute to the broader growth of Indian Land?
Indian Land has experienced significant residential growth, but it lacked a true town center. CrossRidge is filling that gap by creating a centralized, walkable environment where daily life happens. In many ways, it has become the downtown Indian Land never had.
To further reinforce that vision, we are under contract with a nationally recognized multifamily developer to deliver approximately 340 high-end apartment units adjacent to the center. That residential component strengthens the live-work-play dynamic and adds built-in energy, density, and walkability to the campus.
It’s a place where families can drop off their kids, go to the YMCA, grab coffee, shop, dine, attend events, and spend meaningful time together all within one connected environment. That kind of centralized destination adds value far beyond the property lines. It strengthens the surrounding area, supports neighboring developments, and creates a sense of place that didn’t previously exist.
What role do partnerships play in making that vision a reality?
Partnerships are essential. Growth along Highway 521 only works if it’s coordinated. We’ve invested significant time and money aligning infrastructure, traffic planning, and long-term land use with Lancaster County and neighboring stakeholders to ensure this corridor develops responsibly. The county has been a strong partner, helping us navigate permitting, construction challenges, and long-term planning. Community engagement has been strong and continues to grow as awareness of the project increases.
Looking ahead, what are your priorities over the next few years?
Our goal is to be fully built out and fully leased within the next three years. Phases 2 and 3 of retail will open soon, with space available for tenant upfits beginning this spring.
We’re also planning additional junior-box development and working toward securing a signature restaurant for one of our outparcels. If those opportunities come together as planned, we’ll be close to full completion. By that point, we expect CrossRidge to be fully activated and operating as intended. CrossRidge is not a short-term investment. Ownership intends to hold this asset generationally. That capital structure allows us to make decisions others might not, from relocating stormwater underground to overbuilding public space. We aren’t chasing occupancy at the expense of quality. We are building for the next 30 years, not the next quarterly report. That level of commitment is what makes CrossRidge different.
Want more? Read the Invest: Charlotte report.
