March 19. By Dave Yochum. The 5-1 vote last night in favor of the $200 million expansion of Birkdale Village was almost unanimous. Huntersville Town Board member Amanda Dumas cast the sole dissenting vote on the basis of the hotel location and the amount of money the owners—Jamestown of Atlanta—will contribute to a new bridge.

The cost of the new bridge is on the order of $10 million, but Jamestown more than doubled their contribution to help get the project through. It was first turned by the Planning Board which voted 4-3 to recommend denial of the latest proposal from Jamestown. Birkdale Village is the town’s largest ratable and biggest attraction with millions of visitors each year.

Huntersville Town Board | YouTube screenshot

Jamestown plans an office tower, apartments, parking decks and a swank hotel to keep it that way as brick and mortar retail nationwide continues a years-long shakeout.

Commissioner Nick Walsh, who made the motion to approve the rezoning, said the redevelopment of Birkdale will breathe new life into the award-winning, mixed-use project.

The Lake Norman Chamber said the addition of Class A office space was a major plus for the Lake Norman economy.

But some residents said infrastructure, traffic and parking will continue to be major problems, not to mention  the encroachment of overflow parking in the adjoining single-family neighborhood, Birkdale Greens.