"Akridge is proud to partner with KETTLER on this opportunity," Duncan Jones, Akridge vice president for acquisitions, said in a prepared statement. "Our leadership team has decades-long friendships with KETTLER's, and we respect their dedication to building productive and lasting relationships with their residents. Our companies have great natural synergy and our combined expertise will ensure the creation of an exceptional project."

Akridge is a 45-year-old comprehensive real estate services company that provides acquisitions, design, construction management, development, finance, asset management, leasing, and property management. The company reports it has acquired, developed, or entitled more than 22.7 million square feet of office, multifamily, retail, entertainment, and industrial flex space and has another 7.3 million square feet in its pipeline. The company said it currently manages approximately 4.2 million square feet, and has a portfolio with an estimated value of over $2.1 billion.

Notable Akridge projects include the 1-million-square-foot Gallery Place, the Homer Building, 555 Mangum Street, and the 3-million-square-foot Burnham Place air rights development project at Union Station in Washington.

KETTLER is a multifamily developer, real estate investment, and property management company founded in 1977 and headquartered in McLean, Va. The company reported it has developed over 25,000 multifamily units, 5 million square feet of commercial space, more than 71,000 homes in 25 master-planned communities, and many of the D.C. Region's premier mixed-use communities. The company manages approximately 20,000 apartments in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions.

"In partnership with our friends at Akridge, KETTLER is committed to enhancing the South End submarket in Charlotte with the addition of this new multifamily development," Luke Davis, KETTLER's executive vice president for investments, said in the joint statement. "Together, our teams are uniquely positioned with a depth of experience delivering thoughtful projects in an urban environment. We intend to design and deliver the project in a way that complements the already vibrant surrounding neighborhood and look forward to expanding our footprint within North Carolina in collaboration with Akridge."