Josh Barnhardt is the visionary Founder behind Iron Horse Development – a real estate development company focused on small town revitalization through historic building renovation. Primarily gravitating towards housing conversion, Iron Horse crafts small to medium sized projects ranging from 2 to 50 units through an adaptive reuse process.

We sat down to discuss the excitement and challenges surrounding this type of work and how Iron Horse could create a template for successful renovation projects across towns neighboring Charlotte and other metropolitan cities...

Branden Piks:

What gravitates you towards this? Was it happenstance, or have you always had a passion for the historic side of development?

Josh Barnhardt:

I grew up in Spencer, a historic railroad town just next to Salisbury, and I’ve always been a history buff—trains, old houses, and historic downtowns like Charleston really shaped that passion. I’ve always loved construction and carpentry too, and while I’m happiest when I’m on site with a saw, I’ve realized that’s not the best use of my time anymore. What drives me is the impact:

It really is like a drug—you get hooked on the process, watching these buildings take on new life. And what’s different now is that people around you genuinely notice and appreciate it. Back when I worked at the bank, a “win” might be adding a shiny new button in the mobile app. But with this work, people genuinely appreciate and value what we’re doing.

​Read the Full Conversation Here​

The River District: Catalyzing Charlotte’s West Side Transformation into a Sustainable, High-End Urban Hub

"The River District, a 1,400-acre master-planned community by Crescent Communities, is poised to transform Charlotte’s west side into a model for sustainable, walkable urban living. Positioned between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Catawba River, this $6 billion project represents Mecklenburg County’s most significant mixed-use development since Ballantyne."

​Read Full Article.​

How does this impact our region?

I recently attended the ULI Charlotte: Coffee Talk: West Side Update – Growth Around the Airport event and was blown away by the work Crescent Communities has done on this project. I began digging into it further and further realized how revolutionary this project can be for Charlotte and the Southeast.

Reading the MeckTimes piece on The River District affirmed what many of us in Charlotte’s design and development community already feel and that's that this project is poised to be a transformative force on the west side. It’s not just the scale that stands out (1,400 acres, 5,000+ residential units, millions of square feet of commercial and civic space) but the intentionality behind it. From a design perspective, this kind of master-planned development is rare; It gives us the chance to shape neighborhoods, infrastructure, and public realm systems from the ground up—with a long-term vision that stretches 30 to 50 years.

What’s encouraging is how clearly sustainability has been prioritized. The River District is one of only a few U.S. projects to receive the One Planet Living designation, signaling a commitment to climate-conscious infrastructure, renewable systems, and long-range environmental thinking. As designers, this gives us permission, and frankly, the challenge, to integrate resilient materials, regenerative site planning, and smart water-energy strategies into every phase of the build. Pair that with the city’s investment in infrastructure, like the West Boulevard extension and this isn’t just another suburban expansion but a regional framework for livability and innovation.

Equity also shows up in the development narrative. Mixed-income housing, civic space, local hiring strategies, and community engagement efforts are woven into the plan. It’s not perfect—and implementation will matter more than promises—but it reflects a growing understanding that large-scale development can’t just serve one income bracket. From a housing perspective, embedding affordability and diversity into the urban fabric is essential for long-term resilience.

There are still challenges such as market shifts, infrastructure delays, and displacement risks that could all undercut the project's intent. The scale is bold, but it also means a misstep could ripple across the region. The real test will be how the public realm is maintained, how well the mixed-income units are distributed and designed, and whether community engagement remains part of the conversation once vertical construction begins.

Overall, The River District feels like a blueprint for what Charlotte’s next chapter could be if we approach it with humility, collaboration, and a sharp design lens. For those of us practicing architecture and urban design in this city, this project is a call to action. We have a seat at the table to help ensure this project meets its full potential by being more than just as a place to live, but as a model for inclusive, sustainable growth across the Southeast.

We recently transformed a former pharmacy space into a health & wellness retreat for the franchise, RISE Modern Wellness. This location is the first for RISE on the east coast, except for their locations in Florida, and is focused on enriching lives through modern wellness care. With services such as IV therapy, red light therapy, cryotherapy, body sculpting, and infrared saunas - the business concept aims to be the go to destination for proactive wellness care.

Our process began with identifying existing field conditions that could make the change of use a challenge - electrical, mechanical, and plumbing services are always critical in doing these interior renovation projects. Fortunately, the existing building had no load bearing interior walls so demolition was not a concern, allowing for the space to be designed efficiently.

We worked with RISE corporate to integrate their required program and brand standards into the space while also complying with local and state codes and ordinances. For a national brand like RISE, they rely heavily on local design professionals as each location they open presents a different set of building challenges, state code compliance, and permitting processes. The challenge (and fun!) was meshing their vision, branding, and program requirements within these site constraints and governing guidelines.

Being located on South Blvd. in the Southend neighborhood positions RISE Charlotte to be the premier modern wellness center in the area. The space has been open for just over six months and is crushing it! Check them out on Instagram - @rise_charlotte.

This project is a reflection of how we approach our commercial interiors work in an efficient yet effective way. From signed contract to approved permit drawings in under five months and doors open less than six months after that, is a testament to our design team's diligence and coordination efforts.

"To be great is to be misunderstood." | Ralph Waldo Emerson