COVID pushed housing prices up everywhere but Charlotte in particular is one of the hottest cities in the country to move to so the cost of living keeps going up every year
The Official Charlotte, NC Discussion Thread
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COVID pushed housing prices up everywhere but Charlotte in particular is one of the hottest cities in the country to move to so the cost of living keeps going up every year
UserNameless
Veteran
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-things-to-do/article251031944.html
Charlotte is getting a Black Food & Wine Festival, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance
By Melissa Oyler
April 29, 2021 11:56 AM,
Updated May 06, 2021 10:28 AM
Charlotte, NC- July 22d- Greg and Subrina Collier, owners of Leah and Louise in Charlotte, NC. Photographed in Charlotte, NC on July 22, 2020. Photo by Peter Taylor Peter Taylor Peter Taylor
A Black Food & Wine three-day festival is coming to Charlotte, and you’re going to want to go ahead and save the date now for the Camp North End event: October 22-24.
The festival is inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and will be a celebration of Black foodways, said Subrina Collier, who created the event with her husband, Greg Collier. You know the duo as the power couple behind Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk restaurants.
The Harlem Renaissance was the development of Harlem, New York, in the 1920s and 30s, as it became a mecca of African American art, dance, fashion, literature, music and theater. The cultural and intellectual revival was called a golden age of Black culture. Expect the Charlotte festival to educate and entertain, Subrina said in a statement.
“We noticed a huge void in the festival scene that excluded Black chefs, Black food and Black culture,” she said. “Rather than telling other festivals to include us more, we decided to stop asking and create our own.”
The lineup will continue to grow as the festival gets closer, but here are some of the people who have signed up:
Black Food & Wine Festival
- Chef/author Todd Richards
- Chef Ashleigh Shanti
- Chef Duane Nutter
- “Top Chef” alum chef Tiffany Derry
- “Top Chef” alum chef Chris Scott
- “Top Chef” alum chef Keith Rhodes
- Lindsey Williams of Davidson Wine Co.
- Chef Greg Williams and chef Jamie Barnes, co-owners of What The Fries
- Chef Whitney Thomas, who has appeared on “Beat Bobby Flay”
- Chef Michael Bowling of Hot Box Next Level Kitchen
Camp North End, 300 Camp Road (at the wedge between Statesville Avenue and North Graham Street)
October 22-24
That’s an excellent look! CLT needs to build back up and exert that kinda momentum and energy post pandemic , ASAP.
Bryan Danielson
Jmare007 x Bryan Danielson x JLova = King Ghidorah
The narrative of “there’s nothing to do” in Charlotte is absolutely false though.
There’s a lot and so much to do.
The real question is “what do you want to do or what are you looking for?”
There’s a lot and so much to do.
The real question is “what do you want to do or what are you looking for?”
KyokushinKarateMan
Train hard, fight easy
Gonna be a wild summer 
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
DJ Fannie Mae performing at Durag Fest 2018. Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
By Paige Hopkins | May 14, 2021
The Durag Festival, an annual celebration of everything Black with a particular focus on hair and style, is back on this year.
The outdoor festival, which started in 2018, will be held on Juneteenth with events at Camp North End and various locations around Charlotte. Last year the event was postponed due to the pandemic and later rescheduled as part of a protest.
The big picture: After a racial reckoning last summer, many companies pledged to support the Black community, yet just over a month away from the event, organizers tell me they’re still struggling to secure funding.
BLKMRKT co-owner and event organizer Dammit Wesley says he went to the city for help.
Why it matters: Remember when a high school wrestler had to cut off his dreads to compete, or when these charter school students where punished for wearing braids or just last month when a Durham softball player had to remove her hair beads in order to compete? In a country that often restricts Black hair, any celebration of the beauty and traditions borne from Black hairstyles is a big deal.
Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
Details: Expect a day-long block party vibe with food trucks, DJs and a fashion show.
Durags double as fashion pieces and art in the Black community. But, they’re functional fashion, because when removed the hair underneath is molded down into the wearer’s style of choice. And the longer you wear one, the better your style will turn out.
Of note: While Durag fest and durags themselves are rooted in Black traditions and style, Wesley says he hopes other communities come out to celebrate as well.
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
DJ Fannie Mae performing at Durag Fest 2018. Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
By Paige Hopkins | May 14, 2021
The Durag Festival, an annual celebration of everything Black with a particular focus on hair and style, is back on this year.
The outdoor festival, which started in 2018, will be held on Juneteenth with events at Camp North End and various locations around Charlotte. Last year the event was postponed due to the pandemic and later rescheduled as part of a protest.
The big picture: After a racial reckoning last summer, many companies pledged to support the Black community, yet just over a month away from the event, organizers tell me they’re still struggling to secure funding.
BLKMRKT co-owner and event organizer Dammit Wesley says he went to the city for help.
- A city spokesperson tells me city officials worked to connect Durag Fest organizers with other local businesses that might help with funding. But because of COVID concerns, none of those businesses offered monetary support.
- The city is offering items like chairs, kiosks, tables and signs, and the Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority is offering event space.
Why it matters: Remember when a high school wrestler had to cut off his dreads to compete, or when these charter school students where punished for wearing braids or just last month when a Durham softball player had to remove her hair beads in order to compete? In a country that often restricts Black hair, any celebration of the beauty and traditions borne from Black hairstyles is a big deal.
- “I want Black people to feel loved. I want them to feel appreciated. I want my people to be art,” Wesley tells me.
Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
Details: Expect a day-long block party vibe with food trucks, DJs and a fashion show.
- Because they’re still working on funding, the schedule of events hasn’t been finalized.
- No matter what the final schedule looks like, Durag Fest will be a time to show out with creative, off-the-wall fashion. “Think Afro-punk, but ghetto. We’re not elitist, we’re DIY,” Wesley tells me.
Durags double as fashion pieces and art in the Black community. But, they’re functional fashion, because when removed the hair underneath is molded down into the wearer’s style of choice. And the longer you wear one, the better your style will turn out.
Of note: While Durag fest and durags themselves are rooted in Black traditions and style, Wesley says he hopes other communities come out to celebrate as well.
- “I want non-Black people to show up to our events, participate and celebrate us the same way we celebrate them at every other turn and every other holiday,” he says. “I know that art can be used to change the perception of people and I want this festival to do the same thing.”
Ethnic Vagina Finder
The Great Paper Chaser
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
DJ Fannie Mae performing at Durag Fest 2018. Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
By Paige Hopkins | May 14, 2021
The Durag Festival, an annual celebration of everything Black with a particular focus on hair and style, is back on this year.
The outdoor festival, which started in 2018, will be held on Juneteenth with events at Camp North End and various locations around Charlotte. Last year the event was postponed due to the pandemic and later rescheduled as part of a protest.
The big picture: After a racial reckoning last summer, many companies pledged to support the Black community, yet just over a month away from the event, organizers tell me they’re still struggling to secure funding.
BLKMRKT co-owner and event organizer Dammit Wesley says he went to the city for help.
The festival is accepting donations via PayPal.
- A city spokesperson tells me city officials worked to connect Durag Fest organizers with other local businesses that might help with funding. But because of COVID concerns, none of those businesses offered monetary support.
- The city is offering items like chairs, kiosks, tables and signs, and the Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority is offering event space.
Why it matters: Remember when a high school wrestler had to cut off his dreads to compete, or when these charter school students where punished for wearing braids or just last month when a Durham softball player had to remove her hair beads in order to compete? In a country that often restricts Black hair, any celebration of the beauty and traditions borne from Black hairstyles is a big deal.
Yes, but: The event is “deeper than durags,” he says. And it can provide a form of healing after a tumultuous year. “I do know that when we come together every Juneteenth I can create at least six to eight hours of unapologetic Black space where we’re free to be us.”
- “I want Black people to feel loved. I want them to feel appreciated. I want my people to be art,” Wesley tells me.
Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
Details: Expect a day-long block party vibe with food trucks, DJs and a fashion show.
Background: If you’re lost, I’ll catch you up. Durags are a usually silk or satin scarf used to preserve textured hairstyles overnight (or anytime). Some folks use creams and mouses to mold their hair and create waves. The durag is a big part of that hair wave creation.
- Because they’re still working on funding, the schedule of events hasn’t been finalized.
- No matter what the final schedule looks like, Durag Fest will be a time to show out with creative, off-the-wall fashion. “Think Afro-punk, but ghetto. We’re not elitist, we’re DIY,” Wesley tells me.
Durags double as fashion pieces and art in the Black community. But, they’re functional fashion, because when removed the hair underneath is molded down into the wearer’s style of choice. And the longer you wear one, the better your style will turn out.
Of note: While Durag fest and durags themselves are rooted in Black traditions and style, Wesley says he hopes other communities come out to celebrate as well.
- “I want non-Black people to show up to our events, participate and celebrate us the same way we celebrate them at every other turn and every other holiday,” he says. “I know that art can be used to change the perception of people and I want this festival to do the same thing.”
That might be one the the last things I do before I move back up to NJ.
Bryan Danielson
Jmare007 x Bryan Danielson x JLova = King Ghidorah
Bu bu bu bu but there’s nothing to do for black folks in Charlotte 
KyokushinKarateMan
Train hard, fight easy
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
The unapologetically Black Durag Festival is back, with or without funding
DJ Fannie Mae performing at Durag Fest 2018. Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
By Paige Hopkins | May 14, 2021
The Durag Festival, an annual celebration of everything Black with a particular focus on hair and style, is back on this year.
The outdoor festival, which started in 2018, will be held on Juneteenth with events at Camp North End and various locations around Charlotte. Last year the event was postponed due to the pandemic and later rescheduled as part of a protest.
The big picture: After a racial reckoning last summer, many companies pledged to support the Black community, yet just over a month away from the event, organizers tell me they’re still struggling to secure funding.
BLKMRKT co-owner and event organizer Dammit Wesley says he went to the city for help.
The festival is accepting donations via PayPal.
- A city spokesperson tells me city officials worked to connect Durag Fest organizers with other local businesses that might help with funding. But because of COVID concerns, none of those businesses offered monetary support.
- The city is offering items like chairs, kiosks, tables and signs, and the Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority is offering event space.
Why it matters: Remember when a high school wrestler had to cut off his dreads to compete, or when these charter school students where punished for wearing braids or just last month when a Durham softball player had to remove her hair beads in order to compete? In a country that often restricts Black hair, any celebration of the beauty and traditions borne from Black hairstyles is a big deal.
Yes, but: The event is “deeper than durags,” he says. And it can provide a form of healing after a tumultuous year. “I do know that when we come together every Juneteenth I can create at least six to eight hours of unapologetic Black space where we’re free to be us.”
- “I want Black people to feel loved. I want them to feel appreciated. I want my people to be art,” Wesley tells me.
Courtesy of 1st Kind aka Deremen Jones
Details: Expect a day-long block party vibe with food trucks, DJs and a fashion show.
Background: If you’re lost, I’ll catch you up. Durags are a usually silk or satin scarf used to preserve textured hairstyles overnight (or anytime). Some folks use creams and mouses to mold their hair and create waves. The durag is a big part of that hair wave creation.
- Because they’re still working on funding, the schedule of events hasn’t been finalized.
- No matter what the final schedule looks like, Durag Fest will be a time to show out with creative, off-the-wall fashion. “Think Afro-punk, but ghetto. We’re not elitist, we’re DIY,” Wesley tells me.
Durags double as fashion pieces and art in the Black community. But, they’re functional fashion, because when removed the hair underneath is molded down into the wearer’s style of choice. And the longer you wear one, the better your style will turn out.
Of note: While Durag fest and durags themselves are rooted in Black traditions and style, Wesley says he hopes other communities come out to celebrate as well.
- “I want non-Black people to show up to our events, participate and celebrate us the same way we celebrate them at every other turn and every other holiday,” he says. “I know that art can be used to change the perception of people and I want this festival to do the same thing.”
C’mon Charlotte. A “durag” festival?? 
https://qcitymetro.com/2021/05/21/c...e-the-narrative-at-beatties-ford-and-lasalle/
Charlotte developer Christopher Dennis wants to change the narrative at Beatties Ford and LaSalle
Dennis, owner of E-Fix Development Corp., is redeveloping two properties in the heart of the Beatties Ford Road's commercial district.
By Sarafina Wright
May 21, 2021
“God gave me a vision,” Christopher Dennis said of the commercial building he bought at the corner of Beatties Ford Road and LaSalle Street. It’s currently under renovation for 7,000 square feet of retail space.
Dennis, who leads E-Fix Development Corp., wants the project at 2023 Beatties Ford Road to give the corridor a new look and take back its legacy.
Decades ago the building housed McDonald’s Cafeteria — not the fast-food chain, but a home-cooking restaurant owned and operated by entrepreneur John McDonald.
Dennis, who bought the building last year, said he was stunned when he found out its history.
“For me, when I read Mr. McDonald’s story, I saw a man who was before his time. He did so much, and I got excited about it. That fueled my passion even more. That’s what’s driving me,” Dennis said.
QCity Metro thanks its sponsors. Become One.
In April, he also purchased 2020 Beatties Ford Road, a building directly across from his current construction site. He plans to make what he calls Site 2 an extension of the retail at Site 1.
One of the features that will be on both properties are charging stations for electric cars.
An artist’s drawing that depicts the E-Fix project at 2023 Beatties Ford Road, which will house a Chase Bank branch. Source: E-Fix
“When we first got our drawings back, I said I want to make sure I add the future into this project,” Dennis recalled. “I said, they have the car charging stations in SouthPark and South Blvd; why don’t we have one on Beatties Ford Road?”
Dennis says he envisions a young boy or girl who looks like him walking past the charging stations and saying, “I can own one of those.”
“It’s about setting the precedent,” he said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. will anchor Site 1 with a bank branch, while BW Sweets Bakery will open a store there — its third in Charlotte.
QCity Metro thanks its sponsors. Become One.
Rodney Faulkner, the commercial broker in charge of leasing, says competition is heavy for the remaining spaces and that several letters of intent have been signed.
He says he and Dennis want to fill the spaces with businesses the community needs while bringing new options the corridor hasn’t seen before.
“It’s about making sure we have balance,” he said. “On the one side, you’re going to see more neighborhood services, like the bank, and Site 2 is going to be more geared toward food.
“So, if I’m going to get coffee on one side of the street, I can go put money in the bank,” he continued. “If I’m going to go pick up a birthday cake, I can also pick up a smoothie.”
Lion pride
For Faulkner, bringing this project to the corridor is personal. It’s where he’s from.
The 1993 West Charlotte High School graduate remembers working at the neighborhood Food Lion, at the nearby McDonald’s fast-food restaurant and eating at a former neighborhood spot called Mr. C’s everyday before basketball practice.
But after returning to his neighborhood after college, Faulkner saw signs of economic decay.
Indeed, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has identified the Beatties Ford/Lasalle intersection as one of several crime “hot spots” in the city. Last June, during a block party celebrating Juneteenth, four people died and others were injured when unidentified individuals fired more than 100 rounds into the crowd. No arrests have been made in the case.
Rodney Faulkner, the commercial leasing broker for 2023 and 2020 Beatties Ford Road. /Photo courtesy of Boundary Street Advisors.
In recruiting tenants for the E-Fix projects, Faulkner said he has been mindful of the community’s needs.
“I was intentional about how I was able to change that corner for the better and really intentional about staying in the neighborhood, because I want to affect where I live and what I do,” he said.
Faulkner isn’t the only West Charlotte Lion working on Site 1. The general contractor and two other contractors on the site also are alumni.
“When you look at the people actually working on the development of this building, they all come from this corridor, and I’m proud to say that,” said Dennis, a native of Sumter, S.C., who also owns residential rental properties in the West End.
A changing corridor
There’s a lot going on in Historic West End.
This Saturday will see the official launch of “West Complex,” an outdoor activation of food, games and family fun at 1600 W. Trade Street, the site of the former A&P grocery store. (The Duke Endowment recently gave the site to Johnson C. Smith University.)
A block up is the soon-to-be Five Points Public Plaza. The $5.5 million project will be a gathering space for the communities surrounding the intersections of Beatties Ford Road, Rozzelles Ferry Road and W. Trade, an area known as Five Points.
Slated to open at the end of summer, the space will include a small amphitheater, a splash pad, outdoor seating and public art.
A few feet from the Plaza, three retail shops — Jet’s Pizza, Rita’s Italian Ice and Premier Pharmacy and Wellness — are preparing to open at 1800 Rozzelles Ferry Road..
Then there’s the Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) CityLynx Gold Line streetcar, currently in its testing phase, which will connect east and west Charlotte.
For all of the development happening in the community, some are leery of gentrification and the potential displacement it brings.
Tiffany Fant, a Washington Heights resident and community activist, said she’s excited about the “shiny new retail,” but she questions whether these investments are being made for existing residents or the “ones to come who can afford four hundred- to five hundred thousand-dollar houses that are now being built in the corridor.”
She also wants more clarity about the city’s Corridors of Opportunity program — a $24.5 million city budget item announced last year to improve six low-income areas in Charlotte, including the Beatties Ford Road/Rozzelles Ferry Road areas.
“I’d like to have more transparency around the effort, because a lot of this development was based on serving and being here for the Black community,” Fant said of the recent development in the Beatties Ford/LaSalle area.
According to the city’s website, the E-Fix project at Site 1 is slated to get $1.084 million in city funding from the Corridors of Opportunity budget. (Dennis said that while the city has made a commitment, officials are “still working through the details of how those funds will be delivered.”)
Residents in the area also have expressed concern about whether businesses coming to the corridor will bring jobs and livable wages.
Fant says she believes that development can take place in economically deprived areas without leading to displacement, but it requires “bold action” from politicians and the community.
“Once you start beautifying, you can see that typical property tax thing,” she said, referring to rising property values and tax rates. “But that’s where that boldness comes in on the city level. What does it look like to set aside funds for long-term residents to help mitigate that, and not just for people 65 years and older.”
A balancing act
Malcolm Graham, who represents District 2 and Historic West End on the Charlotte City Council, says West End development is a balancing act of change while holding on to the corridor’s history.
He said developers like Dennis, who are stakeholders in the community, can help prevent gentrification because they understand the importance of making sure residents are a part of the change and not victims of it.
“It’s a balancing act that we’re all aware we need to do, but doing nothing is not the answer either,” Graham said.
He added that ultimately this is what the community has been calling for — city and economic investment, wrap-around services, little to no crime, a place where families want to come — change.
“This is a community that has been demanding change for well over 40 years,” he said, “and they’re finally getting it.”
Looking ahead
With Site 1 80% done, Faulkner says tenants should be servicing customers by late September.
Also by then, Site 2 should have “significant work” completed. It’s expected to open by early 2022.
Along with the promise of jobs and community resources, Dennis teased plans to do “something special” in one of the spaces at Site 1.
It’s something the West End hasn’t seen before that will pull together community, opportunity and business engagement, he says.
Faulkner and Dennis agree that while they are “reimagining” the corridor, they’re not doing anything new, simply resurrecting its storied past.
“We’re really trying to bring back this greatness that was already in the corridor,” Faulkner said. “Mr. McDonald did it before Chris did it. This place has always been great; we’re just dusting it off again, shining it up and bringing this experience to the people that were already there.”
Charlotte developer Christopher Dennis wants to change the narrative at Beatties Ford and LaSalle
Dennis, owner of E-Fix Development Corp., is redeveloping two properties in the heart of the Beatties Ford Road's commercial district.
By Sarafina Wright
May 21, 2021
“God gave me a vision,” Christopher Dennis said of the commercial building he bought at the corner of Beatties Ford Road and LaSalle Street. It’s currently under renovation for 7,000 square feet of retail space.
Dennis, who leads E-Fix Development Corp., wants the project at 2023 Beatties Ford Road to give the corridor a new look and take back its legacy.
Decades ago the building housed McDonald’s Cafeteria — not the fast-food chain, but a home-cooking restaurant owned and operated by entrepreneur John McDonald.
Dennis, who bought the building last year, said he was stunned when he found out its history.
“For me, when I read Mr. McDonald’s story, I saw a man who was before his time. He did so much, and I got excited about it. That fueled my passion even more. That’s what’s driving me,” Dennis said.
QCity Metro thanks its sponsors. Become One.
In April, he also purchased 2020 Beatties Ford Road, a building directly across from his current construction site. He plans to make what he calls Site 2 an extension of the retail at Site 1.
One of the features that will be on both properties are charging stations for electric cars.
An artist’s drawing that depicts the E-Fix project at 2023 Beatties Ford Road, which will house a Chase Bank branch. Source: E-Fix
“When we first got our drawings back, I said I want to make sure I add the future into this project,” Dennis recalled. “I said, they have the car charging stations in SouthPark and South Blvd; why don’t we have one on Beatties Ford Road?”
Dennis says he envisions a young boy or girl who looks like him walking past the charging stations and saying, “I can own one of those.”
“It’s about setting the precedent,” he said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. will anchor Site 1 with a bank branch, while BW Sweets Bakery will open a store there — its third in Charlotte.
QCity Metro thanks its sponsors. Become One.
Rodney Faulkner, the commercial broker in charge of leasing, says competition is heavy for the remaining spaces and that several letters of intent have been signed.
He says he and Dennis want to fill the spaces with businesses the community needs while bringing new options the corridor hasn’t seen before.
“It’s about making sure we have balance,” he said. “On the one side, you’re going to see more neighborhood services, like the bank, and Site 2 is going to be more geared toward food.
“So, if I’m going to get coffee on one side of the street, I can go put money in the bank,” he continued. “If I’m going to go pick up a birthday cake, I can also pick up a smoothie.”
Lion pride
For Faulkner, bringing this project to the corridor is personal. It’s where he’s from.
The 1993 West Charlotte High School graduate remembers working at the neighborhood Food Lion, at the nearby McDonald’s fast-food restaurant and eating at a former neighborhood spot called Mr. C’s everyday before basketball practice.
But after returning to his neighborhood after college, Faulkner saw signs of economic decay.
Indeed, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has identified the Beatties Ford/Lasalle intersection as one of several crime “hot spots” in the city. Last June, during a block party celebrating Juneteenth, four people died and others were injured when unidentified individuals fired more than 100 rounds into the crowd. No arrests have been made in the case.
Rodney Faulkner, the commercial leasing broker for 2023 and 2020 Beatties Ford Road. /Photo courtesy of Boundary Street Advisors.
In recruiting tenants for the E-Fix projects, Faulkner said he has been mindful of the community’s needs.
“I was intentional about how I was able to change that corner for the better and really intentional about staying in the neighborhood, because I want to affect where I live and what I do,” he said.
Faulkner isn’t the only West Charlotte Lion working on Site 1. The general contractor and two other contractors on the site also are alumni.
“When you look at the people actually working on the development of this building, they all come from this corridor, and I’m proud to say that,” said Dennis, a native of Sumter, S.C., who also owns residential rental properties in the West End.
A changing corridor
There’s a lot going on in Historic West End.
This Saturday will see the official launch of “West Complex,” an outdoor activation of food, games and family fun at 1600 W. Trade Street, the site of the former A&P grocery store. (The Duke Endowment recently gave the site to Johnson C. Smith University.)
A block up is the soon-to-be Five Points Public Plaza. The $5.5 million project will be a gathering space for the communities surrounding the intersections of Beatties Ford Road, Rozzelles Ferry Road and W. Trade, an area known as Five Points.
Slated to open at the end of summer, the space will include a small amphitheater, a splash pad, outdoor seating and public art.
A few feet from the Plaza, three retail shops — Jet’s Pizza, Rita’s Italian Ice and Premier Pharmacy and Wellness — are preparing to open at 1800 Rozzelles Ferry Road..
Then there’s the Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) CityLynx Gold Line streetcar, currently in its testing phase, which will connect east and west Charlotte.
For all of the development happening in the community, some are leery of gentrification and the potential displacement it brings.
Tiffany Fant, a Washington Heights resident and community activist, said she’s excited about the “shiny new retail,” but she questions whether these investments are being made for existing residents or the “ones to come who can afford four hundred- to five hundred thousand-dollar houses that are now being built in the corridor.”
She also wants more clarity about the city’s Corridors of Opportunity program — a $24.5 million city budget item announced last year to improve six low-income areas in Charlotte, including the Beatties Ford Road/Rozzelles Ferry Road areas.
“I’d like to have more transparency around the effort, because a lot of this development was based on serving and being here for the Black community,” Fant said of the recent development in the Beatties Ford/LaSalle area.
According to the city’s website, the E-Fix project at Site 1 is slated to get $1.084 million in city funding from the Corridors of Opportunity budget. (Dennis said that while the city has made a commitment, officials are “still working through the details of how those funds will be delivered.”)
Residents in the area also have expressed concern about whether businesses coming to the corridor will bring jobs and livable wages.
Fant says she believes that development can take place in economically deprived areas without leading to displacement, but it requires “bold action” from politicians and the community.
“Once you start beautifying, you can see that typical property tax thing,” she said, referring to rising property values and tax rates. “But that’s where that boldness comes in on the city level. What does it look like to set aside funds for long-term residents to help mitigate that, and not just for people 65 years and older.”
A balancing act
Malcolm Graham, who represents District 2 and Historic West End on the Charlotte City Council, says West End development is a balancing act of change while holding on to the corridor’s history.
He said developers like Dennis, who are stakeholders in the community, can help prevent gentrification because they understand the importance of making sure residents are a part of the change and not victims of it.
“It’s a balancing act that we’re all aware we need to do, but doing nothing is not the answer either,” Graham said.
He added that ultimately this is what the community has been calling for — city and economic investment, wrap-around services, little to no crime, a place where families want to come — change.
“This is a community that has been demanding change for well over 40 years,” he said, “and they’re finally getting it.”
Looking ahead
With Site 1 80% done, Faulkner says tenants should be servicing customers by late September.
Also by then, Site 2 should have “significant work” completed. It’s expected to open by early 2022.
Along with the promise of jobs and community resources, Dennis teased plans to do “something special” in one of the spaces at Site 1.
It’s something the West End hasn’t seen before that will pull together community, opportunity and business engagement, he says.
Faulkner and Dennis agree that while they are “reimagining” the corridor, they’re not doing anything new, simply resurrecting its storied past.
“We’re really trying to bring back this greatness that was already in the corridor,” Faulkner said. “Mr. McDonald did it before Chris did it. This place has always been great; we’re just dusting it off again, shining it up and bringing this experience to the people that were already there.”
UserNameless
Veteran
Shyt actually got national attention, and I thought it was really gonna jumpstart a wave of creative, unique black festivals in Charlotte to help the city form some semblance of a black identity ... but that didn’t happen
Glad it’s coming back though.
what would be your ideas for other unique festivals?Shyt actually got national attention, and I thought it was really gonna jumpstart a wave of creative, unique black festivals in Charlotte to help the city form some semblance of a black identity ... but that didn’t happen
Glad it’s coming back though.
Ethnic Vagina Finder
The Great Paper Chaser
I knew he was going to give up 
that country heat and bugs got to breh
that country heat and bugs got to breh
Bryan Danielson
Jmare007 x Bryan Danielson x JLova = King Ghidorah
KyokushinKarateMan
Train hard, fight easy
I knew he was going to give up
that country heat and bugs got to breh
Add extreme thirst, hunger, and the fact that he probably saw at least a snake or three over the past few days.
There’s a reason why Nature is undefeated
Mindfield333
Superstar
Been happening for years breh. Something always comes up so I never make it