CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The City of Charlotte awarded over $150,000 to people looking to make a difference in the community.
The money is awarded through Placemaking Grants, which works to support transformative projects that enhance vibrancy and safety in Charlotte communities.
This is the fifth year of the grants and many of the recipients are in the Corridors of Opportunity. One of the areas is in east Charlotte along Albemarle Road. While traffic is lively on that road, for some, the area is on life support.
James Dover is a long-time east Charlottean and has seen how the once-beating heart of the area has slowed down over time.
"After Eastland Mall left, it’s totally been abandoned," Dover said. "It’s basically been flatlined. There used to be things to do and you could never leave and be happy. We used to go ice skating at Eastland.”
He said since the closure, crime has filtered into the area, but the CPR for the area is in the form of a vision.
Gerald Patton, an east Charlottean and member of the Four Seasons HOA Board, applied for the City of Charlotte grant and was awarded.
"We invest back into our community and Eastland yards project, that is sparking a lot of things that are happening," Patton said. "We can make changes that will make people want to stop and shop and spend time in east Charlotte. We are going to have murals, and landscaping, something to catch your eye where you want to stop and explore east Charlotte.”
Will Linville, with the Charlotte Urban Design Center, said it was a lengthy process to pick the winners of the grant. He said this gives creatives an outlet to make a difference in their community.
"If you were to look at a map, you are seeing these placemaking grants being allocated in areas in our corridors of opportunities, the six areas that have typically been underinvested in," Linville said.
For businesses in the area, like Super Coin Laundry, they said it will attract more people to the area which will put more money in their pockets. The industrial drums and business model have not changed since opening over 20 years ago. Part owner, John Lor, said the change was outside.
"More homeless people and poverty you could say," Lor said.
He said he and the family are excited about the possibility of expansion and growth.
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