CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte leaders now believe the Eastland Yards project could be more expensive than previously thought following Monday's City Council meeting.
City staff said they expect to discuss exactly how much more money the city may need to hand over in the next few months but one estimate figured to be around $15 million for the planned sports complex. That request took several leaders by surprise, including Mayor Vi Lyles.
"We worked really hard on this, to get to a place that we thought would be supported by the community, so I'm surprised by the potential request for additional public investment," Lyles said.
Charlotte City Council voted in October to spend $30 million public money to help jumpstart the 30-acre part of the Eastland site, but during Monday's meeting, the city's economic development office said it would need more money for infrastructure to complete the project. The office said it may require anywhere from $5 million to $15 million in additional funding.
"We do not have a magic money tree in the back," Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield said. "These are tax dollars we're utilizing."
"I'm not sure if we were given accurate information when we went through the whole due diligence two months ago," Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera said.
“If you are looking for a nod from this group tonight to proceed along those lines, I can tell you, I'm pretty sure you do not have one,” District 7 Councilmember Ed Driggs said.
“If failing is inevitable, we need to talk about that too,” District 5 Councilmember Majorie Molina said.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
"The Complex" is a joint venture between two developers that includes space for both indoor and outdoor sports. Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson said the facility would have at least six soccer fields, as well as restaurants and retail space. The project was approved when city leaders tasked two competing developers to work together on a single project for the property.
"It's going to cost more," District 6 Councilmember Tariq Bokhari said. "It was two separate things now pulled together."
“The infrastructure is older on this site, that I don’t know why we would be surprised," District 4 Councilmember Renee Johnson said.
CharlotteEAST, a community organization looking to grow development in east Charlotte, is hopeful the job gets done to give the area an economic driver.
"The city owns this land, they made the decision to purchase this land, so it's their responsibility to make sure this land meets the purpose of what they sought out to do with it," Greg Asciutto, the chair of CharlotteEAST's board of directors, said. “We need more of a hands-on deck to shepherd this through. We have a collective responsibility to make this thing work not just for east Charlotte, but for the whole region.”
City staff members say they expect to have an exact figure on how much more money they need by late January.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.