CHARLOTTE, N.C. — City leaders voted to approve an additional $11.3 million for the Eastland Yards redevelopment project on Monday.
The funding was approved during the Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday.
Charlotte City Council approved $30 million for the project in October 2023. CharlotteEAST directors spoke with WCNC Charlotte on Sunday about what the Monday decision means for the long-awaited project.
“The action tomorrow night is the final step in unlocking the generation of economic success for East Charlotte,” Greg Asciutto, the Executive Director of CharlotteEAST said Sunday.
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The mall that sat on the 80-acre site closed in 2010 and was demolished in 2013.
The plan now is to change that into a sports and entertainment facility featuring multiple indoor-multipurpose courts, an artificial turf field outside, restaurant space, and more.
The additional $11.3 million is supposed to cover the uptick in project expenses and new infrastructure needs like retaining walls and drainage pipes.
City leaders say this project will be a great boost for the community.
“This project specifically on the sports complex side promises to bring about $169 million of economic impact to our region and 500 jobs as well," Asciutto said. "Our community has been starving for economic activity really for 2 decades – since the Eastland Mall started to go downhill.”
Leaders say they hope to have this project done by mid-2026.