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Marshall Park apartment project could be delayed as much as a decade

A plan to build housing, shops, and green spaces on the current Marshall Park in Uptown Charlotte could get a long extension next month.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A plan to build housing, shops, and park space on the current Marshall Park in Uptown Charlotte could get a deadline extension upwards of a decade.

The Charlotte City Council is discussing Tuesday whether to give the project a deadline extension. The current deadline is set to expire in October.

Proposed plans for an extension range as long as a ten years.

If built, the proposed Brooklyn Village would feature an estimated 1,200 apartments. The Charlotte City Council is continuing to debate the amount of affordable housing that would be included in the development project.

City planners want 114 units set aside for reduced rate and a minimum of 35 units earmarked for families with housing choice vouchers.

Some county commissioners are hopeful that more time to negotiate with the developer will help them leverage more affordable housing units.

"There are decisions being made that are not taking into consideration yesterday's mistakes," said Charlotte City Council member Lawana Mayfield.

If the deadline is not extended and the project reaches the deadline, the ownership of the land could revert back to the city from the current owners: Mecklenburg County.

"There are decisions being made that are not taking into consideration yesterday's mistakes," said Mecklenburg County Commission Vilma Leake.

WCNC has teamed with the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative to chronicle the growing need for affordable housing in Charlotte. 

Charlotte needs 34,000 affordable housing units to meet the demand of its population. That's nearly double the number from a decade ago, and it's a complex problem created by the city's own success.

To give you some perspective, local rents have climbed 45% since 2010. A person making $20 an hour would need to work 60 hours just to make enough to pay one month's average rent. And that doesn't include whatever is taken out of your paycheck. Approximately 46,000 people in Charlotte pay more than half of their income to rent; experts recommend paying no more than 30%.

RELATED: I can't afford to live here | An in-depth look at Charlotte's affordable housing crisis

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