Charlotte City Council approves extra funding to create sports and entertainment complex at former Eastland Mall site

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) – Charlotte City Council members are putting more than $11 million extra into the redevelopment of the Eastland Mall property.

It clears the way for new construction on the site of the mall, which closed 14 years ago.

Council members unanimously voted to approve the funds Monday night. They’re calling it a development that will transform east Charlotte, saying this is a dream that’s finally being realized.

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“This is going to be a destination point not just for the east side but for our region,” said Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera. “We are talking about a sports and entertainment district, transformational investment that’s going to unlock economic success for generations to come.”

It’s a project close to the hearts of several council members who grew up or currently live in the area. Councilwoman Marjorie Molina was one of the biggest supporters behind the project.

“Tonight’s decision is not just new development or infrastructure,” she said. “It’s about creating the future that we’ve all been waiting for. A future where east Charlotte is thriving part of Charlotte’s community story.”

The city council is adding $11.3 million to the more than $30 million already invested to revitalize the Eastland Mall site into Eastland Yards. The extra money is for water and sewer line work, streetscaping and construction of retaining walls since the project is going to be larger than originally anticipated.

The complex is going to have an indoor and outdoor sports and entertainment facility, retail and residential spaces and more.

Eastland Mall closed in 2010. Since then, current and former council members have worked to find the right project to put in the area. They believe this is it.

At Monday night’s meeting, representatives from the agencies that will run the complex were in the crowd – Edge Sports Global, Charlotte Soccer Academy and Southern Entertainment.

Beyond attracting people from all over the region, city leaders believe this development could help curb some of the youth violence.

“We talk about youth violence and tools to address youth violence, this is a resource in the community for the youth to answer or to respond to violence in our community,” said Councilwoman Renee Johnson.

Work on the site could start as early as next year and will take two to three years to complete.

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