Yesterday the Charlotte City Council greenlit an ambitious new $30 million development plan for the old Eastland Mall site.
This decision is a significant turning point for the once-thriving Eastland Mall, which the city of Charlotte purchased in August of 2012 for $13.15 million, and then destroyed a year later.
Over the past several years, numerous projects were proposed and then tabled for the site, including an indoor swimming pool, a tennis complex, an indoor amateur sports arena, and an e-sports hub.
In a strategic move, city officials urged the two final developers to combine their visions for the site.
The Charlotte City Council will hear plans Monday night for combining two proposals for the redevelopment of the old Eastland Mall site.
More on what the proposals here >>> https://t.co/vuBcQDAjwT pic.twitter.com/pSfRVwO2JU
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The newly merged blueprint now boasts a sprawling 120,000-square-foot indoor amateur sports facility, complete with an ice-skating rink. This versatile structure can also double up as an e-sports center. Additionally, the outdoors will feature sports fields and areas designated for intimate festivals.
Yesterday, the council voted to earmark $30 million for this ambitious project, with more additional public funding possible in the future.
While the collaboration dynamics between Crosland Southeast, Southern Entertainment (champions of the e-sports hub and amphitheater), and Eastland Yards Indoor Sports (the brains behind the indoor sports complex), remain to be seen, the city promises a detailed update by year-end.