After a decade of delays and stalled plans, Mecklenburg County finally has a path to build Brooklyn Village in Uptown Charlotte.
Charlotte-based First & Early Capital is proposing at least 631,000 square feet of development on the project’s 5.8-acre first phase. The firm bought the property for $24.3 million this summer after the previous development effort collapsed.
County commissioners reviewed the new framework Tuesday night.
A formal vote could come Nov. 5, clearing the way for detailed planning to begin.
Apartments, Hotel, Offices and Restaurants
The latest proposal keeps Brooklyn Village as a major mixed-use development but updates the original 2018 plan.
The current framework includes:
- 396 apartments if built across at least two residential buildings
- At least 320 apartments if developers use one residential building
- 100,000 square feet of office space
- 150 hotel rooms
- 45,100 square feet of retail and restaurant space
- At least 10% affordable housing
The original agreement required more than 500,000 square feet of offices and over 100,000 square feet of retail. County officials said today’s office and retail markets no longer support those levels.
First & Early would also have flexibility to shift space between office, hotel and residential uses. The overall project must remain mixed-use and maintain at least 631,000 square feet.
Construction Would Finally Have a Deadline
Under the new framework, First & Early would have nine months after a final agreement to submit its Phase One plan.
Construction would then have to start within three years after plan approval. Several commissioners asked whether that timeline could be shortened after years of delays.
Affordable Housing Remains a Major Issue
The proposal keeps the original requirement that 10% of residential units be affordable.
Those units would generally target households earning up to 80% of area median income. At least 10 units would target households at 60% AMI, and qualifying tenants could use Section 8 vouchers.
Some commissioners pushed for more.
Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell called 10% “barely a minimum.” Commissioner Laura Meier Powell also questioned whether housing at 80% AMI is truly affordable.
Commissioners Want Brooklyn’s History Preserved
The site was once part of Brooklyn, Charlotte’s historically Black Second Ward neighborhood, much of which was demolished during urban renewal.
Commissioner Arthur Griffin said the new plan still needs stronger commitments to preserve that history.
“This is absolutely painful for me.”
Griffin asked for more detail on housing, businesses, retail and other elements tied to Brooklyn’s original community.
Commissioner Vilma Leake also urged the county to review old records before finalizing the project.
“You didn’t have to come out of Brooklyn for anything,” Leake said, recalling the neighborhood’s stores, churches and services.
Board Chairman Mark Jerrell described the redevelopment as an attempt to repair historic damage.
“We’re trying to right a wrong,” he said.
A New Developer After Years of Failure
Mecklenburg County first selected a developer for Brooklyn Village in 2016, but vertical construction never began on Phase One.
First & Early later purchased the property after it reverted to the previous developer’s lender. The firm’s principals have participated in more than $5 billion in real estate transactions.
If commissioners approve the new agreement in November, detailed planning could finally begin.
