Corridors of Opportunity

The City of Charlotte is committed to creating safe, prosperous communities for residents to build legacies for future generations. We have invested $38.5 million into six areas of Charlotte as part of the Corridors of Opportunity program. Corridors of Opportunity projects cover areas of affordable housing, community safety, infrastructure, transportation, workforce and business development, and urban design. We've made tremendous strides in engaging residents, creating corridor playbooks and implementing programs. The I-77 lighting project combined with the Barringer Drive intersection will illuminate this important pedestrian connection and make it safer to cross this busy road. Local restaurants utilize grants to upfit and enhance their brick and mortar businesses. The Beatties Ford Road, Rozzelles Ferry corridor has a series of community conversations to determine key priorities which include community safety, affordable housing and placemaking. We understand that a safer Charlotte goes beyond changes to policing and public safety. Alternatives to Violence is a program that utilizes the Cure Violence global model to reduce violence globally using disease control and behavior change methods. ATV is a collaboration between the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Wells Fargo and Greenlight fund have also made contributions to extend the program. The city partnered with the Westside Land Trust to add affordable housing units for low- to moderate-income households along the Beatties Ford Road corridor. It also provides permanent affordability through the land trust model for generations to come. Five Points also lies within this corridor and is part of a program to strengthen local business development, placemaking and public-private partnerships. Five Points Center offers minority-owned establishments needed amenities to the area, including a restaurant, ice cream shop and pharmacy. The LaSalle intersection of Beatties Ford Road brings neighborhood servicing businesses including a BW Sweets Bakery and the Chase Bank, which offers financial literacy education to corridor residents. Corridor playbooks are a key approach to working with businesses and neighborhoods to establish a shared vision for the business corridors. They provide an inventory of existing conditions, opportunities for investment and facilitate public participation. Two corridors that have gone through the corridors playbook process are I-85/Sugar Creek, completed in September 2021; and Albemarle Road/Centeral Avenue, completed in December 2021. Final recommendations and projects for these corridors will be unveiled during community kickoffs in spring 2022. Twenty Twenty-one has proven to be a great year for the Corridors of Opportunity program. This investment is not the sole demonstration of the city's commitment to these areas, nor is it time bound. We are committed to completing these projects to ensure the preservation of history, enhance resident's quality of life and secure future investment within these corridors. Stay tuned for what's to come by visiting Charlotte NC dot gov slash Corridors of Opportunity.