logo
A timeline of the embattled Brooklyn Village project

A timeline of the embattled Brooklyn Village project

Axios4 hours ago

Nine years ago, Mecklenburg County selected The Peebles Corporation to redevelop 17 acres for Brooklyn Village, a project designed to honor what was once Charlotte's largest Black neighborhood.
Today, the prime land on Uptown's edge is unmoved dirt.
Why it matters: Brooklyn Village is intended to be a transformative development, breathing fresh life into the neighborhood and attempting to make amends to the Brooklyn community, which was razed in the 1960s and '70s. Surviving descendants have waited decades for some form of restitution.
Yes, but: In recent years, The Peebles Corporation has pushed off construction, sought more public funding and reworked site plans. The lack of progress has frustrated community members and leaders.
The latest: In April, the company informed the county that it expects to miss a contractual deadline to demolish an old, empty school board building on the site. The latest delay could be the final breaking point in the county and developer's shaky partnership.
Meanwhile, a separate redevelopment deal with Peebles has fallen through with the city of Durham.
Here's a timeline to catch up with Peebles' increasingly complicated history in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina.
June 2025: Durham cuts ties with Peebles
Durham cancels its agreement with Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters.
Similar to the situation in Charlotte, Peebles has gone back and forth with Durham on how much affordable housing would be included in the project and how the city would subsidize construction.
April 2025: Peebles seeks to postpone demolition of on-site Brooklyn building
Peebles sends a letter to the county explaining that the 1969 Board of Education building on the Brooklyn site contains asbestos. The firm seeks an extension until July 31, 2026, to demolish the building.
However, Peebles' contract with the county states the building must be torn down by July 28, 2025. WFAE reports that the county intends to uphold the deadline, possibly signaling a breakup in the long-drawn-out public-private partnership.
Earlier in April, City of Charlotte staff advises city council not to fulfill a $13.5 million request to help fund Brooklyn Village. They refer to "challenges" with Peebles' financials, WFAE reports.
February 2025: Peebles pitches new plan
Following a poorly received presentation to county leaders months prior, The Peebles Corporation presents a new plan to build 250 all-affordable units at Brooklyn Village. The previous plan was for 550 housing units, with only 55 set aside as affordable.
Peebles says the firm would seek Housing Trust Fund dollars from the city, federal tax credits and $2.5 million in gap financing from Mecklenburg County.
Some commissioners say they're excited about more affordable housing, while others are skeptical of further commitments with Peebles. They say they will look at the proposal with a "fine-tooth comb."
August 2024: Construction postponed until 2026
The Peebles Corporation says construction on two multi-family buildings won't begin until June 2026 — nearly a year after the required start date in the contract with Mecklenburg County.
The contractual deadline is "conditioned upon a favorable financing and marketability climate," a county spokesperson tells Axios. Peebles cites economic challenges, from record-high interest rates to an "oversupply" of multi-family housing in Charlotte.
Vilma Leake, a senior commissioner who went to church in Brooklyn, asks Peebles: "Will we ever finish it? Will I get to see it?"
Also in August 2024, the City of Durham selects Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters.
July 2024: Mecklenburg County sells land
Mecklenburg County finalizes its discounted sale of 5.7 acres at Brooklyn Village to the developer for $10.3 million. The land, on the edge of Uptown and near The Pearl, has risen in value since the price was agreed to in 2016.
2016-2023: Construction start prolonged
The project timeline is prolonged due to negotiations over contracts and site plans, developer due diligence and an extended closing period, according to statements from Mecklenburg County.
The developer starts "horizontal" construction work on the site, including demolishing the Walton Plaza building and relocating underground utilities.
2016: Mecklenburg County chooses developer
Of three bidders, Mecklenburg County chooses BK Partners — a partnership between New York-based The Peebles Corporation and Charlotte-based Conformity Corporation — to develop Brooklyn Village.
The first phase is anticipated to finish in 2021 (but never breaks ground).
1960s and '70s: Brooklyn is razed

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Springfield seeks to boost economic sustainability for Mason Square families
Springfield seeks to boost economic sustainability for Mason Square families

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Springfield seeks to boost economic sustainability for Mason Square families

SPRINGFIELD – The city will join a national effort to help residents of Mason Square become financially stronger. Springfield was selected to participate in the CityStart initiative through August 2026. The program, designed by Cities for Financial Empowerment, will provide a $100,000 grant and technical assistance, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced in writing. Sarno said the grant will provide access to 'opportunities for economic growth, with a specific focus on improving wealth equity for the Black community,' the statement said. The grant includes help with research, planning and engagement. Participants will shape plans to serve families over generations, the statement said. 'Financial empowerment is a critical component of building a strong and resilient community,' said Tim Sheehan, Chief Development Officer. 'With the support of the CityStart grant, Springfield will be able to develop targeted strategies that directly address the financial challenges faced by our residents.' Read the original article on MassLive.

NFL Explores Foreign Team Ownership, Says Ex-Commanders President
NFL Explores Foreign Team Ownership, Says Ex-Commanders President

Hypebeast

time2 hours ago

  • Hypebeast

NFL Explores Foreign Team Ownership, Says Ex-Commanders President

Summary TheNational Football League (NFL)is reportedly on the cusp of opening its doors to foreign investment in team ownership, according to Jason Wright, the former president of theWashington Commanders. Speaking on a sports business panel last week at Gabelli Funds' annual Media & Sports Symposium in New York, Wrightstatedthat his 'experience in NFL circles suggests the league is close to opening itself up to foreign investment.' While sovereign wealth funds from regions like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have already taken significant stakes in global sports like soccer, golf, and auto racing, major U.S. leagues have historically resisted such direct foreign ownership. However, with the NFL's continued business surge and its ambition for international expansion, Wright sees the diversification of its money pool as an 'inevitability.' Wright explained that the NFL, being a 'slower mover,' will likely 'test the waters' initially through large-scale 'partnership deals with companies and brands that we know foreign governments are behind and supporting.' He suggested that once these significant sponsorships, such as naming rights deals at the team level or marquee league partnerships, start emerging, it will signal a direct investment from foreign entities is on the horizon. These discussions, he revealed, 'have been happening in the background.' Wright, who served as the first Black president of an NFL franchise from 2020 to 2024, emphasized that smaller leagues might see sovereign investment more directly first due to greater need, but the NFL's move is a matter of when, not if. This shift could significantly impact the financial landscape of the league, potentially unlocking new capital for team operations and further international growth.

Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint
Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint

Johnson & Johnson is denying any wrongdoing after being accused of violating federal law and a Trump executive order with DEI hiring practices, according to an investigation request submitted by America First Legal (AFL). "Johnson & Johnson has always been and will continue to be compliant with all applicable laws and has never engaged in any "illegal DEI,'" a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told Fox News Digital. AFL is accusing Johnson & Johnson of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the federal government's Equal Opportunity Clause by engaging in what they claim is unlawful hiring and employment practices that they have openly promoted in past disclosures. The conservative legal watchdog is calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to launch an investigation into the drugmaker, claiming the company's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion violates federal law and affects every aspect of the business. 'Woke' Hospital Could Be In Crosshairs Of Trump Admin After Scathing Complaint Alleges Dei Discrimination "[Johnson & Johnson's] public representations regarding the role of 'equity' in its employment practices reveal that it systematically and intentionally ignores its compliance obligations and instead violates [their] equal opportunity assurances to the federal government," AFL wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Read On The Fox News App According to Johnson & Johnson's 2023 Health for Humanity Report, the company sought to have 50% of its management positions held by women and 6.8% of management slots held by Black and African American employees by 2025 as part of its "aspirational goals." The report pointed to its progress in achieving 49% women representation and 6.5% Black and African American representation in management slots as of 2023. "The Company's disregard for American civil rights is brazen. It boasts about 'creating equity across our systems and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion,'" the AFL complaint said. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture A LinkedIn business post entitled "How Johnson & Johnson is building a diverse talent pipeline" claimed that the pharmaceutical giant uses data to monitor its talent goals and holds leaders in the company accountable to them. The article claims the diversity of the talent pool they are recruiting from is tracked as part of this data. "One of the measures we are starting to look at is, not just the readiness of the pipeline… but what does the diversity of that mix look like? In order to provide a score or an assessment of the strength of the pipeline," Johnson & Johnson executive Sarah McKensey said in a video interview that accompanied the article. The article said the purpose of providing such an assessment on the talent pipeline was to ensure that diversity becomes "a natural feature of the hiring landscape" and said the company also holds external recruiters accountable for the diversity of their talent pool. Johnson & Johnson's 2023 DEI Impact Report stated that its leaders are responsible for developing "diverse and inclusive teams" and its 2023 health and humanity report detailed how the company would partner with women's professional associations in order to achieve "parity" in management. Johnson & Johnson had 3,719 contracts in 2024 with the departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and other agencies, according to with $11.6 billion in potential total value. Upon taking office in 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning federal agencies from doing business with companies that engage in discriminatory DEI practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that "An unlawful employment or other hiring practice exists when race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is a motivating factor for any employment decision." Federal regulations state that federal agencies can cut off contracts from outfits that are not in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. The AFL claims the Biden administration shirked its responsibility to investigate whether companies in the medical space were in violation of the civil rights act, and is urging the Trump administration to act now. The company appears to have removed most of its DEI-related content from its public-facing website since Trump took office. The company's former DEI policy landing page, which once stated, "Johnson & Johnson and all its operating companies are committed to workforce diversity, creating equity across our systems, and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion," now redirects to a more general appendix of ESG policies. The 2023 DEI impact report and the 2023 Health for Humanity report also redirect to the inclusion page. Another DEI landing page has been deleted and replaced with a more tepid "inclusion" page. However, AFL contends that the drugmaker is merely trying to conceal its ongoing DEI violations, and demands a federal investigation to uncover whether it is in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. "Until very recently, Johnson & Johnson proudly touted DEI policies on its website that AFL believes plainly violated the Civil Rights Act. Institutions across corporate America and academia are now taking steps to rebrand or conceal their unlawful DEI policies in order to evade detection and continue their discriminatory must investigate to determine whether Johnson & Johnson is still engaging in illegal discrimination and violating the Civil Rights Act," AFL Vice President Dan Epstein told Fox News Digital. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store