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Charlotte City Council approves controversial project near slave graves

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council approved a controversial project that will be built on a piece of land where slave graves are located.

A developer wants to build hundreds of apartments and 160,000 square feet of retail and restaurants near Mallard Creek Church Road and I-85 in University City.

[PAST COVERAGE: Man claims more slave graves on land set for development]

The Charlotte City Council unanimously approved the project Monday night. Council member Gregg Phipps, who represents the project area, spoke in favor of the development.

"This has been a very contentious rezoning," Phipps said. "We were not able to come up with a consensus that could get community support at this time."

Phipps said since opposition to the project arose, the developer has agreed to make the apartments only two stories high, increase the buffer to 75 feet between the neighborhood and contribute $10,000 to preserve the slave graves on the property.

The changes aren't good enough for Linda Majchrzak, a neighbor of the development.

“It's very frustrating," Majchrzak said. "I really don't believe the people in this area know just how much more traffic there is going to be."

She worries that there are more slave graves are out there that the developer is ignoring.

"That's a poor way to develop a city," she said.

Charlotte resident Darrin Rankin claims there may be up to 75 additional slave graves in the wooded area behind a slave cemetery that has already been identified. He said more research needs to be done to respect the people who may be buried there.

At one point, Topgolf was going to be the center piece of the development, but the golf entertainment company backed out after growing opposition from neighbors and the discovery of dozens of slave graves on the property.

A spokesperson for Topgolf said the entertainment venue is eyeing other locations in Charlotte.

One potential location is on University City Boulevard off I-85 in a new entertainment district. The area is being rezoned for a golf entertainment venue with a driving range.

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