Local

Man claims more slave graves on land set for development

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man said he believes he's found dozens more slave graves on a piece of land in north Charlotte that was once slated for a major Topgolf project, but neighbors fought it off.

Now, they're back in front of city council to fight even more projects.

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

"We believe the blue and white markers indicate possible grave sites," Rankin said about the area on Mallard Creek Church Road near Interstate 85.

Developers dropped plans to build a Topgolf in the area, but still plan on developing the site, promising to respect the slave grave site found here earlier this year, next to the church cemetery.

Rankin said he's not against development, but more research has to be done before breaking ground.

Historian Dan Morril identified the slave cemetery using physical and documentary evidence next to the church's cemetery.

Morril said beyond that, it's hard to say what the blue and white flags Rankin found may represent.

"There are a number of markers down the path," Morril said.

Developers are hoping to build 400 multi-family residential units.

Nearby residents said they're not against development as long as the community's major concerns are addressed.

"I'm not upset about them building, I just hope that they do research about the traffic that's going to affect our area," a resident said.