List Shows Mecklenburg County Construction Projects On Hold

Eyewitness News obtained the list of Mecklenburg County construction projects that voters approved, but that are now on hold.

Mecklenburg County plans to finish anything crews broke ground on, but they will not start anything new until at least July 2010.

More than 100 projects are up in the air, including schools.

One voter, Beth Silver, said, "We need new schools. Our schools are overcrowded."

Another voter, Meghan Putnam, said, “Charlotte's just on hold, so, it's upsetting because we live here."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has 27 projects halted, including four new elementary schools. The Park and Recreation Department has 91, including a new park for Lincoln Heights. Central Piedmont Community College’s five projects include a new Van Every Building. County departments have 12 projects on hold, including a new jail, and public libraries have three halted, such as a new Scaleybark Road branch. That’s the one that resident Carmen Baker uses.

"If you have to wait, you have to wait," she said.

County leaders were going to borrow the money -- roughly $1 billion -- but decided not to because they're worried too much debt would hurt the county's bond rating.

Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts said, "I think what we're seeing is that we all have to tighten our belt, and we only have so much that we're able to do."

When the county does borrow money for these projects, it now plans to put a limit on how much it borrows at a time.

PDF: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Construction Project List