Charlotte city leaders promise an economic boost for north Charlotte when construction on the light rail extension starts next year, and Channel 9 discovered a new project that could be one of the first.

Eyewitness News noticed construction on an empty lot at Caldwell and Twelfth Streets and found out what will go there.

In the past two months, the plot of land near Uptown went from public to private ownership and work immediately began for new apartments just a few feet from the light rail.

The Charlotte Housing Authority sat on the land for years, then sold it in December to a private developer who is now building more than a hundred apartments there.

"It will be very good for me," said Dianna Rightlaw.

She said light rail makes the area more appealing to renters.

Eyewitness News met her while she was walking back from the store in the rain because she does not have a car.

Eyewitness News asked her if the light rail were to go there would she, and she responded yes.

Then there is Todd Ford at NoDa Brewery, just two blocks from a planned light rail platform.

"They're in the process of making our second batch. They started about 5:15 this morning," said Ford.

He said nothing was happening here when he opened a year ago, but sees the apartments as part of the first wave of change from the light rail.

"I think that is very encouraging. Anytime you have a main artery like that you have to have a lot of visitors. You will have more commerce in that area," said Ford. "It becomes more real to the development community as time marches on."

Charlotte Area Transit leaders received a lot of calls from developers when funding was secured for the blue line extension.

CATS development specialist Tina Votaw expects another boost when workers start moving dirt next spring.

"Certainly as we start construction next year, we will get even more interest," said Votaw.

Votaw said CATS is in the final design stage for the light rail.

This year, it is buying land for the project and moving utilities along the route to UNC Charlotte.