CHARLOTTE — A vacant stretch in west Charlotte could soon see new life if city council signs off on a multi-million dollar affordable housing deal.
The local nonprofit Historic West End Partners has asked Charlotte leaders for more than $4 million to redevelop the former Church’s Chicken site along West Trade Street into a mixed-use development.
The proposal includes affordable housing, along with office space, a business incubator and 13,000-square-foot grocery co-op.
The store would address a longstanding food desert in West End, where the nearest major grocery stores are more than a mile away, leaders said.
According to the Charlotte Observer, the group has already purchased part of the property and is now seeking a short-term loan from the city’s affordable housing fund to buy the remaining land.
Charlotte City Council Member Dante Anderson said this is a project that can be replicated around the city.
“Bringing mixed income and development to Black and brown communities is no longer a possibility, it’s becoming a reality,” Council Member JD Mazuera Arias said. “We can do it. The city can do things to mitigate the harms of displacement as we are growing as a city.”
Though they have not made a final decision on funding, council members voiced support for the idea, calling it the type of development they want to see more of, combining housing, food access and transit.
City council is expected to vote on funding for the project in the coming weeks. Construction is expected to start near the end of 2026. Neighbors say they were sad to see the restaurant go but are looking forward to new resources.
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