CHARLOTTE — A decommissioned west Charlotte school is getting a second life as part of an economic mobility push in the surrounding neighborhood.
Lakeview Neighborhood Alliance announced yesterday two resident-led initiatives backed by $1.95 million in combined philanthropic support from JPMorganChase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and the Wells Fargo Foundation. The programs target economic mobility and housing stability on Charlotte’s Historic West Side.
The centerpiece is the Economic Mobility Hub, known as the E-Hub. Lakeview plans to convert the shuttered school into a cooperative manufacturing, workforce training and entrepreneurship space. Chase committed $700,000 to advance the project’s planning, feasibility and financial modeling.
The investment is part of a deliberate strategy. JPMorgan Chase has contributed more than $5.2 millionin philanthropic support to the greater Charlotte area.
Suganthi Simon, who leads global philanthropy for Chase in the Mid-South Region, said the firm’s local focus centers on building wealth through neighborhood-level enterprise.
“In Charlotte, we’re focused on building inclusive wealth-building through place-based enterprise: strengthening historic neighborhoods and the regional food economy by pairing commercial corridor revitalization with inclusive ownership models and intensive services for small-business owners, undercapitalized developers and food producers,” Simon said.
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