Council Quickies: Affordable Housing for Veterans and Red Line on Track

Charlotte City Council held a public forum and business meeting on Monday night, during which they got a first look at a new proposal for the creation of naturally occurring affordable housing for veterans and voted on the next big step for the Red Line. 

Below, we’ve included some of the meeting’s most notable discussions and decisions. 

On the Agenda:

• Tyvola housing proposal and other action preview items
• Brain Injury Month proclamation and public forum
• Red Line contract and other business items

What’s next:

Charlotte City Council will not meet again until Monday, March 23. 

Tyvola housing proposal and other action preview items

The action preview portion of the meeting gives city staff a chance to present certain topics to Charlotte City Council that they will likely vote on in coming weeks. 

During a discussion about community area plans, Dante Anderson brought up an issue she has seen in which vape shops are opening near high schools. 

She asked if city staff can look into what options the city has in trying to curb that development or ban those types of stores altogether within a certain distance from K-12 schools, then bring options back to council at a later date.

Later this month, council will vote on $25 million for upgrades to Bojangles Coliseum. Council already discussed the topic at its recent retreat and most of the reps appeared to be in support, calling the decision a “no brainer.” 

The 70-year-old facility is operating with outdated mechanical systems, creating rising reliability risks, according to the city presentation, including some HVAC units that date back to the 1950s. 

The fixes are not related to recent reports of leaks that delayed and canceled multiple sporting events, as those have already been addressed. 

Council got its first look at a proposal from nonprofit organization Community Solutions to maintain an apartment complex built on Tyvola Road just five years ago. Community Solutions already owns the building and maintains affordable housing there, but are asking the city for $3.5 million from the Housing Trust Fund to extend the affordability period for the complex from 10 to 60 years. 

Community Solutions will partner with another organization called BDP Impact to provide housing to veterans who do not have stable housing.

Joi Mayo pointed out that the complex sits along the Blue Line and acknowledged that the light rail has accelerated some displacement up and down its tracks. 

“For us to actually be able to add affordable housing along the Blue Line at a relatively new project is great,” Mayo said.

Brain Injury Month proclamation and public forum

To begin the official business meeting in the chambers, council recognized March as Brain Injury Awareness Month. It’s an issue that is personal to council rep Renee Johnson, who has advocated for TBI victims for many years. 

Listen: Nooze Hounds: Charlotte City Council Rep Reneé Johnson (2024)

Council suspended its rules to allow a handful of experts who were in attendance to accept the proclamation speak on the issue.

Lyles said she has invited NCDOT reps to attend the March 5 meeting of the city’s Transportation, Planning and Development Committee.

During the public forum, Charlotte Museum of History President and CEO Terri White said, “Today, we are an organization searching for lifeblood while our peers receive six- and seven-figure investments year over year.” 

She warned that, without an allotment equitable to its peer institutions in the coming city budget, the museum will no longer be able to hold the sorts of programming it’s been hosting at its east Charlotte site.

Eric Zaverl with Sustain Charlotte read off the names of all 14 people who were killed in traffic-related incidents in the first two months of the year. He asked that council take measures to more aggressively pursue Vision Zero, including the implementation of red-light cameras.

Read more: Tracking Vehicle-Related Deaths on Charlotte Streets in 2025

Red Line contract and other business items

With no discussion, council approves an installment financing contract of $120 million to fund renovation of the Law Enforcement Center for 911 expansion; constructing a new Animal Care and Control adoption facility; constructing, renovating and improving firefighting and other public safety facilities; acquiring land for a police hangar and other public safety facilities; as well as other projects.

The city grew by 49 acres with the approval of an annexation in northwest Charlotte at the site of a coming community called “Summerwell Mountain Island,” which will comprise 158 duplex units and 14 single-family homes.

The Summerwell community will be located off Oakdale Road along I-485. 

Council votes to extend an interlocal agreement that provides regional express bus service to Rock Hill through CATS.

Council approved an amended contract with HDR Engineering to add $37.9 million to continue with planning and design services related to the proposed Red Line. The original contract for early planning and design was approved in September 2023 for $5 million. 

The new phase will include public involvement, station area planning, utility coordination, vehicle coordination, track and grade crossing design, systems design, vehicle maintenance facility design and an updated engineering cost estimate.