A timeline of the embattled Brooklyn Village project
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Nine years ago, Mecklenburg County selected The Peebles Corporation to redevelop 17 acres for Brooklyn Village, a project designed to honor what was once Charlotte's largest Black neighborhood.
- Today, the prime land on Uptown's edge is unmoved dirt.
Why it matters: Brooklyn Village is intended to be a transformative development, breathing fresh life into the neighborhood and attempting to make amends to the Brooklyn community, which was razed in the 1960s and '70s. Surviving descendants have waited decades for some form of restitution.
Yes, but: In recent years, The Peebles Corporation has pushed off construction, sought more public funding and reworked site plans. The lack of progress has frustrated community members and leaders.
The latest: In April, the company informed the county that it expects to miss a contractual deadline to demolish an old, empty school board building on the site. The latest delay could be the final breaking point in the county and developer's shaky partnership.
- Meanwhile, a separate redevelopment deal with Peebles has fallen through with the city of Durham.
Here's a timeline to catch up with Peebles' increasingly complicated history in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina.
June 2025: Durham cuts ties with Peebles
- Durham cancels its agreement with Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters.
- Similar to the situation in Charlotte, Peebles has gone back and forth with Durham on how much affordable housing would be included in the project and how the city would subsidize construction.
April 30, 2025: Mecklenburg County accuses Peebles of avoiding work
- Mecklenburg County responds to Peebles' claims that more time is necessary to demolish the Board of Education building on the Brooklyn site after discovering asbestos. The letter calls Peebles' claims "meritless."
- "In reality, this is merely a continuation of BKV's ongoing attempts to avoid performing the demolition and removal work it agreed to perform," states the letter, written by Womble Bond Dickinson law firm.
April 18, 2025: Peebles seeks to postpone demolition of on-site Brooklyn building
- Peebles sends a letter to the county explaining that the 1969 Board of Education building on the Brooklyn site contains asbestos. The firm seeks an extension until July 31, 2026, to demolish the building.
- However, Peebles' contract with the county states the building must be torn down by July 28, 2025. WFAE reports that the county intends to uphold the deadline, possibly signaling a breakup in the long-drawn-out public-private partnership.
- Earlier in April, City of Charlotte staff advises city council not to fulfill a $13.5 million request to help fund Brooklyn Village. They refer to "challenges" with Peebles' financials, WFAE reports.
February 2025: Peebles pitches new plan
- Following a poorly received presentation to county leaders months prior, The Peebles Corporation presents a new plan to build 250 all-affordable units at Brooklyn Village. The previous plan was for 550 housing units, with only 55 set aside as affordable.
- Peebles says the firm would seek Housing Trust Fund dollars from the city, federal tax credits and $2.5 million in gap financing from Mecklenburg County.
- Some commissioners say they're excited about more affordable housing, while others are skeptical of further commitments with Peebles. They say they will look at the proposal with a "fine-tooth comb."
August 2024: Construction postponed until 2026
- The Peebles Corporation says construction on two multi-family buildings won't begin until June 2026 — nearly a year after the required start date in the contract with Mecklenburg County.
- The contractual deadline is "conditioned upon a favorable financing and marketability climate," a county spokesperson tells Axios. Peebles cites economic challenges, from record-high interest rates to an "oversupply" of multi-family housing in Charlotte.
- Vilma Leake, a senior commissioner who went to church in Brooklyn, asks Peebles: "Will we ever finish it? Will I get to see it?"
- Also in August 2024, the City of Durham selects Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters.
July 2024: Mecklenburg County sells land
- Mecklenburg County finalizes its discounted sale of 5.7 acres at Brooklyn Village to the developer for $10.3 million. The land, on the edge of Uptown and near The Pearl, has risen in value since the price was agreed to in 2016.
2016-2023: Construction start prolonged
- The project timeline is prolonged due to negotiations over contracts and site plans, developer due diligence and an extended closing period, according to statements from Mecklenburg County.
- The developer starts "horizontal" construction work on the site, including demolishing the Walton Plaza building and relocating underground utilities.
2016: Mecklenburg County chooses developer
- Of three bidders, Mecklenburg County chooses BK Partners — a partnership between New York-based The Peebles Corporation and Charlotte-based Conformity Corporation — to develop Brooklyn Village.
- The first phase is anticipated to finish in 2021 (but never breaks ground).
1960s and '70s: Brooklyn is razed
- The Brooklyn neighborhood is demolished through the federal urban renewal program, which displaces Black residents from valuable land near downtown districts.
- The effort in Charlotte affects around 216 businesses and thousands of residents, costing Black Charlotteans millions in generational wealth.