CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The future of 29 acres at the former Eastland Mall site is still uncertain. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Two proposals are under consideration for the redevelopment of part of the former Eastland Mall site

  •  The group CharlotteEAST expected a clear timeline from city staff regarding the selection of one of the projects

  •  City staff estimates a three-month period to come up with a recommendation

Tepper Sports and Entertainment had initially committed to building a practice facility, club academy and MLS Next Pro team for Charlotte FC on the site. However, last year Tepper Sports decided to back out of those plans. 

Since then, the city received four proposals, and in early May city staff recommended city council members to continue considering two during a Jobs and Economic Development Committee meeting. A racquet sports entertainment district and a sports, tech and entertainment hub are the two projects in question. 

City staff also mentioned the possibility of a third option, which would involve public entities developing a new concept. 

CharlotteEAST, a group that advocates for businesses and neighbors in east Charlotte, has paid close attention to the selection process. 

Staff shared with city council members it planned to spend up to three months listening to community feedback and evaluating short-listed proposals. 

Jordan Lopez, who is a member of the board of directors for CharlotteEAST, said the group expected a more specific timeline. 

“We are happy there is some sense of movement, that we are narrowing down the options, but we just want some definitiveness to the process,” Lopez said. “Kicking the can another 30 days, 60 days, 90 days in this case, it just feels we are spinning that same wheel.”

Lopez has lived most of his life in east Charlotte. 

“When Eastland Mall came down I was a sophomore in high school. I have since finished high school, undergrad, grad school. I’m 25, and we are still looking at this site,” Lopez said. 

City Council At-Large Rep. Dimple Ajmera shared the group’s concerns and requested a more specific timeline. 

“We certainly need to provide assurance to the east side community. How slow could this get? This has been over a decade, and there is an opportunity cost associated with this,” Ajmera said. 

City staff said they would work on it to provide the right project for the site.

“I want to be really clear that we are not trying to kick the can down the road. We’re just not trying to make a recommendation that we have to come back in eight, nine months and say, well, that didn’t work. We’ve been down that road before,” Charlotte’s assistant city manager and economic development director Tracy Dodson said. 

Councilwoman Victoria Watlington entered a motion requesting staff to submit a plan by the third week of May, which was later supported by other council members. 

On Thursday, a city spokesman told Spectrum News 1 that staff will report back to the City Council Jobs and Economic Development Committee and possibly have a recommendation in August. 

CharlotteEAST is not backing any of the proposals at the moment, but it is in contact with those behind both projects. 

Nearly 70 acres of the site already have a project in motion, which includes a housing, office, retail and park space.