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The Charlotte skyline peeks over the canopy behind homes along Patton Avenue in McCrorey Heights. The neighborhood could soon become a historic district, meaning it would join others like Fourth Ward and Plaza Midwood. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com / The Charlotte Observer

Development threatens this Charlotte neighborhood. Can history save it?

By Gordon Rago, The Charlotte Observer

 

McCrorey Heights looks much the same as it did in its heyday in the late 1960s and ‘70s. Brick ranch-style homes line a rectangular grid of straight streets, most along five major avenues.

But threats to that character and architectural style are encroaching, including newly built — and more expensive — homes nearby. Now, residents of the historically Black neighborhood have a way to put a stop to the rapid pace of change other parts of Charlotte are accustomed to.

Charlotte City Council as early as next month may approve McCrorey Heights as a historic district. It would mean that all buildings would be protected by a local design review process.

 

Read more at The Charlotte Observer

The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems.

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About The Project

Solutions Journalism Network launched the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative in 2019, a partnership of six major media companies and other local institutions focusing on issues of major importance to the Charlotte region. The collaborative is supported by $150,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its $300 million commitment to rebuild the future of local journalism, essential to a functioning democracy.

The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (CJC) is modeled on the Solutions Journalism Network method of investigating and reporting news with a primary focus on solutions to community problems. “At a time when local journalism jobs are disappearing and trust in media has hit an all-time low, the Solutions Journalism Network has taken on the challenge by organizing collaborative journalism reporting projects that promote excellent reporting and civic dialogue. the model has the potential to be part of a new wave of great local reporting, which is vital to building strong communities,” said Karen Rundlet, Knight Foundation director for journalism.

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