Charlotte buys railyard land but it won’t be for a central park

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The city of Charlotte is buying railyard land owned by Norfolk Southern but the project is not for a park, which was part of an earlier plan.

In 2020, Channel 9 reported that a nonprofit was created to advocate for the purchase of 220 acres owned by Norfolk Southern to convert the land into a central park.

However, the Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to spend $14.8 million on nearly 18 acres of land.

The CEO of CATS John Lewis told the council that the city needs the land for the storage of light rail vehicles and maintenance and this was the only option.

Past coverage (July 2020): ‘Central Park for Charlotte’: Group reveals plans for 220-acre site near uptown

Local nonprofit Friends of Queen’s Park released renderings this week showing the group’s vision for transforming a 220-acre site north of uptown from an industrial railyard site into a Central Park for Charlotte.

The group said the park would include amenities such as a flexible great lawn, a regional cultural district and a natural area.

In a news release, the group said now more than ever urban parks are a critical component of community infrastructure, citing Mecklenburg County’s parks ranking at 95th out of 100 major metropolitan areas in the country.

At 220 acres, Queens Park would be the largest and most diverse park in the city.

The vision and renderings are a collaboration of well-known professionals in development, urban design and architecture, including Flywheel Group, Stantec, Odell and The Agency.

The group said the park would link and center eight diverse neighborhoods from the North End Smart District that are now separated by the railyard.

The park would also connect to the regional greenway system.

Supporters of the project are encouraged to post to social media using the hashtag #Tracks2Trees. The group is also selling Queen’s Park T-shirts and accepting donations on its website.

More renderings of the project can be viewed at queensparkclt.org.

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