CHARLOTTE — South End neighbors and business owners are pushing back on a North Carolina Department of Transportation-proposed train maintenance facility project.
The project would expand the existing maintenance facility toward Graham Street to Summit Ave, wiping out or cutting into several businesses -- including the Frothy Beard Brewery. Plans also call for building an additional rail facility to the west of Summit Avenue on vacant land leading to Wilmore Park.
Business owners and neighbors say the existing rail facility and tracks are seldomly used.
Plans call for the line to eventually to be used for the new Gateway Station in Uptown. NCDOT officials say they need the new and expanded maintenance facility to service the trains that will go into Uptown.
Business owner Mike Conroy says he learned of the proposed project inadvertently after calling NCDOT about a separate issue.
“It blew my mind,” he said.
The proposal would jeopardize the location of his family’s printing business of 75 years, he said.
“it’s just shouldn’t be a fit for the city,” Joanne Conroy, Mike’s mother and business owner said. “It’s industry in the middle of residential.”
NCDOT claims the existing rail yard needs to be upgraded to handle modern trains.
“What we’re talking about is really fixed train sets that are kind of what folks are used to seeing in Europe,” NCDOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner said. “The current facility is not yet set up for these modern trains. It’s really set up for what we currently run. The future goal is to really serve Charlotte with a much more great train experience.”
NCDOT likes this location because it will have direct access to Uptown’s new transit hub. The department claims there is no timeline and the project hasn’t been finalized.
Neighbors and business owners are vowing to fight it.
“We’d like to have a timeframe that they’re working in, find out if there’s an option B -- and obviously we would like for them to take that option,” Mike Sullivan of the Gold District said.
“I’m not going to be afraid of it,” Mike Conroy said. “But, you know, I’m going to fight like heck to stop it.”
Conroy’s fear is NCDOT will take the businesses by eminent domain to build the new facility. The business owners and neighbors are working with elected officials to determine options.
State House Response
State House Member Mary Belk says she is trying to help residents who are concerned about the proposed facility.
The City of Charlotte and NCDOT looked for other spots but were unsuccessful, Belk said. She also said Norfolk Southern will not allow its rail yard north of Uptown to be used for the facility.
“If you keep saying keep the pressure on, if you keep saying you want it moved, eventually you will come to the table if it doesn’t move and say okay let’s think outside the box, let’s do something creative so it doe mitigate that negative impact,” Belk said.
A spokesperson for the city says it is premature to comment on any zoning changes that may have to be made for the project since NCDOT does not currently own the land.
(WATCH BELOW: Another light rail car derailed, CATS says)
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