New affordable housing planned for historic Charlotte community

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By Gina Esposito

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Retired dump truck and CMS school bus driver Corlena Miller has called Brookhill Village home for nine years.

The historic and affordable housing community off South Tryon Street, near bustling South End, is under new ownership.

The run-down units will be replaced with 324 brand new units split up between three-story flats and two-story townhomes. The goal is to keep many of them affordable so current residents, like Miller, and dozens of others can stay.

"I'm excited about everything that’s going to happen here," said Miller.

[ ALSO READ: Charlotte church shares hope with families affected by affordable housing crisis ]

Below is a breakdown of the new ownership’s housing plan:

  • 65 units are set aside for people earning 30 percent of the area median income.
  • 97 units are for people earning 60 percent of the area median income.
  • Two units at 80 percent of area median income
  • 160 units at market rate

When construction begins, the unoccupied units will be the first torn down. Current residents will be able to stay in their homes during construction and will be given priority opportunities to move into the brand new units.

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Ray McKinnon is the pastor to many of the residents at South Tryon Community Methodist Church.

“Our only objective is to ensure that our neighbors, our friends are centered and they are not forgotten because that seems to be the way development has occurred in Charlotte,” said McKinnon.

McKinnon has been working with the new ownership on this complicated project that's been years in the making.

“I think this is the third or fourth iteration of trying this, and this is the farthest we’ve ever gotten. I think it’s important to recognize that we got to a place now that folks said was impossible,” said McKinnon.

Renders haven’t yet been drawn up for the project, or a timeline for when construction could begin. The new ownership is working on securing gap funding.

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