Charlotte's New Medical District Opens, But Affordable Housing Remains Elusive
Atrium Health had promised affordable housing in its pitch to secure $75 million in local tax incentives, but so far, the housing has not materialized.
Jacqueline Stowe, a 76-year-old who grew up in the Brooklyn community, has seen similar promises come and go. Her community was bulldozed for urban renewal in the 1960s, with city leaders promising to rebuild and allow families to return.
City leaders told residents they would rebuild and that families like hers could come back.
Decades later, Stowe fears that another promise tied to the same land - the creation of affordable housing - could be broken as well. Atrium Health's 2021 plan to build a medical school and research campus on the Brooklyn land was contingent on receiving $75 million in taxpayer money for infrastructure.
- Atrium Health's plan included building the city's first four-year medical school
- The plan aimed to make Charlotte a center for medical innovation
- The $75 million in taxpayer money was intended for infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and parking
Author's summary: Atrium Health's promise of affordable housing remains unfulfilled.