Charlotte's New Medical District Opens, But Affordable Housing Remains Elusive
Atrium Health's promise of affordable housing in Charlotte's Pearl Innovation District remains unfulfilled, leaving residents disappointed.
Jacqueline Stowe, a 76-year-old who grew up in Brooklyn, a thriving Black community just outside uptown Charlotte, has seen big promises come and go. In the 1960s, Brooklyn was bulldozed for urban renewal, with city leaders promising to rebuild and allow families like hers to return.
Now, decades later, Stowe fears that another promise tied to the same land — a vow to create affordable housing — could be broken too.
In 2021, Atrium Health unveiled an ambitious plan to build the city's first four-year medical school on the Brooklyn land, along with an accompanying research and technology campus. The plan aimed to make Charlotte a center for medical innovation, but required $75 million in taxpayer money to pay for infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and parking.
Author's summary: Atrium Health's promise of affordable housing in Charlotte remains unfulfilled.