Charlotte City Council voted 9-2 Monday to give Mecklenburg County a 10-year extension to sell Marshall Park to a developer.
As part of a land swap in 2007, the county was supposed to sell Marshall Park to a developer by the end of this year – or the city would have the right to reclaim the park.
The county has selected BK Partners to redevelop 17 acres in Second Ward – including the park – as part of the Brooklyn Village project of apartments, hotels, stores and offices. BK Partners hasn’t yet bought the land from the county.
City officials said the extension was needed to keep Charlotte’s deal with the county, which includes having affordable housing in the development.
But council member Dimple Ajmera, who voted no, said the county needs the affordable housing now – not in a decade.
“I have many concerns because this is not the first time we have done an extension,” Ajmera said. “There have been a number of extensions, if you look at the history of this site specifically.”
Council member LaWana Mayfield also voted no.
Council members also voted Monday to strengthen the city’s housing code. The tougher code is in response to problems at Lake Arbor apartments in west Charlotte, where residents have complained about broken air conditioning, mold and bugs.
The new code increases the amount property owners will have to pay in fines if they are in violation of the new standards.
The old fine was $100 a day, and then it increased by $10 a day.
The new housing code increases those fines by $100 a day.
Some council members said the new code didn’t go far enough in protecting residents.
