Another step in the former Eastland Mall’s development has been sealed.

Mecklenburg County commissioners voted 7-1 to adopt an agreement with the city of Charlotte for reimbursement of improvements by a private developer at Charlotte FC’s academy. Commissioner Pat Cotham voted no, because of language.

The site is set for a 78.3-acre mixed-use redevelopment. Twenty-two acres will be dedicated to Charlotte FC’s Major League Soccer academy, which kicked off their second season on Aug. 2. The academy site will be completed by Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which owns Charlotte FC. It will include two large fields for academy use, one large field for public use, four medium and six small fields for public use.

Charlotte FC’s academy will use the fields for a proposed 100 days annually. Community access would be on non-programed days.

Tepper Sports & Entertainment will contribute $4.25 million to the $26.6 million infrastructure funding. The total tax increment grant request from the city and county is $11 million, $7 million of which is Mecklenburg’s share.

Charlotte’s Economic Development Committee voted on June 15 to recommend the project to county commissioners with the following included in the contract: “A sustainable agreement for the public use of and access to the proposed soccer fields to be constructed by Tepper Sports. A sustainable agreement to maintain the proposed soccer fields as greenspace or park space in perpetuity in the event that the City and Tepper Sports terminate the underlying ground lease. A suitable agreement to provide mechanisms and programs to small businesses in the buildings directly supported by the Interlocal Agreement.”

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio will negotiate the items with Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones.

“After the adoption of this resolution, as we have in any other economic development deal, it goes to the county manager to negotiate the contract, the wording, the specifics, with whomever we are entering into the contract with [the city of Charlotte through an interlocal agreement],” commissioners Chair George Dunlap said.

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