CATS, airport and NCDOT discuss West Boulevard plans 

CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Growth of Charlotte Douglas International Airport is among the topics for discussion Jan. 7 when officials from the airport, Charlotte Area Transit System and North Carolina Department of Transportation meet residents of the West Boulevard corridor. The forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Progressive Baptist Church on Clanton Road.

Charlotte has big plans for the West Boulevard Corridor. Some residents are cautious.  

The West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition will host a corridor-wide meeting Jan. 7 with representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Charlotte Area Transit Systems and Charlotte Douglas International Airport – all of which have development plans in and around West Boulevard and Historic West End. The meeting is 6 p.m. at Progressive Baptist Church on Clanton Road.

The development projects include realignment of West Boulevard and widening of I-277, and construction of a fifth-parallel runway for the airport. A new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police captain will be introduced, as well as the owner of City West Commons shopping center and the merchants’ association to create a better business climate in the corridor.

Residents will have a chance to ask questions about the projects and their scope.

Rickey Hall, board chair of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, said that “affordability is always central to the conversation,” adding residents are curious to know how the projects will impact traffic, accessibility and mobility, and quality of life “if you look at what Steeleberry is going through.” Neighbors in Steeleberry Acres, a community to the south of Charlotte Douglas oppose airport expansion projects over preservation of historic buildings and property acquisition.

The airport plans to develop the Wilkinson Boulevard and Billy Graham Parkway corridors, as outlined in its 2017 commercial development strategy.

“We want a comprehensive explanation of how this will impact our quality of life,” Hall said, noting the historic impacts of highway development, like construction of Wilkinson Boulevard, I-485 and Billy Graham Parkway, on predominantly Black communities. “We need to be on the forefront and advocate.”

Hall also mentioned the proposed CATS Silver light-rail line’s potential to gentrify neighborhoods in the corridor, much like the Blue Line has from South End to Hidden Valley.

“When the city moved toward the 2040 comprehensive plan, there was supposed to be a focus on equity,” Hall said. “A lot of development that’s taking place around the corridor, and in West End, has cause displacement. We need to stay true to the historic legacy of those residents and avoid the negative pitfalls of the past.”

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