Council Quickies: BOplex Upgrades, Wilora Lake Development Approved

Charlotte City Council held its monthly zoning meeting on Monday night, ending rather early before going into a closed session. An affordable senior-living development in Wilora Lake was the most discussed petition of the evening, but before that council approved a business item regarding upgrades for Bojangles Coliseum.

On the Agenda:

• BOplex upgrades
• Wilora Lake development

BOplex upgrades

Due to the urgency of the need, Charlotte City Council voted on whether to spend $25 million from the city’s tourism tax fund to go toward upgrades to the BOplex entertainment complex, which includes Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, rather than wait for the next business meeting when such spending decisions are usually made.

The 70-year-old facility is operating with outdated mechanical systems, including some HVAC units that date back to the 1950s.

Council already discussed the topic at its recent retreat and most of the reps appeared to be in support during a presentation earlier this month, calling the decision a “no brainer.”

The fixes are not related to recent reports of leaks that delayed and canceled multiple sporting events, as those have already been addressed.

Council member Malcolm Graham said he was happy to support the funding on the agenda for Monday night for some of the “public-facing” infrastructure that needs fixing immediately.

However, a recent tour he took of the facilities convinced him there will be more funding needed within a year or two for some of the behind-the-scenes stuff such as dressing rooms for teams and performers, which he said are in bad shape after decades of constant use.

A couple council members emphasized before their vote that the funding was coming from a fund that is raised from the city’s tourism tax on hotels and restaurants and cannot be used for projects such as housing or other issues not related to tourism.

According to city staff, the BOplex welcomed 688,000 attendees to more than 300 events in Fiscal Year 2025. Revenue reportedly rose from $2.9 million in FY15 to $19.2 million in FY25 representing a 562% increase.

This summer, Bojangles Coliseum will become the new home of the Charlotte Crown, a professional women’s basketball team that will be a part of the newly formed Upshot League.

The funding proposal was approved unanimously.

Moving on to zoning decisions, council was tasked with approving or denying a proposal to build an affordable housing complex for seniors behind Charlotte Calvary Church on North Sharon Amity at the front of the Wilora Lake neighborhood in east Charlotte.

The petition saw some opposition from neighbors during a hearing in January and a number of opposing neighbors showed up on Monday night to observe council’s discussion and decision on the matter.

The development would comprise 125 apartments and 11 for-sale townhomes, down from the 144 apartments originally proposed. Neighbors in January raised concerns about added traffic, tree preservation and building heights. The highest buildings in the complex would be four stories.

In presenting the project to council in January, Tim Sittema with development firm Crosland Southeast acknowledged that most of the units at the complex in question would be rentals but emphasized that the need for such projects is growing due to people getting priced out of the housing market.

He said it’s also becoming more difficult for developers to build affordable housing as a result of inflation and other factors.

The project was estimated to increase the vehicle trips generated on the property from 89 trips per day to 751 trips per day, though Sittema pointed out that senior-living developments tend to have a lighter traffic impact than estimated by the city.

On Monday, District 5 council rep JD Mazuera Arias voiced his opposition to the petition first. He said he would side with the neighbors who showed up in opposition not due to any desire to block affordable housing but due to concerns around traffic safety and congestion along North Sharon Amity Road.

Fellow council members Dimple Ajmera, LaWana Mayfield and Victoria Watlington also voiced their opposition.

“Right now, east Charlotte is really at a crossroads,” said Mazuera Arias to his colleagues around the dais. “We have created a community that is only sustainable to live, not work or play. We do have incredible projects coming on the horizon but I want to make it very clear, we cannot continue concentrating poverty and low-income in one area, particularly in areas that have always been disadvantaged. Vote how you will but, moving forward, please consider that east Charlotte is lacking amenities.”

Ed Driggs acknowledged that, for as long as he has been on council, it’s been a struggle to try to find space where affordable housing is economically viable to construct without concentrating it in disadvantaged areas. He said he would support the petition because, “In the grand scheme of things, this is what we are trying to accomplish. We are trying to create this kind of housing.”

The motion carried, 6-4, and the petition was approved. (Renee Perkins Johnson was not present for Monday’s meeting.)

Following committee meetings on April 6, the full council will not meet again until its next business meeting on April 13.