The city of Charlotte has announced new funding for projects aimed at revitalizing and reshaping public spaces. One group that feels left out of the city’s Corridors of Opportunity initiative says the funds are a way to bring beauty into the neighborhood.
The city plans to distribute $230,000 to 16 community-led projects. They include bus stop beautifications, murals and sculptures. Transforming Nations Ford is one of the recipients. In March, the group hosted a community workshop, aimed at creating their own Corridor of Opportunity playbook to improve their neighborhood.
“We have to be proactive, we can’t just wait for the city or the county to take note of us," said Joi Mayo, the group's board chair. "I think we are really building momentum.”
In 2022, the city of Charlotte identified six historically underinvested corridors to receive millions in new investments through the city's Corridors of Opportunity initiative. The Nations Ford corridor, located in southwest Charlotte, was not among them.
The neighborhood group plan to use the funds to add a mural near the intersection of Nations Ford Road and Kings Creek Drive that depicts young people enjoying nature. Mayo said the artwork is part of the initial efforts to address what neighbors say they want.
“What we heard was beautification, being thoughtful of sidewalks. People are saying, some of the sidewalks they can’t travel along,” Mayo said. "So, those are the conversations we have to start addressing.”
The group hopes to have the mural on display by October 2025.
