Corridors of Opportunity

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday for a new business hub for small businesses and entrepreneurs in one of Charlotte’s low-income Corridors of Opportunity.

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra performs regularly outside of uptown in parks and breweries, and now it has a new venue with wheels. The symphony is hitting the road with its mobile stage — bringing its music to many long-underserved neighborhoods that make up Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity. A recent performance took place in east Charlotte.

The Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte revealed Friday plans to create a $20 million center that will focus on boosting economic mobility for residents in one of the city’s Corridors of Opportunity.

Charlotte City Council will vote Monday on turning over that property to developers planning to build townhomes where the dilapidated motel one stood.

A house along Beatties Ford Road in northwest Charlotte was recently renovated and opened as a tea bar. The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary offers teas and pastries — and a place for people to unplug. It’s also designed to be an anchor in a mostly Black community that has begun to see a lot of change.

A forum at Catawba College in Salisbury on Thursday focused on the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities and how to alleviate environmental challenges those communities face.

Starting a business is tough without a loan or a cash infusion. But in Charlotte's Corridors of Opportunity, many people have done just that, building up businesses without help due to discriminatory lending practices, high interest rates or distrust of banks. Now, several grant programs and groups are trying to give businesses the capital and the means to grow.

City leaders on Wednesday announced the recipients of the Business Opportunity Hub grants, meant to support nonprofit organizations within the city’s designated low-income six Corridors of Opportunity. The $4.45 million was allocated after City Council's approval on Monday.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council highlighted West Boulevard, Brookshire Boulevard between Interstate 85 and Interstate 485, and Albemarle Road as areas at high risk for food insecurity. These areas all lack full-service grocery stores and require long drives to stores that sell fresh produce — hurting residents' health and economic prospects.

A top adviser to President Joe Biden says two grants totaling $1.1 million will help the city of Charlotte maintain its tree canopy in underserved areas.