Smithville

Town votes unanimously to move forward with revitalization of historic Black neighborhood.

With the Smithville Revitalization Plan, community members hope to breathe new life into an aging Black neighborhood, bringing new residents while also maintaining affordability and history.

A Cornelius community group told town commissioners Monday it needs financial support from the town and Mecklenburg County to carry out a proposed $11 million redevelopment of the historically Black Smithville neighborhood.

Leaders in the historically Black neighborhood of Smithville in Cornelius will present the town board Monday night with an updated revitalization plan they hope will fend off gentrification.

Most speakers at Thursday night's public hearing on the Mecklenburg County budget came to praise the plan. But a half-dozen speakers from Cornelius pushed…

As north Mecklenburg County and the Lake Norman area have grown over the past few decades, newcomers have brought higher incomes — and skyrocketing…