Tryon Street to reopen to traffic. What that means for Charlotte’s Black Lives Matter mural.

The part of South Tryon Street adorned with a massive Black Lives Matter mural reopened to vehicle traffic Tuesday following a fiery City Council debate.

Council members sought to honor diversity and inclusion while also extending a lifeline to small businesses in uptown already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The elaborate mural, created by 17 Charlotte artists on June 9, became a focal point for peaceful demonstrations this summer following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At times, people knelt there for around 9 minutes, honoring Floyd, while pleading for racial justice and reform within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

As recently as Saturday night, throngs of people gathered at the mural between 3rd and 4th streets to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden.

But Taiwo Jaiyeoba, assistant city manager and planning director, emphasized that the “pedestrian plaza” surrounding the artwork was always intended to be temporary. After months of studying the pedestrian thoroughfare, meant to be a pilot program, city staff collected enough data for envisioning a new dynamic for uptown Charlotte, with the possibility of closing more of Tryon Street in the future, Jaiyeoba said Monday.

“Reopening does not take away the mural — the mural will not be removed,” Jaiyeoba said.

He acknowledged the artwork will gradually fade away, however, from wear and tear. Council member Renee Johnson said the mural will likely be vandalized again. A few days after the mural was installed in June, the letters were defaced with black tire marks.

In a 10-1 vote, the City Council supported Jaiyeoba’s recommendation to allow cars back on the uptown block. Council member Braxton Winston cast the sole dissenting vote and pushed for the pedestrian plaza to remain in place until at least Dec. 31.

The decision to reopen now is partially aimed at aiding small businesses and restaurants in uptown, with the prospect of easier street parking and more space for outdoor dining. Jaiyeoba assured the City Council the artwork will be preserved through prints and other alternatives, saying the mural thrived by capturing the passion of the Black Lives Matter movement in June.

During the public comment period, a representative from McCormick & Schmick’s described slashed revenues at the restaurant on 200 S. Tryon St. in the wake of social justice protests — upending profits that were slowly recovering as coronavirus restrictions loosened.

“We need to give those businesses in uptown a chance to survive,” Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said.

More than paint on a street

Winston urged his colleagues to embrace the reverberating impact of the mural and embrace the type of progressive change embodied within the artwork. More businesses surveyed in the uptown area reported their revenues had improved or remained stable, compared to those that lost money, Winston pointed out.

“By opening up the street and letting the Black Lives Matter mural fade away, we are saying that McCormick & Schmick’s valet matters more than Black lives now,” Winston said.

Community organizer and activist Kass Ottley pleaded with the City Council to keep the plaza closed to traffic, though others called on officials to allow cars on the thoroughfare.

“The Black Lives Matter mural has become more than just paint on a street — it’s a statement of promise for the city to do better,” Ottley said. “It echoes that Black and brown lives matter and they’re of value in the city.”

Still, City Council member Malcolm Graham said Charlotte needed to get “beyond the symbolism” and redirect efforts to tangible change for marginalized communities. That includes investing in Charlotte’s “opportunity corridors,” a tailored strategy from the city to spur economic development and upward mobility in areas like Beatties Ford Road and West Boulevard.

“It’s by the action that we take as a governing body that will really say whether we’re progressive,” Graham said. “Let’s do big things. This (mural) is really small in nature.”

Obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted some of the overall potential of Tryon Street, according to the city’s report that evaluated the mural’s impact for residents, businesses, visitors, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.

The plaza was busiest on Friday evenings and weekends, averaging between 60 and 100 people with a 5-minute observation span, the report found.

In a survey, 65% of respondents said public art made them feel more welcome in uptown. About half of people who visited the mural said they were already in the area, with about 40% saying they traveled to uptown specifically to see the artwork.

Local artists not surprised

Jaiyeoba said city will continue to identify opportunities with local artists and nonprofits to draw people to uptown and other neighborhoods. Organizations that want to use space around the Black Lives Matter mural will need to request event permits.

Artists who helped craft the vibrant piece in uptown told The Charlotte Observer in interviews earlier Monday they were anticipating traffic would return to Tryon Street.

Matthew Clayburn, whose “A” on the mural features fists of solidarity and a heart, said his contribution shows how he felt at the time he was painting. He said he knew the mural was never going to be permanent, yet the wear and tear will make it unique.

“I think it will revive that area again. People will want to drive over it,” Clayburn said. “I think it opens up more of a conversation about what public art can do in the city.”

Garrison Gist, who painted a portrait of Marvel superhero Deadpool in the letter “K,” said he believes the city can still use the space for public gatherings. He said he has enjoyed seeing the mural become a gathering place over the past few months.

“It’s brought people together. It’s smack dab in the middle of the city, and it’s art,” he said. “It’s a cool way to invite people to a common thing.”

Georgie Nakima said while organizers prepared the artists involved with the mural for the possibility that it would be temporary, she’s still disappointed. She hopes the city invests in a similar, more permanent project that honors Charlotte’s Black community.

“I think it’s unfortunate that there wouldn’t be more of an effort to preserve it,” she said, especially because the mural has become a safe haven during quarantine. “We’ve seen that district light up into its own empathetic space.”

Chad Cartwright, who is professionally known as CHD:WCK!, painted the mural’s second “T.” He said the city supporting the mural was a powerful message in itself.

“I hope they continue to support bold artists and bold messages that need to be shared throughout the city, especially when those messages call for change from the status quo,” he said. “And I hope the message (of the mural) stays in people’s minds and hearts as the physical work goes through whatever will happen to it.”

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Tryon Street to reopen to traffic. What that means for Charlotte’s Black Lives Matter mural.."