What happened before Charlotte airport tore down a potentially historic site? A timeline
It’s no secret that the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is in the process of expanding its operations and footprint in the western part of the city. But as it expands in the name of economic development, residents in the nearby Steele Creek neighborhood worry that their neighborhood isn’t a part of the airport’s plans.
Why did Charlotte Douglas International Airport begin to expand? Where is Steele Creek and why is the neighborhood vital to the airport’s expansion? When did residents begin to feel they were being “squeezed out”?
Here’s a timeline of the Steele Creek neighborhood’s beginnings, the airport’s expansion and how the destruction of a potentially historic site increased residents’ worry on whether their entire neighborhood will be next.
Charlotte Douglas Airport and Steele Creek neighborhood: A history
- Scotch-Irish settlers began calling the Steele Creek area home in the late 1600s. The settlers brought their religion to the area, establishing the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church in 1760.
- The church was the epicenter of the area and in 1914 the congregation built the manse to house its pastors. The home also became a community hub.
- Charlotte Douglas began commercial operations in 1936 and in 1942 it became an air force base during World War II.
- The modern-day Steele Creek neighborhood was built in the 1940s, thanks to the veterans who decided to remain in the neighborhood.
- Charlotte Douglas’ current terminal, along with its international operations, opened in 1982.
- In 1989, Jerry Orr became the airport’s aviation director, paving the way for airport expansion. Orr became the face of the airport and is credited with making the facility what it is today.
- In 1991, the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church and its surrounding 37 acres were designated as a historic landmark by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. The manse was not but it was still considered a notable place.
The plans for Charlotte Douglas Airport expansion
- That same year, the airport conducted a capacity study in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration that found that if the airport did not expand, it would suffer from operational delays.
- To increase capacity, the airport proposed the creation of a third parallel runway. But the new runway would negatively impact five properties protected by a national preservation act. In a 2000 agreement between the airport, the FAA and the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office, the airport would work with the preservation office to “minimize harm” to the sites. However, the agreement notes that two of the sites, the Samuel Brown Farm and the Spratt-Grier Farm may need to be demolished if the airport and the preservation office could not find a way to reuse the spaces.
- Between 2007 and 2015, the airport completed its “CLT 2015 development plan,” completing about $1.5 billion worth of improvements including the addition of the third runway and a new roadway entrance.
- 2015 also marked the start of the airport’s ongoing $2.5 billion “Destination CLT” redevelopment plan, which includes a fourth parallel runway and lobby expansion.
- In 2017, the airport released its “Airport Area Strategic Development Plan,” detailing how the airport would expand in all directions. Part of the plan includes CLT South, the airport’s “Logistics and Distribution Hub.” That hub is located in the Steele Creek neighborhood but the plan never mentions the community or its residents.
- That same year, the City of Charlotte, on behalf of the airport, purchased the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, as well as the manse.
- In 2018, the airport amended its agreement with the FAA and the state preservation office. The airport added four protected properties to its list of impacted sites, including the Steele Creek Presbyterian Manse. The new agreement called for the removal or demolition of all the sites, including the manse. The airport also acknowledged that one previously listed property was vandalized and destroyed, while two other properties were demolished by the airport because they were unsafe. The airport agreed to pay $450,000 to the state office since the sites were not preserved.
Attempts to save historic properties in west Charlotte
- In 2020, Historic Landmark Commission Chair Brian Clarke said conversations surrounding the preservation of the manse began with the airport. But as the years progressed, the airport stood firm in its need to demolish the manse.
- In October 2023, the airport submitted a permit demolition request for the manse, according to an airport spokesperson.
- In December, the landmarks commission decided to recommend that the manse become a historic landmark. The recommendation put a 180-day hold on demolition plans so that the proposal could go before the Charlotte City Council, who would either approve or deny the request. In North Carolina, a historic landmark cannot be changed or demolished without a “Certificate of Appropriateness.” But under state law, the certificate cannot be denied. What the landmark status can do is delay the start date of the certificate by 365 days, giving the commission more time to potentially move or save the site.
- In an April landmark commission meeting, Clarke inquired on the status of the manse’s designation. Commission executive director Stewart Gray said the city had “not scheduled the consideration of the resolution for the Manse.”
- In that same meeting, real estate investment firm Foundry Commercial said it was working with the airport to acquire the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church and surrounding land. Foundry’s plan was to reuse the church’s sanctuary and turn it into a headquarters for She Built This City, a nonprofit that trains women for construction and manufacturing jobs. The remaining land would be turned into warehouses. Foundry was requesting that the commission remove the landmark status from a portion of the land so it could build the warehouses. The church and cemetery would remain historic landmarks.
- In June, the 180-day hold on the demolition expired, as the recommendation was still not placed on the City Council’s agenda.
- In a June commission meeting, Clarke again inquired about the manse to which Gray said “city staff [had] explained their opposition” to designating the manse as a historic landmark.
The loss of trust
- On Aug. 2, the airport demolished the manse.
- On Aug. 5, spokespersons from the airport and the city said the recommendation didn’t go before council because the landmark commission did not follow protocol when recommending historic designation for the manse.
- That statement was inaccurate and on Aug. 9, the city corrected its statement.
- In August’s commission meeting, members approved the de-designation of a portion of the Steele Creek church’s land. In the same meeting, residents expressed their frustrations with the airport. “Every time the airport is allowed to expand, it has a direct negative impact on my neighborhood,” said Eric Woods.
What’s next?
An airport spokesperson said the facility will continue purchasing land in the area from voluntary sellers.
The airport’s plans for the logistics hub will take five to 20-plus years, according to the development report. The timeline for the project, the airport said, depends on how quickly residents sell to Charlotte Douglas.
Desiree Mathurin
The Charlotte Observer