Major Charlotte developer denies it has ICE detention plans for Concord building
Charlotte developer Crescent Communities denied that its warehouse property in Concord will be used for a controversial as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. But that hasn’t stopped anti-ICE protests there.
Last Sunday, dozens of protesters gathered at the intersection of Weddington and Belt roads in Concord following a New York Times report that ICE was proposing a 1,500‑bed immigration detention facility near there. Another protest is planned Saturday at Church Street and Corban Avenue.
Crescent Communities has no lease, agreement, negotiations, proposed plans or future plans with DHS, ICE, U.S. Border Patrol or any related federal agency at 7250 Weddington Road or at any other property, the developer said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer Thursday night.
“The use being suggested would also not be permitted under the property’s current zoning,” Crescent said. “We respect the right to peaceful protest, but the underlying claim prompting this demonstration is inaccurate.”
Crescent owns the property with real estate investment company AEW Captial Management. AEW has also said the building is not for sale, and that its owners don’t intend to lease to the federal government to house people detained by immigration enforcement.
Earlier in February, Crescent and AEW announced National Kitchen and Bath Cabinetry had purchased a 247,000-square-foot building, one of three within the 810,000-square-foot industrial campus.
The city of Concord said it’s aware of the ICE detention “rumors.” “The city has not been contacted and is not aware of any plans from the agency,” Concord said on X on Feb. 20.
Cabarrus County also has told the Observer it is not aware of any ICE facilities or plans in the county.
About Crescent Communities
Crescent Communities was founded in 1963 as Crescent Land and Timber, a land management division of Duke Energy, evolving from a forestry company into a real estate investor and developer.
Crescent’s portfolio has grown over the decades to include more than 95 multifamily communities and 26 million square feet of commercial space. Crescent has offices in Charlotte, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver and Phoenix.
In 2006, Crescent Resources was spun off from Duke Energy, although the power company retained majority ownership share until 2010, when Crescent emerged from bankruptcy.
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ICE in the Charlotte region
The federal government’s immigration detention center in Cabarrus County comes three months after a major immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte.
Operation Charlotte’s Web, led by former U.S. Border Patrol commander at-large Greg Bovino, resulted in several hundred arrests, according to the federal government.
Why people are protesting in Concord
The protests are organized by Indivisible Cabarrus County, a progressive grassroots organization.
The protests are in reaction to the New York Times report that identified Cabarrus County as one of 21 places where the federal government has or is considering purchasing a warehouse to convert into an immigration detention facility. The report, which cited property records and Department of Homeland Security documents, estimates the Concord facility would have 1,500 beds.
Protestors first gathered Feb. 22 at the intersection of Weddington Road and Belt Road near the proposed detention facility.
The group is organizing another protest from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, to “let our leaders know we don’t want ICE concentration camps here!”
Indivisible Cabarrus County said on social media that although no deals have been made with the city or private entities, the protest will go on.
“We need to remain vigilant and continue to express our concerns and opposition to the rampant illegal and immoral ICE activities still occurring throughout our country,” the group said Friday on social media.
