After years of work in Charlotte’s Historic West End, $5.5 million plaza set to debut
The gateway to the Historic West End just got a new face lift.
Thanks to the city of Charlotte and a team of community members, years-long construction on the Five Points Plaza is officially over.
To celebrate, city officials including Mayor Vi Lyles and councilman Malcolm Graham will hold a grand opening with the community on Saturday for the $5.5 million plaza.
The all-day event starts at 10 a.m.
There will be a drum circle, yoga, pop-up shops and a skate party later in the day. The plaza sits at the intersection of Beatties Ford Road, Rozzelles Ferry Road, W. Trade Street, W. 5th Street and State Street.
It’s right by Johnson C. Smith University and close to a number of Charlotte’s oldest African American neighborhoods. The plaza is intended to be a cultural, educational and entertainment public space that reflects the neighborhood’s identity, according to the Charlotte Knight Foundation.
The space has been underutilized for years, said Charles Thomas, the foundation’s director. The foundation donated nearly $400,000 to the city to help support construction of the plaza.
With construction officially over, students and residents can use it as a place to sit and eat some Rita’s Italian Ice or grab a slice from Jet’s Pizza, both steps away.
There’s free public WiFi, so students can sit and work on their laptops, Thomas said. During the year, people can also put on community events like outdoor yoga, play music at the amphitheater or host bigger events like a jazz series or Christmas festival.
“It’s one of those amenities that (West End) folks have been asking for for years,” Thomas said. “It creates a sense of place.”
Events all year
Aside from the amphitheater, the plaza also features chairs, tables, swings and a water splash pad. The intersection is close to two stops of the LYNX Gold Line streetcar — either the Bruns Avenue or Johnson C. Smith stops. There is no designated parking but there are three nearby options.
A large team of community members will be working with the city on programming events at the plaza throughout the year.
Several months ago, the city hired Jessica Macks as an event coordinator for the Five Points Plaza.
The plaza is technically split into two: the Trade Street plaza, which sits adjacent to the Jet’s Pizza and Rita’s Italian Ice, and the State Street plaza just south of Rozzelles Ferry Road.
Want to go?
The ribbon cutting ceremony starts at 10 a.m. The address is 1803 W. Trade St. Parking will be available in Atrium Health Biddle Point’s main and overflow parking lots, 1801 Rozzelles Ferry Road. Parking is also available at Jet’s Pizza, Rita’s Italian Ice and M&F Bank.
Events are scheduled through 7 p.m. A full schedule can be found at fivepointsplaza.com/events.
To find out more about the plaza, you can visit fivepointsplaza.com.
