What is the 2010 Vision Plan?

The Charlotte Center City 2010 Vision Plan is a master plan created by the citizens of Charlotte to guide Center City growth and development for the next ten years and beyond. Plan recommendations address ways to make Center City Charlotte a better place to live, work, shop and play. In May 2000, elected officials adopted the 2010 Plan as official policy.

Why was the plan created?

Given the unprecedented growth of Charlotte, it was critical to develop this master plan to serve as a blueprint for future development. The 2010 Plan builds upon a tradition of producing downtown master plans every decade, beginning with the Odell Plan, which was adopted in 1966. Earlier plans have laid the foundation for a healthy, pedestrian-friendly main street, a solid office core, new cultural facilities and a burgeoning arts district, a new football stadium, the revitalization of the trolley corridor, and the creation of four distinct neighborhoods with more than 1,000 new housing units built in the past four years alone.

Who produced the plan?

Citizens of the Charlotte Metropolitan Region — Citizens from all walks of life identified the need to create a more "livable and memorable" Center City. More than 700 citizens participated in three community workshops to identify issues, review plan concepts and set priorities. More than 75 meetings were held with stakeholders, neighborhood associations, property owners, civic leaders and public agencies.

Citizen Advisory Committee — Fifty-five citizens representing neighborhoods and other community organizations served as a "test" group for recommended ideas and proposals.

Public/Private Partnership — Partnership included Charlotte Center City Partners, the City of Charlotte, and Mecklenburg County (including the Planning Commission).

City Council and County Commission — Elected officials reviewed ideas and recommendations, and unanimously adopted the plan as official policy on May 8 and 9, 2000.

The 2010 Vision Plan Management Team — Lead by Peter Ridder, Chairman and CEO of The Charlotte Observer, the management team included the City-County Planning Director, the Chair of the School of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the President of Charlotte Center City Partners.

Consultant Team — The partnership hired Richard Heapes of Street-Works, a design and development company in Alexandria, VA, to produce the plan. The team also included the following consultants:

Cole Jenest & Stone (Charlotte, NC) – Local design contact and urban design

Cooper Carry (Atlanta, GA) – Urban design and open space planning

The Goodman Corporation (Houston, TX) – Transportation planning

The Littlejohn Group (Charlotte, NC) – Residential market research

Stull & Lee (Boston, MA) – Urban design

Urbanomics, Inc. (Jacksonville, FL) – Market research

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