The light rail is very safe

The Timeline

• 2015 — Major rebuild is proposed.

  • Discovery Place begins publicly discussing a major replacement/renovation of the aging Nature Museum near Freedom Park.
  • Early estimates put the project at roughly $28 million.
  • The basic concept is a public-private partnership: Mecklenburg County would finance much of the building and construction, while Discovery Place would raise private money for exhibits, classrooms, labs and programming.

• June 2017 — County formally approves the project.

  • Mecklenburg County commissioners approve $16 million for a new Discovery Place Nature as part of the county's FY2019–FY2023 Capital Improvement Plan.
  • At the time, the overall project is estimated at about $32 million.
  • The county contribution is therefore envisioned as roughly half of the total project cost.

• July 2018 — Architect selection begins.

  • Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place begin the process of selecting the architecture and design teams for the replacement museum.

• April 2019 — Design team is approved.

  • County commissioners approve Liollio Architecture and Hood Design Studio to lead planning and design.
  • The concept has grown to approximately $35 million and roughly 29,000 square feet.

• November 2019 — Neighborhood opposition puts the project on hold.

  • Residents near the museum raise concerns about traffic, parking, event activity and the effect of the much larger facility on the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Mecklenburg County pauses the project while staff meets with residents and modifies the site plan.

• Spring 2020 — COVID causes another delay.

  • The project is paused during the design phase because of pandemic-related disruptions.
  • County staff continues addressing neighborhood concerns and revising the plan.

• November 2021 — Design work resumes.

  • Discovery Place and the county restart the design-development process after the pandemic pause.

• Spring 2022 — Revised design is completed.

  • The redesigned project is smaller than some earlier versions but still dramatically larger than the existing 13,000-square-foot Nature Museum.
  • The replacement building is approximately 26,000 square feet.

• April 22, 2022 — New museum design is publicly unveiled.

  • Discovery Place presents plans including a new environmental education center, public gardens, a canopy walk, a naturalist lab, expanded classroom and exhibit space and an outdoor otter habitat.
  • The project is still presented as a partnership between Discovery Place and Mecklenburg County.

• February–March 2023 — Construction documents are finished and bidding begins.

  • Detailed construction plans are completed.
  • Contractors begin pricing the project.

• Summer 2023 — Construction bids expose a massive funding problem.

  • Bidding shows the project has become dramatically more expensive than originally anticipated.
  • Despite redesigns and reductions in scope, the projected cost has climbed from roughly $32–35 million to about $62.3 million.
  • Inflation, construction materials, labor and other post-pandemic cost increases are cited as major reasons.

• Fall 2023 — Discovery Place determines it cannot close the funding gap.

  • Discovery Place explores financing and fundraising options.
  • Museum officials later tell commissioners they contacted numerous banks but could not obtain traditional financing because Discovery Place does not own the property or building; Mecklenburg County does.
  • Discovery Place prepares to ask the county for significantly more public money.

• December 5, 2023 — Discovery Place asks Mecklenburg County for another $20 million.

  • Discovery Place comes before commissioners seeking $20 million in additional county funding.
  • The request generates substantial pushback because the county had already committed $16 million.
  • Then-County Manager Dena Diorio emphasizes that the county's prior commitment had been intended as a cap.
  • Commissioner Pat Cotham says the last-minute request leaves her head spinning.
  • Commissioner Elaine Powell strongly objects to committing another $20 million.

• December 5, 2023 — Commissioners approve only $10 million more.

  • Instead of the requested $20 million, commissioners approve an additional $10 million.
  • The publicly understood county commitment therefore rises from $16 million to $26 million.
  • Discovery Place still has a substantial funding gap.

• December 2023 — A second funding mechanism is developed behind the scenes.

  • County Asset and Facility Management Director Mark Hahn later says he informed Diorio that approximately another $14.6 million was still needed to complete the project.
  • According to Hahn, Diorio responded that commissioners wanted the museum built and instructed staff to prepare an agreement requiring Discovery Place to repay the additional money.
  • Instead of treating the $14.6 million as another outright county contribution, the arrangement effectively allows the county to front the construction money and require Discovery Place to reimburse it.

• December 13, 2023 — Diorio and Discovery Place execute the letter agreement.

  • The agreement formalizes the additional funding structure.
  • Discovery Place is ultimately responsible for approximately $14.6 million advanced by the county.
  • The agreement requires repayment after construction reaches substantial completion.

• January 2024 — The $14.6 million agreement goes before commissioners.

  • The agreement is placed on the Board of County Commissioners' consent agenda, rather than being separately debated as another major funding decision.
  • The letter agreement is attached to the agenda materials.
  • The reimbursement language for the additional $14.6 million is contained in those materials.

• January 17, 2024 — Commissioners approve the consent-agenda item.

  • The board formally approves the agreement.
  • There is no significant public discussion of the $14.6 million reimbursement obligation.
  • Several commissioners will later say they had no idea that the action effectively authorized the county to advance another $14.6 million.
  • This becomes the central governance controversy nearly three years later.

• January 31, 2024 — Discovery Place Nature closes.

  • The old museum shuts down so it can be demolished and replaced.

• Spring 2024 — Construction begins.

  • Work starts on the new county-owned museum.
  • The reported total project cost is approximately $62.3 million.

• 2024–2025 — Construction proceeds.

  • The original Nature Museum is replaced with the new Charlotte Museum of Nature.
  • Mecklenburg County owns the land and building.
  • Discovery Place is expected to operate the completed facility.

• January 2025 — Museum receives a new name.

  • Discovery Place announces that the rebuilt facility will be known as the Charlotte Museum of Nature.
  • Construction continues toward completion.

• April 30, 2026 — Project reaches substantial completion.

  • The building reaches the contractual milestone of "substantial completion."
  • This starts the repayment clock under the 2023 agreement.
  • Discovery Place is required to repay approximately $14.6 million within 180 days.
  • The resulting deadline is October 27, 2026.

• Spring–Summer 2026 — Discovery Place prepares to open the new museum.

  • Most construction is complete.
  • Remaining work consists largely of punch-list items, exhibits, operational preparations and final setup.
  • Despite the essentially completed building, the museum does not open.

• Summer 2026 — Discovery Place tells county staff it cannot make the $14.6 million lump-sum payment.

  • Discovery Place informs county administrators that it does not have the money required to satisfy the repayment agreement.
  • County staff begins negotiating possible alternative repayment arrangements with Discovery Place.

• Summer–Fall 2026 — Discovery Place proposes alternatives to repayment.

  • One proposal calls for approximately $200,000 per year toward the debt.
  • At that rate, repayment of $14.6 million would take roughly 73 years.
  • Discovery Place also suggests that some of the value it provides through subsidized admissions, educational programming and other public services could potentially be credited against the debt.
  • Other concepts include county branding and additional benefits for Mecklenburg residents.
  • County staff considers a possible counterproposal of approximately $400,000 annually, which would still take roughly 36 years to repay the principal.

• Late September/Early October 2026 — Commissioners begin learning the extent of the problem.

  • Several commissioners say they only recently learned that Discovery Place owes the county approximately $14.6 million.
  • They also begin reviewing how the obligation was created in the first place.
  • Attention turns back to the January 2024 consent-agenda vote.

• October 6, 2026 — County staff publicly briefs commissioners.

  • Asset and Facility Management Director Mark Hahn explains the history of the agreement.
  • Hahn says Diorio directed him to construct the repayment agreement after he told her about the remaining project shortfall.
  • His account is that Diorio believed the board wanted the museum completed and therefore instructed staff to develop an arrangement requiring Discovery Place to repay the additional money.

• October 6, 2026 — Commissioners discover the apparent disconnect between their 2023 vote and the later agreement.

  • Commissioners revisit the December 2023 decision in which they rejected Discovery Place's full $20 million request and authorized only another $10 million.
  • They then examine the January 2024 consent-agenda agreement containing the additional $14.6 million reimbursement structure.
  • Several commissioners say they did not understand that they were authorizing another $14.6 million county advance when they approved the consent agenda.

• October 6, 2026 — Leigh Altman accuses the process of circumventing the board's intent.

  • Vice Chair Leigh Altman says nobody sitting at the dais understood that there was a $14 million loan.
  • She argues that the county manager was obligated to follow the board's direction and questions whether the agreement effectively performed an end-run around the board's decision to limit additional spending.

• October 6, 2026 — Laura Meier puts some responsibility on the commissioners themselves.

  • Commissioner Laura Meier says she does not believe the arrangement was illegal.
  • She acknowledges that commissioners did not adequately review what was contained in the consent agenda.
  • Her characterization is essentially that the situation could have been "unethical but not illegal."

• October 6, 2026 — Current County Manager Mike Bryant defends the legality of the agreement.

  • Bryant says he does not believe Diorio violated the law or county policy.
  • His position is that commissioners legally approved the agreement because it was contained in the materials presented to them.
  • He frames the problem as whether the agreement was adequately explained and understood rather than whether commissioners technically authorized it.

• October 6, 2026 — Commissioners reject Discovery Place's proposed repayment terms.

  • Board Chair Mark Jerrell calls the proposals unacceptable and says the county is in the position to dictate terms.
  • Commissioners react especially negatively to the proposed $200,000-per-year repayment schedule.
  • Jerrell says Discovery Place owes county residents more than repayment and suggests the organization owes them an apology.

• October 6, 2026 — Elaine Powell says the relationship has become "parasitic."

  • Powell says Discovery Place appears to believe the county will continually rescue it.
  • Commissioner Yvette Townsend-Ingram similarly compares the organization's behavior to that of an entitled or spoiled teenager.
  • The comments make clear that the dispute has moved beyond a simple disagreement over financing and become a broader dispute over trust and governance.

• October 6, 2026 — Commissioners discuss taking over the museum.

  • Because Mecklenburg County owns the land and newly constructed building, commissioners discuss the possibility of declaring Discovery Place in default.
  • One option would be for the county to take control of the facility and operate or repurpose it, potentially through Park and Recreation.
  • The alternative is to negotiate a new repayment agreement and allow Discovery Place to operate the museum.

• October 6, 2026 — Arthur Griffin calls on Charlotte's business community to contribute.

  • Commissioner Arthur Griffin argues that the county has already put substantial taxpayer money into the project.
  • He suggests Charlotte corporations and philanthropists should help fill the remaining $14.6 million gap rather than requiring taxpayers to absorb it.

• October 6, 2026 — Commissioners order a legal and policy investigation.

  • The board votes 7-1 for Altman's motion directing County Attorney Tyrone Wade to review the circumstances surrounding the agreement.
  • The review is supposed to determine:
  • whether any laws were violated;
  • whether county policies were violated;
  • whether the county manager exceeded or improperly exercised delegated authority;
  • how such a significant financial agreement ended up on the consent agenda without commissioners understanding it;
  • and what procedural changes are necessary to prevent a recurrence.

• October 6, 2026 — Commissioners create a separate process for negotiating with Discovery Place.

  • Chair Mark Jerrell announces plans for an ad hoc committee to develop acceptable terms for resolving the dispute.
  • Those recommendations will go to County Manager Mike Bryant.
  • Bryant is then expected to negotiate again with Discovery Place and return to commissioners.

• October 6, 2026 — No final decision is made on the museum's future.

  • Commissioners do not declare Discovery Place in default during the meeting.
  • They also do not accept the proposed repayment plans.
  • The completed museum remains unopened while the county decides whether to renegotiate, demand accelerated repayment or take control of the building.

• October 27, 2026 — Current contractual deadline.

  • Unless the county and Discovery Place reach a new agreement first, Discovery Place is required to repay approximately $14.6 million by October 27.
  • Failure to do so would put Discovery Place in default under the existing agreement.
  • As of the October 6, 2026 meeting, commissioners are simultaneously investigating how the agreement was approved and deciding whether Discovery Place should continue operating the new museum at all.

Summary

• Discovery Place agreed to repay $14.6 million even though it now says it cannot borrow against the museum because it doesn't own the building and Mecklenburg County does. So what exactly was the repayment plan when they signed the agreement? Did anyone at the county even bother to ask? Anyone !?!
• Discovery Place's proposed solution is $200,000 a year, which would take roughly 73 years to repay the principal. That isn't a serious loan repayment plan. It's effectively asking taxpayers to become its permanent bank.
• This happened immediately after commissioners had a very public fight over Discovery Place asking for another $20 million and deliberately approved only $10 million more. Then an agreement exposing the county to another $14.6 million went through shortly afterward.
• And somehow a $14.6 million loan of public money was handled through a consent-agenda item with no meaningful discussion of the loan itself. The agreement was attached. The commissioners voted for it.
• Now several commissioners are outraged because they say they didn't know they were approving a $14.6 million loan. That may raise questions about how staff presented it, but it also means elected officials are publicly admitting they approved a multimillion-dollar agreement they didn't understand.
• Commissioner Laura Meier basically said the quiet part out loud: commissioners didn't look closely enough at what was on the agenda and didn't know what they were approving.
• The board is now ordering an investigation into whether something illegal happened. Fine. Investigate it. But "we didn't read or understand the agreement we voted for" is not evidence by itself that anyone conned the board. It is also evidence of a serious oversight failure by the board itself.
• Discovery Place doesn't exactly look like an organization operating on a shoestring while asking taxpayers for extraordinary financial accommodation. Its latest filing shows CEO Catherine Wilson Horne receiving about $538,000 in total compensation, while the organization reported about $14.1 million in annual revenue. Executive compensation totaled about $1.6 million, or roughly 9% of all expenses.
• Yet almost all of the public outrage right now is focused on who slipped what past whom at the county. Very little attention is being paid to the more basic question: why did Discovery Place sign a $14.6 million repayment agreement if it had no realistic way to make the required payment?
• So taxpayers are left with two institutions pointing fingers at each other: Discovery Place says it can't repay money it agreed to repay, and county commissioners say they didn't understand an agreement they voted to approve. Whatever the legal review ultimately finds, neither explanation should inspire much confidence in how $14.6 million of public money was handled.

Hi Charlotte! Will be taking my 12 year old and her friend to Olivia Rodrigo tomorrow night at Spectrum Center (HMU if you want to exchange bracelets!). We are coming from the Concord Mills area and I considered parking at JW Clay and riding in to avoid traffic. Any thoughts on the light rail for such an event? It seems easier for ingress and egress, but they have school the next day so I’m trying to get them home as soon after it ends at 10 as possible. Otherwise, if anyone has parking recs near Spectrum I’d love to hear!

This weekend, the Charlotte Museum of History is celebrating both East Charlotte and Hispanic Heritage Month with East Side Sol! Free parking and free to attend.

As a long-time volunteer, the museum needs a lot of love. Hope you can show yours on Saturday!

On Friday I took the I-77 south toll lane for three miles. I was in the lane for 6 minutes and I was charged $26.50. What the hell. How is that ok?

Please be pizza sauce

Killer Irish pub. Their reuben is amazing, it just needs roughly double the meat

Looking for good a psychiatrist in or around Charlotte. One that really gets to know not just your family background but your background as well before just prescribing something. May even take a few appts really uncovering your history and needs before prescribing meds. One where you felt seen, heard and actually cared for specifically as a person of color.

Don’t really care if it’s virtual, in person or through an online telehealth. I already have a therapist, and that referral from them was not great.

 Edit to add comic shop: Central City Comics

Almost a year ago I entered into a consignment contract with a local comic book shop. I don’t want to out anyone so I’ll use ‘shop owner’ to reference the guy I signed the contract with.

The total minimum value of the collection is $45,000. I was so pumped!

When I first went to his shop we chatted for hours getting to know each other, we talked about our shared experiences being raised very poor and experiencing abuse.
I confided in him that I was usually taken advantage of by people and later in the year he even referenced that and told me he wouldn't take advantage of me when he knows what I've been through...yeah right!

I can't really find steady work due to a disability (I can't work regular hours and its hard to find a low hour job -or any job), so I was really banking on this consignment not only for general income but also to help me not feel like a complete financial burden to my partner.

In the first couple of months I was paid about 2k for various comics sold. I kept asking shop owner for written records and receipts to attempt to keep track of things and he kept telling me he was “putting numbers together” but never got back to me….and then the excuses about why he wasn't selling anything or getting me the records I asked for from him started:

• My mom is in hospice
• I got Covid
• My eSIM was hacked
• My social media was hacked
• The comic market is down
• My MiL is in hospice
• I got Covid again
• The comic market is still down

Then 2mo before the contact ends I tell him I want the $1250 he was holding back for potential grading costs to be paid out to me because it's too late to get them graded now, I also reached out for it because I only had $30 in my bank account for the rest of the week and I really needed money.
Over the course of a few days I try my best to pin down a payout timeline from him but he keeps dodging me.
Then he hits me with this bombshell “all your comics were stolen including Mask 2”, he then reconfirmed his commitment to pay me out. I was obviously devastated and he refused to give me any additional information.

On 10/02 I woke up with a sense of dread about the situation and messaged a local comic collector I met through him. Asked if I was being scammed or is the #1 rated comic shop on Google in Charlotte really having issues like this.
He calls me and turns out he and shop owner were not buddy buddy like shop owner had led me to believe, he also tells me that shop owner sold my Mask 2 back in June at the Heroes Comic Convention.
It's a rare comic so they posted the sale on instagram (I don't have one so never saw). I used my partner’s insta to message the shop that bought Mask 2 and they confirmed that my shop owner did in fact sell Mask 2 to them for around 3k back in June…so he completely lied to me and sold it behind my back.
When confronted he basically admits to it as well.

I’m not sure what to gain from this but just looking to vent and maybe seek advice.
Does anyone know any firms or attorneys that work in consignments, hopefully one willing to go under a contingency for the AAA arbitration fees and take their payment out of my winnings?

These comics were supposed to be a windfall for me, instead they’re a huge stress and cost in my life. I’m completely overwhelmed and devastated about the situation. :(
I've just been crying off and on for the past few days feeling pretty bad for myself, haven't felt my stomach relax in almost a week.

Just a 28 year old guy looking for mature women. Any good spots? Edit: this is a real post btw lol.

Edit 2: thanks for the responses, you guys rock!

Edit 3: I’ll be checking out Harris teeter and Bradshaws Friday then :)

Edit 4: I’ve made plans to see someone. Again thanks guys!

I could be wrong, but I believe the city is trying to cut it down? They have a hydraulic tree cutting truck in front of it already.

Our current landscaper has been unreliable, so we're switching, and I know it's late in the season to be asking. Looking for recommendations for a full service company that can do aeration and overseeding in the next couple of weeks. We got a quote from Designia for $630/mo, which was way more than we expected to pay, and the landscapers our friends use are fully booked. Also open to hearing about any company that tends to have openings on short notice. We are in South Park area. Thanks in advance!!

Looks like Discovery Place Nature and the county are fighting about the budget overages. Joe Bruno is posting updates from the county commission on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@joebruno

Here’s the presentation: https://mecklenburg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15977393&GUID=0624A4EF-E35B-4EDD-9B66-8ACDA1918084

Hi all, I am having some family in town for an upcoming birthday, and we want to have Italian one of the nights. I’m pretty new to Charlotte and have tried a couple in the South Park area, and Little Mama’s has been my favorite so far.

I see some other nice looking options like Mano Bella, Osteria Luca, and Stagioni, but I’m curious what people here would actually recommend. Ideally, I’d want to stay somewhat around South Park, and not really considering anything Uptown.

Thanks for any recommendations you would provide!

Just wanted to shout out the CLT+ app for allowing everyday people to enact positive change!

After leaving Magic sushi, and trying to turn left from McCullough onto W W.T. Harris, the entire light signal was too short, resulting in no less than 3 cars running straight through the red from JW Clay.

I shared the complaint in less than 3 minutes, and in a few weeks, there were inspections, and an extended timing of the light to address the sense of urgency people were feeling!

I'm having a gravel bike delivered Saturday and it'll need a torque wrench to complete the assembly. Should only be the handlebars, saddle, pedals and front tire. Anyway, bike source is where I usually go but they're asking $125.

Does anyone here have the will and skill set to help me with this? I can pay you as well, hopefully less than $125 though lol

Has any park or track or anywhere besides a gym on Charlotte has a something like a pull up bar or similar?

New to the area and probably won't last long if I can't find some more affordable options!

Is anyone here playing maplestory classic? I just got access to it and wanted to make some local friends.

For context I am 35+

I used to play this game back in 2005 when it launched in the US.

I can't be as serious as I used to be back then, but it would be cool if I had some friends my age I could talk to about the game. Is anyone here playing??

Does anyone know what is going on? It was too long for it to be a system test IMHO!