Overview
- All seven council members voted down appropriations tied to an $11 million land purchase for a proposed justice center off State Road 46.
- The decision pauses a roughly quarter‑billion‑dollar project that had been slated to start construction in about a year.
- Council members also moved to stop paying the project’s architectural firm for further work.
- A seven-hour meeting drew strong public opposition focused on cost, site access, and calls to prioritize mental health, substance-use care, and housing.
- Officials pointed to longstanding problems at the downtown Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center, including a past ACLU lawsuit and a recent mold-related closure, as they now reassess alternatives.