City, Optimist Hall developer will create plan for ‘major milestone’ in uptown Charlotte

A redeveloped transit center and Hornets practice facility on Monday moved closer to breaking ground in uptown Charlotte.

The Charlotte City Council gave Manager Marcus Jones permission to work with the company that redeveloped Optimist Hall on an agreement for a project local leaders hope will transform parts of uptown’s first and second wards near the Spectrum Center into an entertainment and sports district.

The city has $89 million in public funds to contribute to the development which includes the land, a federal grant and money from the Charlotte Area Transit System.

The decision comes less than a month after CATS’ governing board voted in favor of the plan to move the city’s central bus…