Community Advocates Hope to Revitalize Part of the Monroe Road Corridor

CHARLOTTE, NC – Community advocates hope branding part of the Monroe Road corridor in Southeast Charlotte will make it a new destination.

They’re calling it MoRa. The area is already seeing new apartments and businesses opening up.

“It’s given the area it’s own unique character,” says resident Denetra Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has lived along the Monroe Road corridor for five years. Since then she’s noticed the changes.

“When we moved over here, none of this was going on,” Rodriguez says.

New apartments and businesses are springing up in and around the Meridian Place development.

The community unveiled a new sculpture called “Embrace” on Tuesday.

It sits at Monroe Road and Conference Drive just across from East Meck High School.

Community advocates hope it will be a gathering place. They want to make this part of town a destination, like NoDa or Plaza Midwood.

“To create a more vibrant community. To lift up the Monroe Road corridor,” explains Kathy Hill with Monroe Road Advocates.

They’ve chosen “MoRa” as a new nickname for the area between Oakhurst and Matthews.

“Make it a place where people want to live and businesses want to come,” Hill explains.

Hawthorne’s Pizza is one of the first new restaurants in the area. Mchael Adams is one of the owners.

“I’ve been coming to this neighborhood for 20 years and when I first was here, it was nothing like it is now,” Adams says.

He says the area has potential and thinks people will stop and see what “MoRa” has to offer.

“Like a lot of things in Charlotte, they’re kinda transitioning. This is just a really great example of what’s going on here,” Adams says.