Trolley Barn Work Plan Hits Hurdle

Aug. 23–A plan to renovate a historic South End trolley barn will likely veer off track if transit officials don’t find a new way to pay for it.

The Charlotte Area Transit System had planned to spend millions preserving the barn at South Boulevard and Bland Street so it could again house the city’s streetcar fleet.

But in January, transit chief Ron Tober said the system could save $4.5 million for the light-rail project by delaying the work.

That may not be an option.

When the county bought the property for $1.38 million in 2003, the deal allowed former owner Crescent Resources to buy it back if CATS did not obtain a building permit by July 1. Transit officials have not done so.

County General Manager Bobbie Shields said Crescent has until Sept. 30 to decide whether to buy the property for the same amount the county paid, plus about $20,000 for money the county spent on the site.

If the company doesn’t buy back the property, CATS will help the county seek other buyers if commissioners wish, Shields and Tober say.

Terry Shook, president of Charlotte Trolley, a nonprofit group that supports the barn’s restoration and helped arrange the property sale, said he still hopes to save the project.

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