The part of South Tryon Street adorned with a massive Black Lives Matter mural will reopen to vehicle traffic Tuesday following a fiery City Council debate.
Council members sought to honor diversity and inclusion while also extending a lifeline to small businesses in uptown already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The elaborate mural, created by 17 Charlotte artists on June 9, became a focal point for peaceful demonstrations this summer following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At times, people knelt there for around 8 minutes, honoring Floyd, while pleading for racial justice and reform within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
As recently as Saturday night, throngs of people gathered at the mural between 3rd and 4th streets to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden.
But Taiwo Jaiyeoba, assistant city manager and planning director, emphasized that the “pedestrian plaza” surrounding the artwork was always intended to be temporary. After months of studying the pedestrian thoroughfare, meant to be a pilot program, city staff collected enough data for envisioning a new dynamic for uptown Charlotte, with the possibility of closing more of Tryon Street in the future, Jaiyeoba said Monday.
“Reopening does not take away the mural — the mural will not be removed” Jaiyeoba said.
He acknowledged the artwork will gradually fade away, however, from wear and tear.
In a 10-1 vote, the City Council supported Jaiyeoba’s recommendation to allow cars back on the uptown block. Council member Braxton Winston cast the sole dissenting vote and had pushed for the plaza to remain in place until at least Dec. 31.
The decision to reopen now is partially intended to aid small businesses and restaurants in uptown, with the prospect of easier street parking and more space for outdoor dining. Jaiyeoba assured City Council the artwork will be preserved through prints and other alternatives, emphasizing the mural thrived by capturing the passion of the Black Lives Matter movement in June.
During the public comment period, a representative from McCormick & Schmick’s described slashed revenues at the restaurant on 200 S. Tryon St., in the wake of social justice protests — upending profits that were slowly recovering as coronavirus restrictions loosened.
“We need to give those businesses in uptown a chance to survive,” Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said.
More than paint on a street
Winston urged his colleagues to embrace the reverberating impact of the mural and embrace the type of progressive change embodied within the artwork. More businesses surveyed in the uptown area reported their revenues had improved or remained stable, compared to those that lost money, Winston pointed out.
“By opening up the street and letting the Black Lives Matter mural fade away, we are saying that McCormick & Schmick’s valet matters more than Black lives now,” Winston said.
Community organizer and activist Kass Ottley had pleaded with the City Council to keep the plaza closed to traffic, though other residents called on officials to allow cars on the thoroughfare.
“The Black Lives Matter mural has become more than just paint on a street — it’s a statement of promise for the city to do better,” Ottley said. “It echoes that Black and brown lives matter and they’re of value in the city.”
Obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted the overall potential of Tryon Street, according to the city’s report that evaluated the mural’s impact for residents, businesses, visitors, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
The plaza was busiest on Friday evenings and weekends, averaging between 60 and 100 people with a 5-minute observation span, the report found.
In a survey, 65% of respondents said public art made them feel more welcome in uptown. About half of people who visited the mural said they were already in the area, with about 40% saying they traveled to uptown specifically to see the artwork.
Charlotte will continue to identify other opportunities with local artists and nonprofits to draw people to uptown and other neighborhoods, Jaiyeoba said.