Title
Do Greater Partnership on Creative Lab
Action
Action:
A. Approve the Jobs and Economic Development’s recommendation to use $750,000 to support construction costs associated with Do Greater Charlotte’s North Tryon Creative Lab location, and
B. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to negotiate and execute an agreement with Do Greater Charlotte in an amount not to exceed $750,000 for construction costs associated with its North Tryon Street Creative Lab.
Body
Committee Chair:
Malcolm Graham, Jobs and Economic Development
Staff Resource(s):
Sha Rana, Economic Development
Holly Eskridge, Economic Development
Explanation
§ Do Greater Charlotte is a non-profit that was established in 2017 to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators through access to creative technology, entrepreneurship, and workforce skills.
§ Do Greater Charlotte designs, delivers, and activates entrepreneurial, creative, and innovation-based solutions to power economic mobility in underestimated communities.
§ The Creative Lab Uptown will be designed to connect Uptown’s economic power with under-resourced communities, creating new pathways for education, entrepreneurship, and upward mobility.
- The Creative Lab ecosystem is a vertically integrated innovation hub where entrepreneurs on the top floor receive support and, in turn, mentor opportunity youth on the first floor who are being trained in creative workforce skills.
- These youth then provide real services, such as design, digital media, marketing, to the entrepreneurial community while the entire space leverages the lower-level digital studio for production, collaboration, and paid service opportunities.
§ The North Tryon Street Creative Lab is:
- Located at 500 North Tryon Street,
- Expands upon success of original Creative Lab West location,
- Focused on ecosystem of opportunity, and
- Provides physical space uptown with programming in entrepreneurship and innovation, creative workforce skill development, and creative technology.
§ Construction is 60 percent complete and $4 million has been secured to date through private contributions.
§ The city’s support of $750,000 will come from revenue replacement funds made available by the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA).
- On November 25, 2024, Council approved the use of $25.4 million from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund for government services to offset lost revenue as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This action resulted in $25.4 million in one-time expenditure savings, which were transferred to the American Rescue Plan Act Fund to be used on a variety of programs.
Committee Discussion
§ Based on a committee referral from the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Development Workshops, the Jobs and Economic Development (JED) Committee discussed the partnership opportunities at the August 4 and October 6, 2025, committee meetings.
§ On August 4, 2025, the JED Committee discussed a request from Do Greater Charlotte in the amount of $750,000 to support construction costs of its new North Tryon Street location.
§ On October 6, 2025, the JED Committee voted unanimously to recommend the funding for The Creative Lab Uptown project be advanced for full City Council consideration of approval.
§ Council received an overview of the committee’s recommendations at the October 6, 2025, City Council Committee Discussions Meeting.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Revenue replacement funds made available by the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund
Attachments
Attachment(s)
August 4, 2025, JED Presentation
October 6, 2025, JED Presentation