Charlotte City Council met for an action review and a business meeting on Monday night, with the big business item on the agenda being the vote to approve the Fiscal Year 2025 budget…

Shawn Heath next led a presentation about the proposed Katie Blessing Center, a project that would be led by the Katie Blessing Foundation. The center would be the state’s largest pediatric behavioral health care facility — a 70,000-square foot facility with 72 inpatient beds located across Central Avenue from the former Eastland site.

In a presentation about the proposed Katie Blessing Center in east Charlotte, Shawn Heath presented arrest statistics showing that, of 7,214 juvenile arrests made from 2021-23, just over 3,000 of those arrests involved the same 385 juveniles. The Katie Blessing Center is seen as a deterrent to criminal behavior among young people.

The city is considering allocating $2.5 million, which would add to $20 million from Katie Blessing Foundation, $17 million from the state, $2 million from Mecklenburg County, and $2 million from Alliance Health, all of which is fully committed save for the city’s piece. Council is expected to vote on whether to put money toward the center in September…

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