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Matthews pursues co‑located elementary, Discovery Place kids museum and downtown park via land swap with CMS
Summary
Town staff and Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools are negotiating a land‑swap and memorandum of understanding to co‑locate a new Matthews Elementary School and a Discovery Place kids museum on the same site; the town proposes creating a new signature downtown park on the school’s existing frontage, funded partly with tourism dollars.
Town leaders described a multi‑party plan on April 28 to rebuild Matthews Elementary on its current footprint, co‑locate a Discovery Place kids museum under a shared roof and convert the school’s Trade Street frontage into a new downtown park.
Town Manager Becky Hawk told the Board of Commissioners that the town has acquired three parcels near the school and has discussed a land swap with Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) that would give CMS a surplus relief‑site parcel at McKee and Pleasant Plains in exchange for the town gaining the school frontage along South Trade. The town would use the combined frontage and the adjacent parcels it owns to build a larger signature downtown park that could replace or supplement Stumptown Park.
The co‑location concept is intended to reduce costs and speed delivery. Becky said the design and construction would be managed by CMS under a cost‑share agreement; the town would pay only the portion of cost in excess of a standalone replacement school. The town’s portion of the museum and related costs are eligible for tourism‑fund financing, and staff said conservative modeling suggests the museum cost can be funded from projected tourism revenues. Staff expects design work to begin this summer if the memorandum of understanding and land swap are approved by both the town and CMS boards.
Catherine Horn of Discovery Place and Dennis Licaria of CMS were in the audience; staff said Discovery Place’s exhibits would be tailored to Matthews. Presenters told the board they expect the new school and museum to open in 2029, with the new downtown park following if funding allows. If the park cannot be built as part of the school contract, staff said the park could be phased later; the McKee/Pleasant Plains parcel could still be developed independently as a town park using existing Windsor Run funds earmarked for parks.
Commissioners asked about public input and timeline. Becky said public outreach and design workshops will be part of the master‑planning process; staff offered to hold public informational sessions before formal approvals. Commissioner Renee Garner asked when the public will be able to provide feedback; staff said outreach will begin as design work starts and a formal package will return to the board in coming meetings.
Why this matters: The proposal combines school replacement, a children’s museum and downtown park development in a single, long‑range project. Co‑locating the museum with a public school can reduce standalone construction costs and create a downtown amenity that supports tourism and events. The land swap aims to protect CMS’s future needs while giving the town a contiguous park site in the downtown core.
Next steps: Staff will finalize surveys and appraisals of the affected parcels, complete draft land‑swap and joint‑use agreements with CMS, and return to the board for formal approval. If both boards approve, CMS will include the co‑location in its architect/contractor procurement and design process; staff estimates a 2029 opening for the school and museum and potential 2030 availability for the new park if constructed concurrently.
