Genesis Park/Double Oaks neighborhood/historic district
Genesis Park/Double Oaks neighborhood/historic district: Began in 1949 as an African-American neighborhood, with first homes erected along Oaklawn Avenue, an east-west thoroughfare that crossed Irwin Creek and now crosses I-77, developed by the Ervin Construction company in post-World War II development of Charlotte. Unlike most developers of the area, Charles Ervin built equal quality homes for blacks and whites in Charlotte.
By the 1970s, this once booming neighborhood had declined, in the 1980s and 1990s, it was revived and renamed Genesis Park, which included the formation of a non-profit group to renovate and build new homes in the area to oust some of the violence and drugs that had come into the community during the decline. Today, Genesis Park is a safer, stable neighborhood with a strong sense of community pride.
Brightwalk
The Brightwalk community is on the site of the former Double Oaks community, built in the 1950s by the CD Spangler Construction company. Double Oaks was initially managed by Fred Alexander, a businessman who become Charlotte’s first African-American city council member and later a North Carolina senator. Double Oaks was a vibrant neighborhood and Statesville Avenue, just across from it, was home to the Ford Motor Company plant for many years after it opened in 1920.
During World War II, the plant produced several missiles and aircraft as the Charlotte Quartermaster Corps Depot. In the early '60s the plant produced items for NASA and military agencies before closing in 1967.
Brightwalk is vital in the evolution of Charlotte’s North End. Its proximity to the North Carolina Music Factory and Statesville Avenue just a mile from uptown make it easily accessible to shops, the arts, recreation and entertainment as well as many businesses. Brightwalk offers both single-family residences and townhomes, and its master plan includes a variety of amenities.