Mecklenburg County has broken ground on one of Charlotte's most anticipated development projects for 2027: Eastland Park — a revitalization of the former Eastland Mall site, which closed in 2010.

“This four-and-a-half-acre park will not only resuscitate this area, it will serve as an oasis for generations to come,” Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners Chair Mark Jerrell said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Once complete, Eastland Park will have a splashpad, walking trails, a playground, and more. | Renderings via Mecklenburg County

Upcoming amenities

Visitors can look forward to a plethora of outdoor features, including:

A playground
~20-ft splashpad
Walking trails
Covered picnic and performance areas
A court for basketball, futsal, and hockey
A fenced dog park

The park's layout is all thanks to public input collected in 2023. It will sit next to the "The Complex" — a 29-acre sports and entertainment center coming to Eastland Yards.

Imagine skating around Eastland Mall's indoor ice rink on opening day. | Photo via Charlotte Observer Archives within Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Honoring Eastland's past

To honor the site’s past, the park’s splash pad will feature Eastland Mall’s “rising sun” logo — a nod to east Charlotte’s history. Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is also partnering with the Arts and Science Council (ASC) to bring public art to the space.

"The splashpad will truly be state of the art and something that's never been done before," Greg Asciutto, Executive Director of CharlotteEAST told CLTtoday. "The concrete sandblasted sun will preserve history."

Will the new park have an ice rink, too? "I will say the conversations that we have had is using some of the park parcel, to, seasonally, turn that into a 'skateable' component," Asciutto said.

Mecklenburg County projects Eastland Park will be completed by spring 2027. While we're waiting, lace up your shoes and check out many other outdoor parks the Queen City has to offer.