A neighborhood in the airport's shadow

A version of the following article appeared in the April 17, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.

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Editor’s note: All of Charlotte’s neighborhoods have a story to tell. Some have histories dating back centuries. But as the Queen City booms, it sometimes alters the unique places Charlotteans call home. Neighborhood Walk is a new, occasional series that puts a spotlight on Charlotte neighborhoods and how leaders of these places are navigating a changing city.

Today’s featured walk is Steeleberry Acres, a neighborhood in west Charlotte bordered by Steele Creek Road, Steeleberry Drive, Douglas Drive and McAlpine Drive.

by Ashley Fahey

The constant hum of lawn mowers is like white noise on a warm midday spring walk in Steeleberry Acres.

And there are quite a few — at least four empty lots are being mowed along Douglas Drive as Stephanie Lasne, a 22-year resident of the west Charlotte neighborhood, walks her dog, Jojo.

“Alright Jojo, we're gonna be a good girl. We're gonna be a good girl,” Lasne says as a neighbor walks by, walking a dog, whose ears perk up as Jojo approaches. “She'll probably bark and try to pull,” Lasne explains as the neighbor and dog approach.

(For the record: Jojo was a good girl, only getting a little more excited as she drew closer to the other dog.)

It's unknown how much longer dogs might roam the neighborhood because Charlotte Douglas International Airport has identified the area that includes Steeleberry Acres as ideal for a logistics/distribution hub — and some of those changes are starting to materialize.

Steeleberry Acres was established around the mid-20th century with ranch-style homes and large lots — 1 to 2 acres for some properties, unheard of in Charlotte today — around Watt Lake. Several of the community’s original homeowners were veterans, some of whom still live in the neighborhood, with American flags and military plaques displayed in front of various houses.

Many immigrant families and some children of the original homeowners also call the neighborhood home. The neighborhood’s quietness, once you get accustomed to the hum of airplanes flying, and sprawling lots while being close to amenities, like shops and restaurants at Berewick Town Center, are appealing.

Ernie Smith, who lives at the entrance of Steeleberry Acres, said he had 30 people over in his backyard for Easter weekend. “You feel like you're out in the country, but you’re in the middle of the city,” he said.

Steeleberry Acres also happens to sit in the shadow of CLT. Jets frequently fly over the neighborhood. But the airport has become a much bigger presence in Steeleberry Acres in recent years, as it buys homes that are listed on the market, then demolishes them shortly afterward.

“That’s actually changed a lot recently,” Lasne said. “Before, it was like the airport just sat back and waited. This is a voluntary buyout situation, so they would just wait for us to come to them.”

Now, she said, it’s gotten more aggressive: Representatives sometimes knock on doors to make sure residents are aware of the airport’s voluntary buyout program, she added.

That’s what all of the lawn mowers are doing, by the way — cutting the grass on city-owned lawns that are now vacant after former owners sold to the airport. Lasne said that as many of the original homeowners have gotten older or passed away, their children have sold their homes. Accepting the airport’s offer is often the most straightforward and convenient option.

The Ledger analyzed Mecklenburg County real estate records and found that at least 14 homes in the Steeleberry Acres neighborhood have been purchased by the city since 2021. The average purchase price was $371,000.

The Ledger contacted CLT for an interview about the airport’s plans for the neighborhood and its strategy of buying properties there. A spokesperson said airport officials were unable to participate in an interview and submitted a statement that said:

The airport was at one point considering relocating West Boulevard toward Douglas Drive — directly in the middle of Steeleberry Acres — to help support construction of a fourth parallel runway. But the airport ultimately did not pursue that project, as planners determined that less space was needed to build that runway.

Still, residents of Steeleberry Acres continue to hold their breath, especially because the airport’s long-range plan calls for the area south of CLT — where Steeleberry Acres is — to become a logistics and distribution district. CLT is the economic engine of the region, arguably the biggest reason why so many jobs, investment and growth have come here.

But Smith, who does real estate investment, construction and Realtor work, said he worries about the neighborhood’s home values as the airport snaps up more property and warehouses get built nearby. He said he’s skeptical about how much the airport is offering for homes in the neighborhood.

“It’s a pinch play,” he said. “... You need to come to the table with some realistic numbers that would get us to want to move. We can’t find what we have here for anything less than $500,000. A lot of us still have mortgages on our property.”