Welcome to QC East
Designed for Great Experiences
Add your name showing Charlotte City Council, you want QC East in the Eastland Community!
Add your name showing Charlotte City Council, you want QC East in the Eastland Community!
QC EAST (City "Option A") at Eastland Yards is a sports and entertainment complex featuring beautiful outdoor spaces, six multi-sport athletic fields, a food village & community gathering place, a STEM Center, and an indoor/outdoor performance venue. Whether participating in sporting activities, enjoying a night out with dinner and a show, or attending a community event - QC EAST will be the destination for people around the region. Projected opening in 2025, QC EAST will create $111 million in annual economic impact, and showcase the East Charlotte for amateur sports tournaments, esports events, concerts, and cultural festivals.
The athletic fields will provide daily activity at QC EAST and are expected to operate at capacity on a year-round basis. Quality fields suitable for a diverse offering of sports creates access and opportunity for participation in field-based athletics not currently available in the community.
Combined activities of multiple youth sports (daily practice, games, tournaments, and recreational use, etc.) ensure a robust schedule of events to drive local economic impact and business opportunities to the community.
Charlotte Soccer Academy, the Lead Athletic Partner for QC EAST, will both anchor and manage the athletic fields. Charlotte Soccer Academy (CSA) is one of the largest competitive soccer organizations in the country and is the leading youth soccer organization in the State, organizing events for more than 320 teams and 7,300 players annually.
CSA is one of only two organizations in the Carolinas that offers every level of youth soccer play and development. Most notably, CSA lives by its commitment that no child will be turned away due to financial hardship, awarding over $325,000 annually in financial aid. CSA has dedicated an additional $100,000 in annual scholarships for boys and girls from the eastside community.
New Age Flag Football ("NAFF") is a youth flag football organization for boys and girls in the greater Charlotte area and is heavily involved in our communities.NAFF exists to provide families with a fun, safe, competitive environment while promoting the development of healthy living, social skills, and athletic ability.
New Age 7 on 7 ("7v7") values the growth of their players both on and off the field. Their mission is to build young athletes character by infusing respect, humility, and leadership attributes into their program. They instill a hard work ethic, attention to detail, teamwork, and communication so their players can take what they learn and apply it to the real world. Charles Johnson is currently serving the East Side community through his programs and foundation. Mr. Johnson is dedicated to providing educational support through scholarships and experiential learning opportunities.
"As a former Carolina Panther, I wholeheartedly support the visionary project for a youth sports complex at the old Eastland Mall site," said Charles Johnson, Founder of New Age Flag Football. "This initiative aligns with our mission to enhance youth development, promote physical fitness, and foster community engagement. With multi-purpose sports fields, educational support, and mentorship opportunities, this partnership will create a transformative space for Charlotte's youth, bringing positive change to our community."
One of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, Lacrosse is known as a pathway sport to higher education opportunities through athletics. Charlotte is home to numerous boys and girls lacrosse club organizations dedicated to growing the sport, through the exposure and development of current and prospective lacrosse athletes in the Charlotte Mecklenburg region. Access to fields in QC EAST would propel this mission of bringing new athletes from underserved communities into the sport.
The food village and community gathering space at QC EAST will serve as a vibrant community hub for East Charlotte. Encompassing over 20,000 square feet of versatile indoor and outdoor areas, this dynamic locale is designed to celebrate the rich tapestry of local flavors and cultures. As a pivotal element of phase 1 development, the village will also offer a standalone restaurant encompassing up to 6,000 square feet, adding additional opportunity for culinary excellence to the landscape. With an abundance of outdoor seating, both spaces will invite visitors and residents to come together and forge connections, while enjoying the various on-site activities. Complemented by the site's ~680 parking spaces, this key element of the QC EAST proposal helps shape a destination where community and creativity unite in a celebration of diverse, neighborhood-oriented food offerings and shared experiences.
The HUB at QC EAST seamlessly merges technology, education, and entertainment under one roof. At its core lies the Innovation Center, a dynamic and immersive installation featuring approximately 30 stations arranged for learning and competition, providing Eastside students and Charlotte youth opportunities for Advancement into tech careers, fun and social networking. Through strategic partnerships with key industry players including game publishers, software developers, and recruiters, Carolina Esports Hub ("CEH") takes on the formidable task of educating our youth in technology, a cornerstone in the ever-evolving job landscape of the 21st century.
In collaboration with local educational agencies and institutions of higher learning, QC EAST is proud to provide STEM training, apprenticeship programs, and accessible opportunities for advancement to the community. Our sights are set on pioneering a groundbreaking Dual Enrollment initiative, one that is poised to set the national standard for STEM education in high schools. With the HUB as a nexus for innovation, education, and entertainment, QC EAST is poised to revolutionize how our community engages, learns, and grows together.
"Empowering students and young adults to carve a brighter future has been, and always will be, the driving force behind the Carolina Esports Hub," emphasized Richard Suarez, Managing Director. "It's these strategic collaborations that we enable transformation and create and opportunity to touch countless lives. Our demonstrated success in bridging students to prospects through gaming fuels our enthusiasm as we closely engage with the community to carry forth a mission of meaningful impact."
QC EAST is being designed with East Charlotte's diversity, energy, and unique assets in mind. Its integrated composition will allow for multiple configurations, providing an opportunity for a dynamic and vibrant collection of synergistic uses.
QC East Entertainment will bring people together to celebrated shared interest in music, food, art and culture.
Music and community events will find their home at QC East as well, with the event space hosting music and community gatherings on select dates. Notably, the project proudly collaborates with the Southern Entertainment team that successfully launched SouthPark After 5 in Symphony Park, ensuring a vibrant community-focused musical experience.
QC EAST is a product of three Charlotte-based companies that are leaders in their respective fields of sports, entertainment, and technology. Our mission is to provide entertainment and opportunities for advancement - physically, culturally, and educationally - while building a valuable asset to help shape the future growth of East Charlotte.
Charlotte Soccer Academy is the leading organizer of youth and travel soccer. Serving 300 teams and 7,300 players annually.
Southern Entertainment is a leading cultural and music events producer with over 30 years of experience, serving 400,000 guests annually.
The leader in college esports recruiting generating $25M+ of scholarships since 2020. National tech event producer focused on education and entertainment.