When Gregory Willingham bought the former garage on Rozzelles Ferry Road, he envisioned a live entertainment venue that would draw patrons from across Charlotte and pay homage to the history of the West End community where it is located.
What Willingham didn’t foresee was the building would require a zoning change and building modifications that would cost more than three times the original budget and significantly delay the project’s opening.
A seasoned entrepreneur who has run a production and promotion company for years, Willingham found financing, hired an architect and set about making the necessary changes to see his vision, a live entertainment and cultural campus, come to life.
But the project’s survival remained in question until Willingham was introduced to LISC Charlotte, the local office of the nation’s largest community development organization…