UPDATE:  MATTHEWS, N.C. – A new multi-million dollar initiative to improve emergency response in Mecklenburg County is facing some opposition from activists. Central Piedmont Community College is building a “state-of-the-art training facility” at the Levine Campus in Matthews. Construction equipment currently sits on the site of the future Community Lifeline in Matthews. The project has a current budget of $118 million dollars with public and private resources. “We’re excited to make sure that this is a great facility for those first responders and emergency responders, fire, emergency medical services and law enforcement, but also an asset for our neighbors,” Catherine Butler, Vice President of Communications for Central Piedmont said. Officials say this is a first of its kind project in the state made possible by a partnership between Central Piedmont Community College, Mecklenburg County and local first responder agencies to train and recruit the emergency response work force. Officials from Central Piedmont say the community needs to increase the first responder workforce to keep up with the increasing population. Hendrick Automotive donated 23 acres of land across the street from the Levine Campus. “When we think today about where our first responders have to train, some of them do train in the county, but many of them have to leave the county because either we are at capacity or we don’t have the facilities that they need,” Butler said. Officials say the facilities will include simulation spaces like homes, hospitals, businesses and even two driving tracks on 37 acres of land. An Instagram page called Stop Cop City CLT now has more than 2300. Heather Morrow is a part of the group and has concerns about the project and the investment. “[Police] haven’t done well with what they have and they have most of our city budget,” Morrow said. Morrow would like to see less emphasis on deadly force training and more focus on conflict resolution. “This is not what we need more of. We need de-escalation, we need police to be held accountable, and we need a demilitarization of the police force,” Morrow said. Crews are working on developing the land for the project with plans to fully open by 2028. “We’re being mindful of what that looks like. We are in the early phases and we’ll continue to update our neighbors, our community, as we have more information to share,” Butler said. Stop Cop City CLT  has been hosting events in the community to spread the word about the project.   CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Central Piedmont Community College, in collaboration with Mecklenburg County and local first responder agencies, is launching The Community Lifeline—a transformative initiative designed to address the growing need for highly trained emergency response professionals in the region. The initiative, one of the most significant workforce development projects in the college’s history, will expand academic programs and create a state-of-the-art training facility at the Levine Campus in Matthews, N.C. The initiative is critical as the region experiences rapid population growth and increasing demand for emergency medical services (EMS), fire protection, and law enforcement. The Community Lifeline effort will prepare the next generation of first responders while enhancing the skills of those already serving, ensuring Mecklenburg County remains ready to respond in times of crisis. “As a community college, we serve as the workforce development engine for the county—and we are thrilled to be able to facilitate cross-agency public safety training,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont Community College. “Our region relies on our first responders and emergency personnel every day, and with our expanded programs and new best-in-class facilities, we can provide safe spaces for these brave individuals to train, learn and grow. We appreciate the partnership with agencies across the county – many of whom have been supporting the design and providing input to ensure the facility will serve their current and future training needs.” State-of-the-art training facility for first responders The training facility will be an advanced, real-world learning environment where students and professionals from multiple agencies, including EMS, fire and law enforcement, will train together. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the facility will feature simulation spaces replicating real-life emergency scenarios, including: A single-family residence A townhouse A convenience store A burn building A vehicle burn area ...read more read less