A Day on the Links Provides Homes for a Lifetime


June 16, 2022 As the saying goes, life goes in circles.

That is certainly the case for Lapri Holmes, who soon will be among the many Charlotteans to move into new homes at the Meadows at Plato Price, a nine-acre property on Morris Field Drive between Wilkinson Boulevard and Billy Graham Parkway, less than a mile from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

From 1915 to 1966 that land was home to Plato Price School, a Mecklenburg County institute for African Americans students grades 1-12. Among the students at Plato Price School was Holmes’ grandmother.

The land had remained vacant until 2018 when the City of Charlotte donated it to Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. Then in 2021, Habitat announced it would use the property to revitalize the historic black neighborhood to help address the affordable housing crisis.

Habitat will build 39 homes at the Meadows at Plato Price over the next three years. Construction begins this fall.

“We want to do everything we can to preserve the historic value that community has,” said Brooke Moose, the director of development and partnerships and community engagement for Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region.

Airport Community Partnerships, supported by Charlotte Douglas International Airport, was eager to be a part of the neighborhood revitalization, designating the Meadows at Plato Price as the beneficiary of the third annual CLT Charity Golf Tournament.

A bright, sunny sky shone over Ballantyne Country Club on May 2 as dozens of golfers enjoyed a beautiful day on the links, playing not only for relaxation and camaraderie but for a chance to give fellow residents the opportunity to realize their dream of home ownership.

The tournament raised over $100,000, which will help people like Holmes become homeowners.

Holmes' sunny disposition matched the weather at the golf tournament. Her bright smile shone through as she and her daughter thanked everyone who helped her realize her goal of owning her own home.

“My anticipation was that Lapri and her daughter would come in the morning and leave early,” Moose said. “She ended up staying until 1:30, just interacting with the golfers as they came through. She was overly appreciative of them for coming out to support her dream of homeownership.”

There will be some personal connections from the golf tournament to Plato Price: Some of the golfers from that day will volunteer their time to help build houses in the neighborhood, perhaps even Holmes’.

Land that once housed a school to educate a grandmother will now support a home for the granddaughter. Circle complete.