District
6
Kimberly Owens
Council Member, District 6, Charlotte City Council
- Party
- Democratic
- Office phone
- 704-336-3432
Kimberly Owens represents District 6 on the Charlotte City Council. She made history as the first Democrat elected to the District 6 seat, winning in November 2025. First-term council member.
Owens voted yes on the Crosland Southeast affordable housing project and invoked the Constitution on separation of church and state during a March 2026 zoning hearing. She has been active in the Q1 2026 budget and zoning discussions, including East Charlotte townhome density debates. During the April 13 Housing Trust Fund review, Owens pressed staff on the Willora Lake rezoning-to-funding sequence and surfaced a key detail: the developer indicated it would pursue HTF funding for two rounds, after which it would develop the site at the approved density with no affordability restrictions.
On May 23, Council voted unanimously to approve the partial rezoning of the Manor Theater site (petition 2026-003), about 20 percent of the Eastover parcel, the rear of the property zoned office. Owens, whose District 6 covers the site, championed the rezoning and framed it as a transition rather than a demolition: “The Manor Theater has been in existence for 73 or so years. It was one of the victims of the pandemic. It was the first and last place to see art house films in Charlotte.” The redevelopment will replace the long-closed art house with 120–130 residential units and roughly 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
During the interim mayor selection in June 2026, Owens put on the record the conflict in a sitting council member competing with residents for the appointment, a question she said constituents had brought to her. On the Justice Department’s Model Cities program she objected to technology spending that could expand the retention of law-abiding residents’ movements. She voted for the First Union tower’s landmark designation in September.
In our reporting · 20 stories
Charlotte Weighs Tougher Tow Rules but Can't Cap Fees
A tow from a private Charlotte lot would need the property owner's written OK for that car at any hour, not just 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and cars with people inside could not be towed, under city lawyers' proposals. State law keeps the city from capping what a tow costs.
Charlotte's Parking Minimums End Under State Law Jan. 1
Starting Jan. 1, Charlotte can no longer require new buildings to include any parking. City planners are rewriting the zoning code to match that state law and four others.
Charlotte Panel Backs Cooling Rule for Every Home
Every Charlotte home, rented or owned, would need cooling that keeps at least two habitable rooms at 80 degrees or less from May through September. A council committee sent the change to the full council, 3-1. No council date has been posted.
Phillips Place Cinemas Site Could Hold 275 Apartments
The vacant Phillips Place Cinemas site in SouthPark would become up to 275 apartments in a building as tall as 120 feet, none set aside as affordable. A Planning Commission committee is scheduled to review the rezoning Nov. 4. Council has not set a decision date.
CMPD Gets Undercover Cars in 7-3 Charlotte Council Vote
A week after CMPD named seven officers in a racially charged text-message case, Charlotte City Council approved new undercover cars for the department, 7-3, setting aside a motion to delay.
Charlotte Extends Data Center Pause to Oct. 18, 2027
Charlotte City Council voted unanimously to keep its pause on new data centers for almost another year. Two campuses already under construction, approved for up to 5.5 million square feet, are not covered.
Charlotte E-Bike Crashes Nearly Double as City Weighs Rules
E-bike crashes in Charlotte have nearly doubled from a year ago. City staff want helmets for young riders, lights at night and rules for sidewalk riding. Council has not voted.
Six-Week CLT Lease Review Dies as Harrington's Veto Stands
The lease would run through June 30, 2037, and an airline that signs it approves $1.72 billion in airport construction projects.
Charlotte Data Center Pause May Grow; Two Campuses Exempt
City staff asked Charlotte City Council on Monday to extend the pause on new data centers by almost a year. Two approved hyperscale campuses, allowed up to 5.5 million square feet together, are exempt and can keep building. A vote is expected Oct. 26.
First Union Tower Wins Landmark Status and a Tax Break, 10-1
Charlotte made the vacant office tower at 301 S. Tryon a historic landmark, which lets its owners defer half the property tax on the designated portion while they convert it to homes and a hotel. The plan includes no affordable units.
Charlotte Approves 10 p.m. Curfew Pilot for Minors, 9-2
Starting Nov. 1, Charlotte residents under 18 must be off the streets by 10 p.m., with exceptions, under a pilot that runs through August 2027. The police chief promised no traffic stops on curfew suspicion alone, a policy CMPD has not yet written.
Charlotte Debates What a Youth Curfew Pilot Would Test
Council approved neither a new curfew nor a pilot Monday. Charlotte's police chief asked to explore a test of the 9 p.m. rule, while members proposed different measures, limits, and timelines.
Charlotte Eyes DOJ Model Cities Deal; Some Terms Come Later
Charlotte has until September 1 to seek a share of nearly $300 million through DOJ’s Model Cities Initiative. Applying requires local signatures, federal collaboration and an immigration certification before certain award terms are available.
Charlotte Panel Advances 9 p.m. Curfew for Everyone Under 18
The City Council's Safety Committee voted unanimously to send the full council a single 9 p.m. curfew for everyone under 18, replacing the current age-tiered rules. The change still needs a full-council vote, expected in August. The members who advanced it spent the meeting warning that a curfew alone won't fix what draws teens into the streets.
Charlotte Council Names Robert Harrington Its Next Mayor
After a runoff decided by a single vote, the City Council chose Robert Harrington, a Robinson Bradshaw attorney who has never held elected office, as Charlotte's next mayor. He beat civic leader Carrie Cook 6 to 5 and will succeed Vi Lyles on July 1.
The Five Finalists for Charlotte Mayor, in Their Own Words
The council interviewed five finalists for interim mayor on June 18 and set the appointment vote for Monday. Here is how each got on the ballot, what they told council about running meetings, the I-77 tolls, and the airport, and how the June 22 vote will work.
James Mitchell Can Vote for Himself in Charlotte Mayor Pick
Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell Jr. applied for the interim mayor seat the council will fill, and he can vote for himself. Council members raised a conflict; the city attorney ruled there is no legal basis for recusal, citing the Patsy Kinsey precedent. The question of whether Mitchell should be excused was left unresolved.
Charlotte Mayor Will Be Appointed; More Than 100 Applied
More than 100 people applied to be Charlotte's next mayor, and about 30 made their case in person at a June 15 council forum. The next mayor will be appointed, not elected, by 11 council members, with a vote targeted for June 22.
Charlotte council approves 150-day data center moratorium
The pause runs through about November 5, and the city attorney said state law exempts projects that already hold valid building permits.
Manor Theater Redevelopment Approved
Charlotte City Council on Monday unanimously approved a partial rezoning of the Manor Theater site on Providence Road, clearing the way for SLRH Acquisitions to redevelop the long-closed Eastover landmark into 120 to 130 residential units and roughly 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Three council members, Kimberly Owens, Danté Anderson, and J.D. Mazuera Arias, walked the room through their first memories of the building before the vote.