In a major victory for local residents, the Morehead City Council voted unanimously last night to kill the controversial "Project Grander" proposal.
The plan would have transformed the downtown waterfront near Big Rock Landing into a sprawling public park with an amphitheater and event center.
However, it sparked immediate backlash when the community learned it could involve seizing the family-owned Red Fish Grill through eminent domain and selling off four existing neighborhood parks, including Mitchell Village Park, to fund the development.
Opposition was swift, with over six thousand people signing petitions and hundreds packing City Hall to voice their frustration over what they called a "lack of transparency".
The council’s 5-to-0 vote Tuesday night immediately halts all planning for the project. While a future board could technically revisit the idea, officials say for now, Project Grander is dead.
