Known as "the government district", the Second Ward quadrant is home to city and county office buildings, county courthouse, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administration, the Law Enforcement Center and the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. It also houses the city's new convention center, several hotels, the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center, and Marshall Park. Planners also anticipate the construction of a new federal courthouse in Second Ward.

In the near future, all that is expected to be augmented considerably - and significantly diversified. First, the Convention Center will be a major stop on the extended vintage trolley line. And in Second Ward, as elsewhere, that landmark promises to generate substantial economic development.

Even though the current land uses in Second Ward don't include housing, the district was once a vibrant residential community. It was known for decades as Brooklyn - a bustling, urban community and home to approximately 7,000 African-American citizens who worshiped, attended school, worked, and patronized many shops there. All that ended in the 1960s when the city and federal government's urban renewal program designated Brooklyn a blighted neighborhood. As a result, the community of Brooklyn was literally, bulldozed.

The Center City 2010 Vision Plan recommends a master plan be produced for Second Ward with a major emphasis on creating a new neighborhood with lots of housing, restaurants, shops, and a neighborhood park. The master plan will consider how to make better connections to Central Piedmont Community College and the Midtown area.