The NFL Panthers are “working on a plan to refurbish 16-year-old Bank of America Stadium, which will likely include tens of millions of dollars for new video boards, escalators to the upper bowl and less glamorous fixes like new HVAC systems,” according to a front-page piece by Steve Harrison of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Team President Danny Morrison “expects the long-range plan to be finished by the end of the season.” He declined to say “whether the team will seek public support for the renovations.” Morrison also “declined to say how much the team expects the renovations to cost.” Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx “appears to be open about helping the city’s NFL team, even though that would likely require far more public money.” Foxx Tuesday sent a letter to Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson inviting him to “discuss (stadium renovation plans) with the city council.” Morrison said that there “would be no major design changes to the stadium, which rules out any sort of retractable roof.” He added that the team “will likely install escalators to whisk fans to the upper bowl.” In addition, Morrison said that the team “would likely install larger video boards.” K.C.-based Populous is “leading the design team for the stadium.” Harrison notes there are now “only a handful of teams with stadiums older than the Panthers’ that haven’t had" a major overhaul (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/20).
