The 55 acres near Bank of America Stadium are valuable, as land in uptown Charlotte is becoming rarecharlotte observer
The potential "sale of property across the highway" from Bank of America Stadium could be an opportunity for the NFL Panthers to "expand its facilities or house a new stadium, though the team has yet to provide any specifics," according to a front-page piece by Danielle Chemtob of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Charlotte Pipe & Foundry "occupies about 55 acres on South Clarkson Street," just across I-277 from the stadium. The firm has said that it is "evaluating options for the re-location of its foundry plant." The potential sale of the property "could create a wave of development around the site." Panthers Owner David Tepper said that he would "like to build a new stadium in uptown if possible." However, space "in and around uptown is increasingly hard to come by." Charlotte Center City Partners President & CEO Michael Smith said that it will be "difficult to sustain any retail if the area is solely reliant on periodic use of the stadium for sports games." In addition to "trying to bring" MLS to Charlotte, Panthers officials "want to host more events, like concerts and basketball tournaments, at the stadium." Panthers COO Mark Hart said, "If you have a building, you have to make sure it's in business 365 days a year. And it's no secret I think that the prior ownership did not have that emphasis" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/8).
