Knights take 3rd Stab at building Uptown Ballpark

Hopefully this time, a way will be found to help finance this thing and get the Knights Uptown . . .


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Knights take 3rd swing at uptown
This time, team has consultant that helped Toledo get new stadium

RICHARD RUBIN
Staff Writer

The Charlotte Knights are taking another swing at getting a new stadium somewhere in or near uptown.

Months after its latest attempt fizzled, the AAA baseball team has started a series of meetings with top decision-makers in Charlotte.

"We're curious to see if it can be done, are interested if it can be, but also want to know if the answer comes back that financially it doesn't make sense or there's not the desire to have it there," said Bill Blackwell, the team's general manager.

Public officials say finding the money will be tough. The team's most recent estimate pegged construction at $25 million.

The team, which plays in Fort Mill, S.C., has tried for a Charlotte stadium twice in the past three years. The first approach failed when voters rejected a nonbinding referendum in June 2001 as part of an arena and arts package. The second try died last year when county leaders made it clear that they might provide land, but not cash.

The team now has several advantages, however, that may improve the appeal of its request.

First, it has hired the Ohio-based Gateway Consultants Group to develop a plan for financing the stadium and to analyze potential sites. The firm helped the Toledo Mud Hens build a new stadium, partly by requiring upfront payments for long-term leases on suites.

Blackwell and consultant Patrick Zohn of Gateway have been pitching their plan to public- and private-sector leaders this week.

Tim Newman, president of Charlotte Center City Partners, said Charlotte companies might not go for big upfront payments, but he senses some interest in making long-term commitments with annual payments.

"The folks I've talked to in the corporate community have said that's a more doable approach," said Newman, a former Knights general manager.

Another possible plus for the Knights' stadium quest is that N.C. voters will consider in November whether to allow property taxes from private projects to be spent on public projects, such as parking decks and stadiums.

Blackwell also said Knights owner Don Beaver is prepared to contribute more toward construction than the $5 million he has already pledged.

But getting public money will be difficult. Charlotte's typical source for such projects is the hotel-motel tax, but its proceeds are tied up for several years paying for the new arena and retiring debt on older projects.

Mecklenburg County commissioner Ruth Samuelson, a Republican who chairs the county's baseball committee, said she encouraged Blackwell to consider all the other requests coming to local government, including the $236 million first phase of the Arts and Science Council's master plan.

The consultants are also examining possible sites.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory said he suggested using county-owned land in Third Ward that's now set aside for a park.

"That would be the cheapest thing for the taxpayers, to use the existing land that's owned by the taxpayers," he said.

Blackwell said he expects the consultant's report by the end of March. Simultaneously, the team is wrapping up a new three-year lease on its S.C. stadium.

"This is a terrific market and one that deserves a first-class AAA ballpark," Zohn said. "And we're trying to make sure that that can be accomplished."

 

hell I say put it at the soon to be old Charlotte Colusium site

 

Like I said before, why not put it at the old SEAL GUNK site at the corner of I-277/I-77/Wilkinson Blvd ? (I know that some office building was suppose to have gone up there, but that's been on hold for awhile now). HaVE the ballpark open up to face the downtown skyline . . . It would certainly encourage some redevelopment along that side of West Morehead Street over by the WBTV/WBT/WLNK Studios (I saw quite a few old empty warehouses in that area).

 

But then they'd have to mess up the really neat little park in back of the plant. That thing is a gem.

 

Yep, that park whips ass, plus, baseballs flying onto I-77 isn't a good idea. I really wish this would happen, but I don't think it will. I'll support it, but I don't think it will happen for several years.

 

Not if you put the corner of the diamond at WILKINSON BLVD and ________ STREET (that side street that will take you right next to the WBTV/WBT/WLNK Studios). If you have the ballpark running from SW to NE, it would open up to that park your talking about (I've seen it, but I can't remember the name of it). Unless the batter is on sterioids, there is no way he could hit the ball onto I-77. I know the Uptown Powerbrokers want a ballpark in Southend, but if this site could be purchased cheaper, I think the Knights/City of CLT needs to check it out IMHO . . . I know that the Bluenthal Family (the Performing Arts Center is named after them) was donating that land to the city and that they were going to transform it into an office complex, but I haven't heard any updates about this lately.