Share
Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning Monday that will allow a developer to build a $50 million race track and amateur sports complex on the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo grounds in north Charlotte.
Plans for the project, called the Metrolina Speed and Sports Center, include a 40,000-square-foot facility with rooftop skateboard park, a 200-room hotel and a banked race track. The popular flea market would stay on the site.
Developer Simon Weber expects the project to create 150 jobs, and he said Monday he plans to open the complex in May 2010, when the uptown NASCAR Hall of Fame opens.
City Council voted unanimously to rezone the 135.3-acre Metrolina property.
Some neighbors have raised concerns that the complex will bring noise and traffic, but others are eager for the economic boost the project could bring.
Before the vote, council members asked questions about protecting adjacent neighborhoods from noise, and Mayor Pat McCrory asked Weber whether he had experience running any similar type of venue.
Weber said he had not run anything similar but would surround himself with experts. He said a variety of automobiles would race on the track, but he said the noise would be directed at industrial areas.
“All these cars will have the necessary mufflers,” he told the council.
Weber is also planning a 100-foot buffer between the outdoor facilities and property lines and a 3.2-acre community garden to soften noise for the nearest neighbors.
In a separate matter, the council decided to invite the local delegation from the N.C. General Assembly for a meeting June 29 to discuss the impact of state decisions on the city budget.
Council members and city staffers are worried that the General Assembly, in its efforts to resolve a $4.7 billion budget shortfall, could cut more than $20 million in revenue to the city.
