City to hold public soccer stadium meeting at 4 p.m. Friday

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts has called a 4 p.m. Friday meeting for the public and City Council members to debate whether to fund a new soccer stadium.

After the public forum, council members could vote on the stadium proposal.

In an e-mail to city manager Marcus Jones Tuesday morning, Roberts said, “we need to show our willingness to be transparent on this matter on which there are many different views in the community.”

The city and county have been scrambling in recent days to consider a proposal that each would pay $43.75 million toward a $175 million stadium in Elizabeth. The county would raze Memorial Stadium and the Grady Cole Center.

Hours before the City Council meeting Monday, the city decided to hold a public proposal about the stadium meeting. Deputy city manager Ron Kimble discussed the proposed deal to partner with racetrack magnate Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus Smith, who are trying to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to Charlotte.

After the presentation, council member Patsy Kinsey was critical of the plan and the short window the city has to consider it. The deadline for the bid to MLS is Jan. 31.

Because the meeting was running late, Roberts ended the council discussion and told council members to send questions to city staff. That upset Kinsey, who said she is worried that staff members “will pick us off one by one” in answering their questions.

In her e-mail to Jones, Roberts said she wants to make sure the public has a voice.

“I agree with council member Kinsey that we should also have public council debate on this matter,” Roberts said. “Our citizens deserve this opportunity.”

Because the stadium is on county land, Mecklenburg County commissioners have taken the lead on the project.

They have had two closed session meetings about the stadium and held a public forum on Tuesday.

They could vote on the stadium proposal Thursday.

Charlotte council members leave for a three-day retreat in Raleigh Wednesday. Kimble proposed that they finish the meeting in Raleigh and then drive back to Charlotte for an afternoon vote on the soccer plan.

Roberts has asked that a public portion of the meeting be held at 4 p.m.

This story was originally published January 24, 2017 at 11:10 AM with the headline "City to hold public soccer stadium meeting at 4 p.m. Friday."