Pipe and Foundry asks to rezone property near uptown seen as a possible stadium site
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company has filed a rezoning petition for its facility, the company said in a release Wednesday, setting the stage for a major redevelopment of a large swath of property near uptown.
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has previously mentioned the Pipe and Foundry site as a possible location for a new stadium to replace Bank of America stadium.
A Panthers spokesperson declined comment Wednesday night.
In May, the Pipe and Foundry announced that it would move its operations from Charlotte to the town of Oakboro in Stanly County. The company was enticed by up to $50 million in state and local incentives.
Site work in Oakboro has started and production is slated to start at the plant as early as third quarter 2023, Pipe and Foundry said.
The manufacturer is asking the city of Charlotte to rezone its 55-acre site to an “uptown mixed-use district.”
That zoning would allow for a range of uses, including retail, hotels, restaurants and stadiums. The site is one of the largest pieces of land available for development in and around uptown Charlotte.
City leaders also said with the 2019 announcement that Major League Soccer would come to Charlotte that they intend to create an entertainment district uptown near Bank of America stadium. Tepper has mentioned the idea multiple times, although the fate of the plan remains up in the air, the Observer reported in October.
The stadium is across Interstate 277 from the Pipe and Foundry site.
The company did not announce specific plans, but said the zoning will give it flexibility in what is built, while ensuring that the design is “consistent” with buildings uptown.
“In light of the tremendous growth and success of Center City Charlotte and SouthEnd, as well at the City’s investments in the Lynx Blue Line and proposed Silver Line, we believe a vibrant, urban center with a mixture of uses may be a more appropriate future for our property,” Charlotte Pipe and Foundry said in the release.
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Pipe and Foundry asks to rezone property near uptown seen as a possible stadium site."
