Charlotte advances $25M renovations to Bojangles Coliseum. They don’t include roof
Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium are due for $25 million in repairs, tourism authority leaders said during a City Council committee meeting Thursday.
Those fixes have nothing to do with the leaky roof that upended multiple recent events.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority is asking the city to upgrade the venues’ decades-old HVAC systems and commission a study looking at future plumbing, electrical and parking needs. The tourism authority maintains the buildings for the city.
The City Council will vote later this month on whether it wants to fund the efforts, which multiple council members are calling a “no-brainer.”
“Pretty straight forward. We’ve gotta invest in our buildings,” said at-large councilwoman Victoria Watlington.
The coliseum has experienced a “renaissance” over the last decade, according to Steve Bagwell, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Attendance is up 175% while revenue is up 562%. It hosts regular Charlotte Checkers games, concerts, annual graduation ceremonies and, at times, political rallies. This year the coliseum will also become home to The Charlotte Crown, a professional women’s basketball team.
The venues enjoyed about $34.5 million in investments between 2015 and 2020, which Bagwell said helped fuel growth. Improvements included new scoreboards, locker rooms, the Red Line Club restaurant, new seatings and other features.
But the 70-year-old coliseum and auditorium are operating on outdated mechanical systems that are increasingly unreliable, according to the tourism authority. Leaks postponed a Charlotte Checkers game and canceled a USA Curling competition last month, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner WSOC-TV reported, but officials said those problems were already resolved as part of a planned roof sealing. “That sealing project is still ongoing however the roofing contractor identified the section of the roof where water intrusion occurred and addressed the affected area,” Gina Sheridan, spokesperson for the tourism authority, said in a written statement.
The project discussed Thursday would only look at replacing chillers, boilers and air handler units.
“This equipment dates back to the 1970s. Equipment nowadays is far more efficient, far more economical,” said Kathleen Cishek, city engineer.
The improvements are time-sensitive due to the rigid schedules of sports seasons and must be completed in July or wait another year, Cishek said. Equipment takes up to 12 weeks to arrive, meaning it must be ordered before the end of the month in order to arrive on time.
Renovations make up the bulk of the authority’s ask at about $23 million. The study is projected to cost around $2 million. The city would pull from its tourism fund to cover the costs.
Council members offered a wish list for future investments, too, suggesting more dressing room for performers and teams, better parking, storage space improvements and walkable restaurants and experiences in the area.
“All those are needs,” Bagwell said. “Once we address the mechanical systems, that we can make sure the building’s operating safely and can service customers in the way we’re doing now, then I would love to come back with ideas in all these areas you’ve described that are important to the future of the building.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 2:59 PM.
