Charlotte will spend $110 million to support MLS team, mayor tells league
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Charlotte MLS expansion
Charlotte will become the host city for the 30th Major League Soccer team. David Tepper, the billionaire owner of the Carolina Panthers, has been instrumental in working to bring a team to the city. The team would play in Bank of America Stadium after renovations are made.
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The city of Charlotte is willing to set aside $110 million in hospitality funds to help bring the 30th Major League Soccer team to Charlotte, according to a letter Mayor Vi Lyles sent to MLS Commissioner Don Garber on Nov. 21.
The letter, which the city released publicly Wednesday evening following multiple media requests, offers the clearest picture to date of how much tourism money will be allocated to support the bid.
Panthers owner David Tepper is leading the charge to bring the soccer team to the city, where it would play in Bank of America Stadium.
MLS has not yet confirmed that Charlotte will be home to its 30th team. But Garber said this month the league is in “very, very advanced discussions” with Tepper.
“We are excited to welcome a Major League Soccer team to Charlotte and are taking several major steps to be a welcoming, diverse and inclusive community to the league’s 30th team,” Lyles wrote in her letter.
She said the $110 million in hospitality funds will be “set aside to help ensure a successful venture over the next many years.” But she did not spell out how that money would be spent, or how long it will take to generate and distribute the funds.
The MLS franchise headquarters and practice facilities would be located outside of uptown “on the Eastland site,” according to the mayor’s letter.
Justin Harlow, a former city council member who left office this month, said recent closed sessions have probed the best allocation of the $110 million — specifically how much should be designated for practice facilities in the former Eastland Mall site in addition to Bank of America Stadium upgrades.
“All our conversations have been about how do we spur economic development in Eastland and knowing the community in East Charlotte would definitely support soccer,” Harlow said in an interview Wednesday. “No deal was agreed upon when I was in council.”
‘Collaborative relationship’
Another part of the city’s plan that Lyles cited was continuing to build an entertainment district that connects uptown and the Gateway District.
“The addition of Major League Soccer will significantly contribute to the energy of Charlotte’s professional sports stage,” Lyles wrote, “as well as cement a long-term relationship between Charlotte and MLS for many, many years to come.
“We have a wonderful, collaborative relationship with Tepper Sports and are aligned on our long-term goals and unified in our vision,” the mayor wrote.
She also invited MLS to come to Charlotte this month to make an official announcement.
Also Wednesday, the city publicly released a permit showing an event will take place in uptown around Levine Avenue of the Arts between Monday and Tuesday. A permit to park production trucks on that street has been issued to Vista Worldlink, a media company that has worked with MLS on other events.
Next week’s event is widely expected to be on Tuesday for the official MLS announcement.
After the city released Lyles’ letter and the permit, city spokeswoman Britt Clampitt said Charlotte officials would have no further comment.
Not a done deal
The city council still needs to take a public vote on the incentives package.
Council members have said they were expecting to finalize the MLS deal by the end of the year. But there’s only one meeting — for zoning, on Monday — remaining on the calendar.
Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond wouldn’t comment Wednesday on the public funding package from city council.
Garber, the MLS head, told reporters recently that issues with Bank of America Stadium still need to be resolved before a bid is awarded.
Tepper had previously said that the stadium — one of the NFL’s oldest — will need renovations before hosting a soccer team full-time, including outfitting for soccer camera angles, a center tunnel and new locker rooms.
Charlotte has been competing with Las Vegas and Phoenix for the 30th spot in the league.
The last two teams that joined MLS, from St. Louis and Sacramento, Calif., each paid a $200 million expansion fee. The fee has steadily risen over the years and is expected to greatly exceed $200 million for the 30th team.
MLS had 24 teams competing this year, and three more teams are expected to begin playing in the next two years.
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 5:49 PM.
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