DURHAM, N.C. — It was a commitment made behind closed doors. A $110 million promise from the City of Charlotte to help bring Major League Soccer to the Queen City. On Wednesday, elected leaders and city staff spoke publicly about what needs to happen before they release the funds.
On their final day at their retreat in Durham, council members got updates on the city's hospitality funds.
The money that's been verbally committed to David Tepper, owner of the Panthers and the new MLS team that will be in Charlotte, will come from those funds.
Charlotte's Chief Financial Officer, Kelly Flannery, said the city can afford the commitment based on the current available funds for payments, $41.7 million, and the estimated growth for years to come.
"I would say, in short, we can afford some stuff in the Convention Center Fund," Flannery said.
To attract MLS to the Queen City, leaders are looking to help bring the team's headquarters to the old Eastland Mall site, help renovate Bank of America Stadium to make it MLS friendly, and create an entertainment district connection the stadium to the Gateway District.
Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson said council has not decided how it will break those funds up between projects.
"There's a lot of conversation still to come before we start to spend that $110 million," Dodson said.
Although the money isn't approved, Dodson said the city will file for a zoning petition for the Eastland site by the end of January. They would expect to hear a decision on the petition by May.
That would allow development plans to be drafted. Those could then go before council by the summer, according to Dodson.
Dodson noted the deal is far from being complete since several discussions and agreements still need to be hashed out.
"I don't think it's one vote," Dodson said. "I think there is a lot."
But Mayor Vi Lyles is confident council will approve the funding piece by piece, thus living up to the city's promise.
"I would hope that over the next two years we would see some significant investments occur," she said.
Lyles also referenced Tepper already making needed changes to Bank of America Stadium to equip it for MLS to be played there.
"I think that shows a high level of trust between Tepper Sports and the City of Charlotte," she said. "He's spending money on something that's an investment for this new season when they play in 2021, and we still have yet to go through the planning process with our community before we release that $110 million at all."
Lyles agreed that multiple discussions and priorities need to be ironed out and that public hearings would have to happen before any of the votes on the matter took place.
Dodson said before the city signs a single check for MLS related projects, she would still like a commitment on the Panthers staying in Charlotte.
"I need to know Tepper isn't going to go to South Carolina," Dodson said. "I mean the goal is that we're making an investment in MLS that's also making an investment in keeping the Carolina Panthers here."
Other significant projects Charlotte is looking spending hospitality funds on is an amateur sports facility, the demolition and rebuild or renovation of Discovery Place in Uptown, Convention Center expansion, improvements to Spectrum Center, and expanding the lobby and conference areas in the Blumenthal.