Today’s TBJ has a Charlotte MLS Project article . I am not a subscriber , so I don’t have any info. on this .
Frankly, without a stadium, I don’t want the project. I’d rather have any no-stadium investment in the actual core of the city. I’d rather pack the core and make it as vibrant as possible. (I shouldn’t post tipsy but I did)
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This has been a great thread. I’m a fan of the project but I’m appreciative of the well stated views from the other side that show how this can be a boondoggle (and waste resources that could go toward parks and other projects).
But I this really could be the missing piece that puts Raleigh into a whole new class. This one project could jump start other actions that without this project, would never happen. If the city leaders can work with the developers to make this work, it’s possible that all the following could happen:
- Massively extends the downtown Raleigh core (lots of new opportunity and growth)
- Brings a ‘North Hills’ life style closer to downtown
- Brings pro sports to downtown Raleigh (could get MLS and maybe even MLB)
- Makes light rail more likely to get started (finally focusing on Wake county instead of UNC/Duke)
- Makes it more likely a big tech would move in (like the ‘Nashville’s Yards’ project helped snag Amazon’s 5000 tech job center)
- Opens more opportunities for HQ migrations (with all the above, would attract some high visible HQ operations)
Any one of these makes the other more likely to happen. It’s up to the leadership in Raleigh to do the analysis and decide if this is a good gamble. Will easily be the most pivotal decision in a generation for the area.
Don’t do it - and remain on the slow trajectory, barely eclipsing cities like Greensboro and Richmond and Jacksonville.
But do it - and make it work, and the city moves up a whole tier like Charlotte, Nashville, and Austin.
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Update per email - I assume not everyone subscribed on Downtown South web page:
Dear Downtown South Insiders:
Thank you for your interest in Downtown South! Since we announced our intention to build the Downtown Sports and Entertainment Stadium and its surrounding Downtown Raleigh Entertainment District (Downtown South), we’ve been working to ensure that this transformational project becomes a reality.
Your support has made a huge impact, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response. Notably, you’ve sent more than 1,000 emails, letters, and phone calls to Raleigh City Councilors and Wake County Commissioners.
We want to share a few highlights with you from our recent efforts:
- We’ve been on a listening tour, meeting with community leaders and elected officials, and discussing their ideas and concerns, which have helped to strengthen the project.
- Downtown South has earned significant media attention and coverage, both around the announcement of the location, and the NC Courage’s U.S. Women’s National Team media tour in the Triangle. In total, we’ve earned more than 9.5 million impressions across all news and social media channels over the past month.
- An independent telephone poll conducted in May 2019 by McLaughlin & Associates with active voters indicated that there is overwhelming support for the proposed Downtown Sports and Entertainment Stadium and the overall Downtown Raleigh Entertainment District (i.e., Downtown South). Specifically, the poll found:
- By a greater than a 4-to-1 ratio (75% to 17%), three-quarters support the proposed Downtown Raleigh Entertainment District. The support has high intensity with 41% who “strongly” support it.
- Nearly 4 in 5 (78%) would be likely to go to a new Downtown Raleigh Entertainment District. Half (49%) would be “very” likely to go.
- By greater than a 3-to-1 margin (74% to 21%), three-quarters support investing tourism tax revenue to build a new 20,000-seat Downtown Sports and Entertainment Stadium.
- We’ve updated the project’s Interlocal Funds Request For Information (RFI) document to include more detailed information about the project and its positive economic impact on the City of Raleigh and Wake County, and submitted that proposal to the city and county.
- We have engaged the Urban Land Institute (“ULI”) to facilitate an expert advisory panel discussion, which will include a significant number of local leaders and citizens to provide insight into the needs and desired outcomes for the entire community surrounding the project. ULI will deliver an independent summary of recommendations for the project and the surrounding area in September 2019.
- We proudly welcomed home NC Courage players – and 2019 World Cup Champions – Samantha Mewis, Jessica McDonald, Abby Dahlkemper, and Crystal Dunn. The players were also honored at the Governor’s Mansion on July 19.
- We’ll attend the Wake County Board of Commissioners Meetings on August 12 and 19 and the Raleigh City Council Meeting on September 3 to respond to questions about Downtown South.
As Downtown South Insiders, we look forward to keeping you posted on critical developments related to our project.
In the meantime, if you want to continue to demonstrate your strong support for Downtown South, you can:
- Engage your friends and community by voicing your support through social media.
- Visit the Downtown South website and continue to engage your elected officials to explain why you support the project.
Thank you for everything you’ve done to help make Downtown South a reality,
Steve Malik John Kane
Chairman and Owner Chairman and CEO
North Carolina Football Club Kane Realty Corporation
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I’ve been following the MLS bid very closely and league expansion has been an extremely hot topic the last 2 days because of the MLS All-Star game taking place. It seems to be unanimous with the insiders that St. Louis, Sacramento and Charlotte are the 3 teams that will be landing a franchise. That brought up a few questions and I wanted to see how this community would answer them.
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How does everybody’s view on this change if Charlotte gets MLS (as expected)?
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Do you still think a 20k seat stadium is necessary here at this time? And if so, why and how would you justify it?
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If not, what size stadium would you propose in its place and what would it be used for?
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And lastly, a question none of us can answer, but if you did build a smaller multi-use stadium would Kane still be interested in committing $1.9 billion in development around it?
Who are the “insiders” you are referring to? Sports Illustrated ran some article claiming it was “in the know” but there are multiple other outlets that have reported recently that Raleigh is ahead of charlotte USA.
Today, there is an article stating MLS declined to vote for expansion because they “want soccer specific stadiums”. Tepper is just trying to get MLS to help pay for his football team so he can try to milk charlotte our of a bunch of money to build a new stadium…
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I’m fine with making public money contingent on an MLS bid. But the city should make that clear, that the public money is assured if the franchise is awarded. No punting and saying they’ll explore it if MLS comes. Basically, if the bid dies, I want it to be the MLS’s choice, not because Raleigh took themselves out of the game.
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I’m muting this subject until there is something new to talk about.
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To be clear, when I say insiders, what i mean is, an acquaintance who works for MLS, MLS beat writers, and Garber (MLS Commish) himself…
Garber himself is touting STL, Sac and Charlotte.
Garber said “If it wasn’t for Charlotte, we may be more interested in Raleigh.” And basically saying they are not eyeing both cities for a team.
Then there’s this, FWIW
You can find a ton more on Twitter if you just search ‘MLS Charlotte’ or ‘MLS Raleigh.’
The point I’m making is that whether you choose to believe it or not, Charlotte has moved ahead of Raleigh in the eyes of the MLS brass. Not saying it’s right, but just saying it’s what seems to be clearly going on… which is prompting me to ask those questions above.
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This is exactly where I’m at with this. However, if Charlotte does get the 30th team. How would that work? I’m asking as a legitimate question. MLS may never expand again, or it may wait another 5-10 years. It would be complicated and maybe impossible for the county/city to make that promise on something that has no real guarantee on happening (or no real timeline if it does).
I guess my suggestion to the city (if they were FOR this project happening in theory) would be to make the public money contingent on an MLS bid in this round of expansion. That way Raleigh can go to MLS and say “We’ve got the money and the plan for a soccer specific stadium downtown. Now give us a team over Charlotte.” However, if MLS STILL chooses Charlotte, and the expansion to 30 ends there, then this proposal needs to be rethought if it’s going to go forward.
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I think with the stadium and MLS bid still in place, Kane would master plan the development and go big from the start with a commitment on the final build out density.
Without the stadium, I think they’ll do a different type of development. The initial projects will be smaller and scale up progressively depending on the success of each one.
I don’t believe a 20K stadium is warranted without an MLS team.
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Yeah there is no need for a 20k seat stadium without and MLS team. Commit the money but make it continent on landing a team.
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I’ve seen the same thing. It seems like Tepper entering the race effectively screwed Malik’s years-long pursuit. You can put all the advantages Raleigh has against Charlotte up against Tepper’s wealth, and the money is going to win. It would be wild if Charlotte is announced before St. Louis and Sacramento, since those cities have been the front runners for months.
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Raleigh needs to get their sh## together and announce that Malik/Kane/City/County have a formal agreement in place to fund the stadium period. Fund a smaller stadium and guarantee a larger funding model if Malik gets MLS.
A soccer specific stadium is Raleigh’s one legitimate counter punch to Teppers checkbook.
MLS stated this point yesterday when they DID NOT vote for charlotte USA or any expansion.
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First, they need to get the $300m approved with conditions on MLS. The condition is more a local issue. The fact that the MLS needs to know is that IF they grant Raleigh a team, they have the guaranteed money to build a soccer specific stadium. Then let MLS decide. (My bet is that it won’t matter. MLS is in love with Tepper’s bank account and the fact they have Glick on their team).
Meanwhile, I was told that Tepper’s pitch is that they can start right away. Meanwhile he’s pushing for a domed stadium to house both the Panthers and MLS. This is big for MLS because while some are saying the delay in announcements have been about ‘soccer specific stadiums’, I heard that it’s more about start date. Sacramento doesn’t have a temporary location set, so that’s their holdup until they can build a new stadium and STL was pitching that they had a temporary option but that depends on upfit $$. Charlotte very well could sneak in as the first team announced bc they can start next season with no conditions.
Ouch.
Charlotte’s getting a lot™
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I don’t understand why some people on this forum hate Charlotte so much and seem very unhappy when nice things happen for Charlotte. I certainly have no hostility to people in any other city, and I am happy for the fine folks who live in Charlotte and wish nothing but success for their new MLS team.
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I think there’s a stark contrast in being disappointed we may not get an MLS bid and being hostile towards Charlotte. Maybe I missed a comment?
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I wish that Charlotte and Raleigh both got sports teams that would play each other. Would love to hate on Charlotte’s team and make the dislike official. Don’t see a sport where that us going to happen though. 
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I don’t know about any one else, but I was ready to drive down and burn old Char-town in ‘98 when Charlotte took Jamison and UNC to overtime in the 2nd round. We escaped (only to die 2 weeks later tear).