CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Members of the Democratic National Committee plan to visit Charlotte on Tuesday and Wednesday to scope out the city as a potential location for the 2012 DNC.
Charlotte is one of four cities in the running to be the host city. St. Louis, Cleveland and Minneapolis are the other possible locations.
While the DNC won't say much about the visit, a Democratic source said it will center on whether Charlotte can handle the "logistical and security requirements" of such a large event.
Organizers on Charlotte's end said that means they will likely look at arena space, the amount and location of available hotel rooms, the city's transportation capabilities and its airport.
"It's really just walking the town and kicking the tires, making sure that we're ready for this -- and we are," Tim Newman with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
The DNC team just toured Minneapolis, and insiders there said they covered all of the aforementioned aspects, in addition to the city's emergency response.
Most insiders agree that the visit will be a technical one, focusing more on whether Charlotte can pull the event off than on the Queen City's physical appearance.
Still, Charlotte residents can likely expect to see some sprucing up happening over the next few days. City leaders haven't released any specifics on the type and cost of preparations for the advisory committee's visit.
And expect "some" sprucing up over the next few days. But-- at this point-- no one's saying how many tax dollars will go for preparations or whether crews will get pulled from projects in other parts of town.
The DNC plans to announce the host city by the end of the year.
Previous Stories: July 21, 2010: DNC Schedules Convention Site Visit To Charlotte July 21, 2010: Local Leaders Optimistic About Charlotte's Chances In DNC Bid July 16, 2010: Charlotte Unveils Logo, Slogan To Lure 2012 DNC July 1, 2010: Charlotte Named A Finalist For 2012 DNC
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