CHARLOTTE — A majority of people who have responded to a community input webpage and social-media polling by city government favor a proposed taxpayer investment of $275 million to renovate and upgrade Spectrum Center and build a new practice center for the NBA Charlotte Hornets. Or do they?
It’s hard to tell based on the city poll that accounts for most of the responses. The question posed is about extending the Hornets’ lease and makes no mention — unless the user clicks for additional information — of the public investment required to keep the team in place for an additional 15 years.
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Jason Schneider, the city’s marketing and communications director, shared results of the responses with Charlotte City Council’s economic development committee on Monday afternoon.
The committee met for nearly three hours to discuss details of the proposal, which would be paid for using a combination of existing tourism tax revenue ($215 million) and arena district naming rights ($60 million).
“Obviously, the lede was buried, as you say in your industry,” Malcolm Graham, the council Democrat who leads the committee, told CBJ, referring to the city poll that appeared on LinkedIn. The cost “should have been there,” he added.
City government administrators unveiled the arena proposal on June 1. The next day, the city’s website and social-media feeds began seeking comments and opinions from citizens. So far, response has been positive but limited.
Read more here and weigh in on whether you support the proposal.
(WATCH BELOW: City proposes hundreds of millions for Spectrum Center upgrades, new practice facility)
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