Groundbreaking on Knights new stadium in September

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Center City Partners announced Thursday an official groundbreaking for the Charlotte Knights’ baseball stadium will be Sept. 14.

They said recent work at the site has been to prepare it for use during the Democratic National Convention. Once the convention is over, construction work and the change of traffic patterns will begin quickly.

"The first you'll see is the earth moving and the beginning of changing the infrastructure, street construction and so forth," Center City Partners Senior VP of Planning and Development Cheryl Myers said. "That entire area of uptown Charlotte that we call the ballpark neighborhood is going to be under construction."

The stadium, known as BB&T Ballpark, will stand between South Mint Street and South Graham Street in the Third Ward neighborhood.

Architects with Odell said there will be three entrances, but the main entrance will be at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Mint Street. It will include the team store, ticket office and a restaurant.

The stadium is expected to cost about $54 million, with funding coming from the Knights, sponsors, the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the hotel and motel tax.

WSOC