Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Latest on Panthers' stadium upgrades
By Tom Carpenter
Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has asked the governments of Charlotte and North Carolina to contribute to the $250 million in renovations he would like to make to Bank of America Stadium, and he received some good news on Tuesday, according to Andrew Dunn of the Charlotte Observer,
"The Charlotte Chamber has formally thrown its support behind the city’s effort to raise taxes on food and beverages to help pay for renovations to Bank of America Stadium," wrote Dunn.
"In a public policy update, the Chamber asks the N.C. General Assembly to quickly decide on the city’s request to increase the city’s 1 percent tax on food and beverages to 2 percent to pay for the upgrades to the home of the Carolina Panthers."
The Charlotte City Council agreed earlier in February to contribute $144 million toward renovations, traffic control and maintenance, but that's awaiting state approval for the tax increase. The team also has asked the state to contribute $62.5 million toward the upgrades.
