Sources: Charlotte leads HOF bid

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This Buds For Me

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just pulled this from Charlotte.com

As the race for NASCAR's Hall of Fame heads into the home stretch, Charlotte is the leading candidate to land the $100 million-plus shrine to stock car racing, several sources told the Observer on Sunday.

Two high-ranking NASCAR officials and two Nextel Cup team owners, all speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Charlotte's selection was nearly certain.

Final details must be worked out before any announcement, the sources said.

Charlotte has been competing against four other cities since last year to host the project, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. In January, NASCAR eliminated Kansas City and Richmond, Va. as candidates, leaving Charlotte, Atlanta and Daytona Beach, Fla.

A NASCAR spokesman maintained Sunday the selection process was not complete.

"The process is still evolving. We continue to receive additional information regarding each of the three cities' proposals and the decision-making process is still active," said NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp.

Tharp reiterated that NASCAR plans to decide by the end of March.

Mayor Pat McCrory and other city leaders would not confirm or comment on the news Sunday. It was unclear whether any city officials have recently discussed details of their bid or negotiated with NASCAR.

The Charlotte City Council has had several closed-door meetings on economic development issues in recent weeks, including a two-hour session Feb. 13 and one before last week's zoning meeting. Another private session is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today.

"I continue to have confidence in the proposal that we initially submitted, and I will comment no further," McCrory said.

The proposal calls for a $137.5 million building on city-owned land just across Brevard Street from the Convention Center. The building, which would include a new convention center ballroom, would be designed with banked curves resembling a NASCAR track.

It would be paid for largely through a 2 percentage point increase in Mecklenburg County's tax on hotel rooms, as well as contributions from state government and local companies. All but $15 million would be public money.

City officials released most of its initial bid to the Observer last summer, but withheld a portion known as the "pro forma" that projected the long-term expenses and operating budget for the hall.

Related documents, however, showed that the city would operate the hall and pay the bulk of construction costs, while NASCAR would get payments for the use of its name and merchandise.

Using the slogan "Racing was built here. Racing belongs here," city leaders and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce launched a high-profile pitch to win the shrine. They touted the city's built-in fan base, financial plan and proximity to race teams. The city is home to 90 percent of NASCAR's race teams.

Atlanta is largely seen as Charlotte's biggest competitor, mainly because its regional population is more than triple that of Charlotte, its residents have more disposable income and it attracts more tourists. But Charlotte has a strong financial bid, with heavy backing from state legislators.

Critics say Charlotte is offering too much for an attraction that will mainly pay off for NASCAR.

A study by UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton estimated the hall would generate $62 million annually for the Mecklenburg economy and support 748 new tourism-related jobs.

Landing the hall also would bolster Charlotte's status as the center of the sport, and -- officials hope -- keep the annual all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
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you guys know my opinon on this....i think it should be in NC
 
NASCAR Downplays HOF Report: NASCAR is downplaying a report in the Charlotte Observer that quotes sources as saying Charlotte has emerged as the clear leader in a three-city battle for the sport's hall of fame. NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer Brian France said before Sunday's race at California Speedway that Atlanta remained very much in the running for the hall, and NASCAR public relations spokesman Kerry Tharp said after Sunday's race that a decision on the hall had not been reached. "We are still in the decision-making process, and we're still collecting information from all the cities," Tharp said. "We still anticipate making an announcement in March." The Observer said a high-ranking NASCAR official and two Nextel Cup team owners, all speaking on the condition of anonymity, said NASCAR officials have indicated to them that Charlotte's selection is nearly certain. Charlotte, Atlanta and Daytona Beach, Fla., are the three finalists for the hall.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
 
looks like there's gonna be an annoucement Monday afternoon that the Hall of Fame will go to Charlotte.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/motorsports/13986945.htm

Charlotte has won the yearlong race to land NASCAR's Hall of Fame, three sources told the Observer on Tuesday night.

Charlotte beat out Atlanta and Daytona Beach, Fla., to win the $100 million-plus shrine to stock car racing, the sources said. An official announcement is expected Monday afternoon in Charlotte.

"It's coming to Charlotte," said one source, who like the others asked not to be identified because of the confidentiality of the process. The source said final logistics must still be worked out, but "it's going to happen."

"Monday will be a great day for the city," said another source.

A NASCAR spokesman, reached late Tuesday, would only confirm that NASCAR would announce the project site this month.

Sources said NASCAR Chairman Brian France is expected in Charlotte on Monday for the announcement.

Charlotte began competing with four other cities in early 2005 to host the shrine, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Two months ago, NASCAR eliminated Kansas City and Richmond, Va., as candidates, leaving Charlotte, Atlanta and Daytona Beach.

Charlotte's proposal calls for a futuristic-looking $137.5 million building at Brevard and Stonewall streets that would also include a new ballroom for the uptown Convention Center.

It would be paid for largely through a 2 percentage point increase in Mecklenburg County's tax on hotel rooms, as well as contributions from state government and local companies. All but $15 million would be public money.

Sources said the Charlotte City Council would finalize details of the deal on Monday.

Mayor Pat McCrory, reached late Tuesday, said only: "No comment."

City officials released most of the city's initial bid to the Observer last summer, but withheld a portion known as the "pro forma" that projected the hall's long-term expenses and operating budget.

Related documents, however, showed the city would operate the hall and pay the bulk of construction costs, while NASCAR would get payments for the use of its name and merchandise.

Details veiled

Charlotte taxpayers may have to wait a while longer to know details of the city's negotiations with NASCAR.City leaders said Tuesday they see any NASCAR deal as an economic development package, like those that lured Johnson & Wales University, Time Warner Cable's back-office operations and other private companies.

Typically, those deals get worked out in closed-door meetings. Most details stay secret until just before an announcement.

It's not unusual for companies to require city officials to sign nondisclosure agreements pledging to keep details under wraps. But, of course, city officials can't talk about those either.

The Charlotte City Council met for three hours behind closed doors on an "economic development issue" Monday night, but members refused to even say what it was about.

"We're trying to recruit businesses to our community, and we need to treat those with a different kind of caution because they're competitive," said John Lassiter, chair of the council's economic development committee. "The public had ample opportunity to weigh in (on the hall) when we put together the financing for our bid last year."

Council members said earlier Tuesday they won't make the same mistakes they made in 2002 and 2003, when they quickly approved thick contracts with the NBA to build a $265 million arena uptown. Later, some details surprised them, such as the lack of a requirement for the team to pay for policing outside arena events.

"We've already asked about the policing and traffic control around the new cultural arts facilities," said council member Patsy Kinsey, referring to a recently approved package of museums.

Council members also reiterated they would not spend revenues from property taxes on the hall of fame and said they would carefully scrutinize any documents before voting on them.

They also noted that because state law requires all votes be taken in public, citizens would have at least some opportunity to comment before any final action.

Successful campaign

Charlotte's selection climaxes a high-profile pitch by city and Chamber of Commerce leaders to woo NASCAR with the slogan "Racing was built here. Racing belongs here."

Backers touted the city's financial plan and built-in fan base, and pointed out that the region is home to 90 percent of NASCAR's race teams.

Atlanta was seen as a strong competitor, because its regional population is more than triple Charlotte's, and because of corporate ties between its companies and NASCAR. It planned to raise $92 million for construction, with as much as $30 million from city and state governments and the rest from corporate sources.

Daytona Beach emphasized its status as home to NASCAR's headquarters. It was expecting to spend about $105 million, mostly from private sources.
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They have delayed the announcement so many times that I hope the decision WILL be announced Monday!
 
The latest from KnowYourNascar


Hall Of Fame might be going the Charlotte and NASCAR's headquarters may go with it
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily


It looks as though it’s down to the wire for the cities vying for the NASCAR Hall Of Fame.

Or is it?

This week the Charlotte Observer has been relentlessly reporting that ‘unnamed sources’ have told them that NASCAR will announce Monday that the Hall will go to their city.

Wednesday night, a high-ranking NASCAR source told the Observer that Atlanta's revised bid changes nothing.

Another source called the Atlanta bid "too little, too late" and told the paper that final logistics still must be worked out but "it's going to happen."

The Observer is also reporting that in another sign that plans for a Monday announcement are well under way, Concord-based event planner Jay Howard Events Production Group talked with NASCAR officials Wednesday about preparations, a source close to the situation said Wednesday.

But Charlotte officials remained mum on the speculation, as did business leaders and others asked about NASCAR's plans. None of the dozens of people interviewed this week would disclose details of any last-minute negotiations to land the hall, expected to attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

Atlanta and Daytona Beach remain optimistic about their chances to land the Hall of Fame, even after the Observer published its report Wednesday.

"We've heard rumors in the past. Almost three weeks ago we got calls from all over that Atlanta was getting the nod and that proved to be not true. Two weeks later we're hearing Charlotte got the nod. Maybe two weeks from now the rumor will be Daytona," George Mirabal, the local official in Daytona Beach working to bring the hall of fame to NASCAR's birthplace told the Associated Press.

"It looks like our chances are getting slimmer," added Mirabal.

"We hate reading all of this, but we have never given up, and we will never give up until a final decision is made by NASCAR."

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the organization is still talking to Atlanta and Daytona Beach.

"From our standpoint, as long as we are having open discussions with the other cities we still feel like it's an open process," he said. "I'll just leave it at that."

Two people in NASCAR who are close to the negotiations told The Associated Press later yesterday that although Charlotte is the leading candidate, the deal isn't complete and talks were ongoing. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal is done.

One person said that NASCAR chairman Brian France spent Tuesday in Charlotte meeting with city leaders but left without a deal.

In Atlanta, civic leaders refused to concede to Charlotte and said NASCAR officials were still negotiating with them Wednesday over their financial proposal.

At NASCAR's request, Atlanta officials Wednesday said they increased the city's planned investment in the project from $5 million to $77 million. The state of Georgia had already pledged $25 million.

"Georgia's exceptional financial commitment coupled with our ability to immediately attract tourists from across the globe give us what I believe to be the winning bid for the NASCAR Hall of Fame," Gov. Sonny Perdue said in a statement yesterday.

"There's lots of rumors out there that Charlotte has been anointed. I don't have any confirmation of that," said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, the group that prepared and submitted the city's bid. "We have found a way, we think to enhance our bid."

For at least one of the cities, more than just the Hall Of Fame may be at stake.

George Mirabal told the Orlando Sentinel that from the start, there effort has not only focused on landing the hall, but also making sure that NASCAR's corporate headquarters remains in Daytona Beach.

NASCAR's offices are across the street from Daytona International Speedway in a complex that also houses the corporate headquarters of the International Speedway Corp., a publicly traded company run by the France family that owns and operates racetracks throughout the country.

In a news conference the day before the Daytona 500, NASCAR CEO Brian France shot down rumors that NASCAR's headquarters might move to North Carolina.

"No, that's not going to happen," France said. "We're based where we are. We're going to have a big presence in Charlotte. We'll have a big presence in New York, Los Angeles and certainly here in Daytona where the headquarters is. That's not in the cards."

However, France purchased a home in the Charlotte area recently, and in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel in 2005, he didn't rule out the possibility of relocating NASCAR's corporate offices.

The Charlotte area is also home to the majority of the sport's race teams as well as NASCAR's research-and-development center.

One thing that points to NASCAR's staying in Daytona is a recently announced plan to build a $75 million to $100 million office, retail and entertainment complex across the street from the Speedway. The complex is supposed to include the headquarters of NASCAR and ISC.

Come Monday, all the questions may be answered and for the losing cities, the teem ‘Black Monday’ could take on a whole new meaning.
 
It's definately going to charlotte, how could it not.. way too much racing influence
 
The HOF IS going to Charlotte.

Announcement will be Monday.

I like the idea of it being there...........hate where they are going to put it.

Center City! Downtown! Or as the locals say "Uptown."

It stinks. Everything they want to build in this town has to be "Uptown." There are better places to put it but the income has to go to the expensive hotels and restaurants.

Well, I guess there will be plenty of people that will go see it.
 
Guido said:
The HOF IS going to Charlotte.

Announcement will be Monday.

I like the idea of it being there...........hate where they are going to put it.

Center City! Downtown! Or as the locals say "Uptown."

It stinks. Everything they want to build in this town has to be "Uptown." There are better places to put it but the income has to go to the expensive hotels and restaurants.

Well, I guess there will be plenty of people that will go see it.
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yea we could start a whole arguement about this....the baseball stadium in FORT MILL doesnt work....the colsium (sp?) off of Tyvola road didnt work either......the best place for something like this to make the most money is downtown.......look at Bank of America Stadium and Bobcats Arena....they are both doing great where they are....Charlotte has learned from itmistakes from putting the "Charlotte" Knights where they are and where the Charlotte Hornets were.
 
This Buds For Me said:
yea we could start a whole arguement about this....the baseball stadium in FORT MILL doesnt work....the colsium (sp?) off of Tyvola road didnt work either......the best place for something like this to make the most money is downtown.......look at Bank of America Stadium and Bobcats Arena....they are both doing great where they are....Charlotte has learned from itmistakes from putting the "Charlotte" Knights where they are and where the Charlotte Hornets were.
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Tell that to the taxpayers who have to pay for the police overtime for these events. And the amount of taxpayer money that it costs to bulid and run some of these venues. Especially the ones that were voted down by taxpayer referendum.

There was nothing wrong with where the colesium was located. The problem is the downtown crowd and their "visions" of being a "world class" city. Some of us that lived here for awhile were perfectly happy with the old Charlotte.

Well, it doesn't matter to me. I live just outside the city and the county. As long as they don't start pushing the idea of a commuter tax, they can spend all the money they want.
 
well bank of america stadium was built with private money.....and the money used to build bobcats arena came from a tourism tax....so unless your renting a hotel or a car in Char/Meck...then you arent paying a dime for either one of those buildings.

as far as the Police overtime....the same thing would have happened on Tyvola Road.

nothing wrong with the old colesium locations? i worked right across the street from it....there's nothing out there...if you have an arena thats supposed to support so many games a year that can not support walk up ticket sales...its not going to work.

The new arena will also generate more concerts inCharlotte as well, which of course means more people pumping money into our economy....hell within thef first month of it being open The Rolling Stones and U2 played there.....that would not have happened at the Colisuem

Charlotte made a huge mistake when they built the arena off of Tyvola.

i cant wait til the day when we can watch baseball in CHARLOTTE instead of Fort Mill.
 
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