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Charlotte, NBA team to open new arena
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-20 09:17
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After more than five years of political angst, Charlotte is
ready to take the wrapper off a $265 million downtown arena that will be home to
the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
And the officials who helped design the building believe they have a winner.
"I think this building, not only from a budget standpoint but also from an
aesthetic standpoint, is the best (arena) in the country," building chief
operating officer Barry Silberman said Wednesday as the media toured the arena
two blocks from the center of downtown Charlotte.
Mayor Pat McCrory and Bobcats owner Bob Johnson are to officially open
Charlotte Bobcats Arena at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The Rolling
Stones headline the first arena event Friday, while the Bobcats open their home
schedule Nov. 5 against the Boston Celtics.
The city acquired land and paid for construction of the building, which is
being operated by the team.
The 19,000-seat arena replaces the suburban Charlotte Coliseum, which opened
in 1988 for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets but was quickly made obsolete by a new
generation of sports arenas outfitted with luxury suites and other upscale
amenities. The Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, one year after voters
rejected a proposal to use public money to pay for a downtown arena and other
center-city projects.
When the city agreed to build the arena anyway, the NBA granted Charlotte
another franchise, the Bobcats. The team played its first season last year at
the Coliseum, averaging 14,432 fans.
The tepid response has been attributed in part to residual anger over the
arena controversy. Anonymously sourced published reports in recent weeks have
said the team is struggling to sell tickets.
Bobcats officials won't discuss ticket sales, but have said they believe word
of mouth will help fill the stands after the arena opens.
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