"With all that we've got going on, that continues to be hottest issue being discussed," Julie Hill, the city's corporate communications director, tells GlobeSt.com.
The new version of a $352-million plan for the arena and seven center city projects, ruled to be too vaguely worded by Mecklenburg legislators, raises no taxes beyond increases in the original proposal. It also does not cut any other projects from the arena package.
Key elements of the new plan include reducing the cost of the arena by $10 million and delaying construction by one year on such proposed cultural projects as an Afro-American Culture Center.
The proposal also calls for various new financial arrangements, including allocating the city's portion of the hotel/motel tax towards the package a year earlier than called for in the last measure.
The new proposal will require the legislature to act with uncharacteristic speed to approve a bill by April 5, allowing Charlotte area voters to pass judgment on a referendum to be held June 5.
One factor that may help sway area voters towards favoring the proposal is that it does not just cover the arena, but also applies to some long-coveted cultural projects.
"Opponents against public spending for pro sports will tell you it will fail," the city's Hill tells GlobeSt.com. "But if you are a critic and don't vote for it, you may be defeating your favorite cultural project."
Still another element of uncertainty in the Hornet's future is the rumor a local group is angling to buy the team. The Hornet's application to move to Memphis came under an NBA deadline to file for relocation. Another NBA team, the Vancouver Grizzlies, also applied months ago for permission to move to Memphis.
Charlotte, ranked the 28th largest US market with 903,940 households by Nielsen, is larger than Memphis, ranked 40th with 641,630 households. Memphis-based Federal Express has helped lure interest with its offer to pay $100 million in naming rights for an NBA team moving there.
The Hornets say they need a new building with luxury suites and club seats to compete financially in the NBA. The team is losing about $1 million a month, according to owners.
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