looking at meck budget FY2019-2023, they’re spending $32M to rebuild Memorial Stadium… for greenway users in U City, they’re finally paving the 1.7 mile stretch through research park… they’re spending $65M to replace main library uptown
https://meckgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=0c9e70bdb0f24862832f9cd7496a0f04
Paving greenways is a touchy topic. They did it to mcalpine 3 years back. The bikers love it and the runners dislike it. Neither of these require it to be paved for run-off reasons. Money couldve been spent expanding the greenway but instead spent paving the best stretch there is.
I have ridden all the Greenway sections in town, and I strongly disagree. Paving that section will make me much more likely to ride it again. The rest of that run is one of my favorites in town.
So, not everyone agrees with that take 
As a runner, I’m OK either way. I can understand from a maintenance point of view that a paved surface is preferable.
clt once drove an electric car on a paved greenway
I am bias as we run workouts on that stretch to get “soft surfaces” but looks like more reedy loops 
Rebuilding memorial is a waste of money. The MLS dream for memorial is dead. If we get a team it will be Teppers and he will not have the team playing in a rebuilt Memorial.
Exactly! Tepper’s MLS team will be playing in a dome within 277 (only partly kidding) or in his multi-use practice facility complex…although MLS like’s more urban locations…so my money is that they play in a dome or renovated BOA in Uptown.
clt says MLS is coming to charlotte.
Nah, I get that. I’m just messing with you because I bought a road bike to replace my hybrid last year and I rode it over there. Those gravel paths are brutal on a road bike. I haven’t been back. I’m definitely looking forward to riding it again after they pave it.
Memorial Stadium has been there for 83 years, is the largest outdoor city facility and is still used for many HS games as well as many other activities.
Not renovating the stadium would lead it to being closed and it serves an important purpose in the Char-Meck community.
For what it costs, there is no reason we shouldnt prioritize finishing the entire greenway system as quickly as possible. If people could bike or walk to work safely, some would. It would cut down on traffic. I know I’d bike to work a few times a month when it’s nice if I didn’t have to take my life into my own hands to do so.
They dont play very many high school games there anymore. When I first moved back to charlotte in 2012, they had a game there every week. Now they just do a few games to start the season. They hold a couple band competitions there too, but little else anymore.
Overall it’s a dump. That is extremely valuable land that could be put to better use than hosting a few events each year. That land is probably worth upwards of $80 million. Sell it and buikd the damn greenway the city promised us when we voted for park bonds.
Our stadium can and should be used for these high school events.
clt says we should buy memorial stadium.
I think the stadium is good move for the city. It provides a good medium sized venue for local sports and many more years of life for the facility. As much as it sucks for the government to pay for stuff like that sometimes its gotta happen.
Agree that’s a lot of money for a venue that doesn’t see many events anymore. Seems like the parcel would better serve CPCC in the long run than the handful of HS football games etc that occur there now.
This is a stadium with historical significance, that some of you seem to be dismissing.
Yeah, definitely don’t want to see it go and do think some kind of renos are necessary. I didn’t see it mentioned above, but Charlotte’s major league lacrosse team plays here (Charlotte Hounds)…also Kick it With Cam fundraiser is held here. They could incorporate the Grady Cole center with the renovation and create something special over there.
It isn’t just HS games, soccer is played there, a variety of lacrosse games, rugby, band competitions - The amount they are spending for it seems high, but as the city grows I think having a facility such as this that belongs to the city is wise.
It also serves as a back up stadium for JCSU and local HS.
Phil Dubois says “tear down Memorial Stadium and put in a bunch of fountains”