The owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers has revealed that he wants to build a new stadium with a retractable domed roof in Charlotte, in the near future.
David Tepper, the wealthiest franchise owner in the NFL, told Sports Business Journal that he has ambitions to move from the 75,525-seat football-specific Bank of America Stadium, to a multi-purpose venue that would be able to host both NFL and MLS games, which would help boost the city’s bid to get an MLS expansion team.
“What I would love, if we could ever do it and get people to support it, is to put some sort of roof on here and have a Final Four in North Carolina. I love that idea,” Tepper said.
“At some point I would make a big investment if I could get the state and others on board in a new stadium that would be great for soccer and great for football. The economy’s big enough for a revenue tax, a hotel revenue increase that would go a long way to help pay for a new stadium.
“People here in Charlotte have to realize: This is a really major, growing, important city, and it needs that sort of presence. Charlotte, in my mind, for these two states (North Carolina and South Carolina), should be the sports and entertainment capital. That’s what it’s meant to be.”
The Bank of America Stadium opened in 1996, and despite seeing investment in refurbishment and future upgrades, the venue is considered outdated by today’s NFL standards. The cost of bringing up to modern standards could be more than the cost of a new build, depending on public funding.
