Charlotte Pipe’s rezoning could open door for Tepper’s stadium

The big picture: Large, sprawling properties are a rarity in Charlotte as development flourishes in dense neighborhoods like Uptown. Panthers owner David Tepper has made no secret of his interest in the site as a possible spot for a new NFL stadium, too. [Go deeper]

• A redevelopment of the Charlotte Pipe site would further connect Uptown with adjacent fast-growing neighborhoods like Wilmore and South End.
• Elsewhere nearby, the Gateway Station project will bring an Amtrak train station and a mixed-use development to Uptown. The proposed east-west Silver Line could run through Uptown, too.

Details: In a virtual community meeting Wednesday afternoon, Charlotte Pipe confirmed it plans to rezone its property from its current industrial use to Uptown mixed use district (UMUD).

• That rezoning allows for uses like restaurants, entertainment venues, and, yes, a stadium, said Alexander Ricks attorney Collin Brown, who focuses on land use and zoning.

Tepper first publicly mentioned the Charlotte Pipe, a century-old manufacturer, site as a possible new stadium location in 2019. It’s walkable to the rest of Uptown, and big enough to fit a stadium and an entertainment district.

• Opened in 1994, Bank of America Stadium is one of the NFL’s oldest stadiums. The city of Charlotte owns the 35 acres the stadium sits on; the Panthers rent it for $1 per year. [Go deeper]

What they’re saying: “In light of the tremendous growth and success of Center City Charlotte and SouthEnd, as well at the City’s investments in the Lynx Blue Line and proposed Silver Line, we believe a vibrant, urban center with a mixture of uses may be a more appropriate future for our property,” Charlotte Pipe said in a statement.

What’s next: Brown said the company plans to have a community meeting about the rezoning this spring. A public hearing would take place sometime in late spring, with a possible decision on the zoning this summer.

On a possible sale of the land, Charlotte Pipe president Hooper Hardison said that “we’ll be exploring all options.” As soon as the city approves the rezoning, “the tax valuation goes way up,” Brown said.

A Panthers spokesman declined to comment.