Charlotte, N.C. -- In what will surely boost this city's chances to win more meetings business, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be built downtown here adjacent to the convention center.
NASCAR officials on Monday selected Charlotte over contenders Atlanta and Daytona Beach.
"Our goal has been to create one of the 'crown jewels' of Charlotte and the very best Hall of Fame-themed entertainment experience in the world," said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.
Intended to honor NASCAR auto racing, the hall is expected to include an exhibit space, Great Hall, Hall of Honor, restaurants, entertainment and retail outlets, and a state-of-the-art media center.
Designed by the firm of noted architect I.M. Pei, the new hall will provide alternative venues for groups meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center and hotels downtown.
The city offered up nearly $155 million for the project, including about $120 million in public funding. The city is raising its hotel bed tax two percent to help pay for the project, which includes a ballroom connecting the convention center and the NASCAR hall.
The city will own the Hall of Fame, and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority will operate it. Under terms of the deal, construction is to begin by spring of next year, with an opening no later than March 2010.
The Charlotte Convention Center contains 280,000 square feet of exhibit space, 46 meeting rooms in more than 90,000 square feet of flexible space, a 35,000-square-foot ballroom, and a 17,800-square-foot junior ballroom.