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The final phase of renovations at Spectrum Center is expected to begin this summer and finish in the fall.
Turner Construction Co. has filed permits with Mecklenburg County for the final phase of renovations at Spectrum Center, expected to begin this summer and finish in the fall.
Turner Construction and locally based D.A. Everett Construction are joint contractors on the $245 million arena renovation project.
Charlotte city government confirmed to CBJ today that the project is on target for the taxpayer-funded additions and improvements at the 20-year-old NBA arena. Turner Construction filed this month for $74.6 million worth of construction work to be done over the summer.
Including past and ongoing phases — four in all — construction costs will be in the range of $190 million. The rest of the funding — approximately $55 million — has or will go to a combination of furniture and fixtures, equipment, permitting, design work and construction-related testing, the city said.
City Council approved spending $275 million on arena renovations and a new practice center for the NBA franchise in 2022. In exchange, the Hornets agreed to extend their lease at Spectrum Center by 15 years, to 2045. Last year, council reworked the agreement with the Hornets, keeping the overall spending at $275 million with the 15-year lease extension while increasing arena spending to $245 million from $215 million.
Those changes affected the new practice center, originally envisioned as a $60 million, fully public funded project to be included in a redeveloped Charlotte Transportation Center across the street. Instead, city government will provide $30 million for the practice center, with the Hornets kicking in $70 million to $100 million. The practice center will now be built on city-owned property behind the arena at Caldwell and Fifth streets and be fully owned by the team.
Permits have yet to be filed for the practice center, which is a separate project with different contractors: Gilbane Building Co. and R.J. Leeper. The 160,000-square-foot practice center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.
Changes to the mix of funding and scope of the practice center resulted from a change in ownership. The original agreement approved by City Council occurred prior to Michael Jordan selling his majority interest in the Hornets to a 20-person investor group led by financiers Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. The sale valued the Hornets at $3 billion; it was completed in August 2023.
Construction began in spring 2024 with an initial phase of $4.9 million, followed by $103.4 million worth of projects completed between May and October, when Spectrum Center closed for renovations. This winter and spring, a third phase — totaling $38.7 million — will be done, leading into the final, $74.6 million phase.
For the final phase, the arena will again close for several months, concentrating on the most detailed and large-scale projects. The upgrades last year and in 2025 include a mix of back-of-house systems such as plumbing, electrical and HVAC as well as entryways, private clubs, premium seating areas and upper-level concourse.
The centerpiece of the improvements coming in the summer is adding 2,500 seats in the lower level. Putting more seats in the lower deck provides an opportunity for the Hornets to boost revenue: those seats command premium prices. A team spokesperson said today the final number of additional lower-level seats could vary some from the 2,500 target.
Spectrum Center, with capacity of 19,000, has long been considered top-heavy. The additional seats will push lower-level capacity to 8,500 seats, more in line with other NBA arenas.
Another upgrade coming as part of the summer renovations: All the seats in the arena will be replaced. The main concourse will be significantly changed through a mix of more themed areas, new and enhanced concessions menus and concessions areas and updated lighting, restrooms and signs throughout.
The exact start date for the final round of renovations has yet to be determined but will be similar to last year.
The arena improvements and new practice center are in the works as new owners Plotkin and Schnall try to reverse years of woeful performances on the court. Charlotte last reached the playoffs in 2016. This season, the Hornets are 11-29, once again ranking among the NBA’s worst teams.
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