The construction was approved by the city council, which did not opt to present another referendum to the public. The total cost of the arena to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County was not known, but estimated at around $260 million. However, the league promised that the city would get a new team-which became the Bobcats-as part of the deal. As it turned out, the NBA approved the Hornets' application to move to New Orleans. While even the NBA acknowledged that Shinn had alienated fans, NBA officials felt such a statement would anger other team owners. The referendum failed with 43% for building the arena and 57% opposed.Ĭity leaders then devised a way to build a new arena that did not require voter support, but let it be known that they wouldn't consider building it unless then-Hornets' owner George Shinn sold the team. As a result, Helping Empower Local People, a grass-roots organization supporting a living wage, launched a campaign to oppose the arena, arguing that it was immoral for the city to build a new arena when city workers didn't earn enough to make a living. Polls showed the referendum on its way to passage until then-mayor Pat McCrory vetoed a living wage ordinance just days before the referendum. In 2001, a non-binding public referendum for an arts package, which included money to build the new uptown arena, was placed on the ballot for voters it was placed in order to demonstrate what was believed to be widespread public support for new arena construction. The Hornets' arena, the Charlotte Coliseum, was considered outdated despite being only 13 years old. The arena was originally intended to host the original Hornets franchise in the early 2000s. When Charter Communications purchased Time Warner Cable in 2016, the name was again changed to reflect the Spectrum trade name. The name was changed to Time Warner Cable Arena when the naming rights were purchased in 2008. The arena opened in October 2005 as Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The arena seats 19,077 for NBA games but can be expanded to 20,200 for college basketball games. It is owned by the city of Charlotte and operated by its main tenant, the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Spectrum Center is an indoor arena located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
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