INSIDE ▼ Useful Father's Day gifts for aging dads PAGE 1B Friday, June 17, 2022 • Vol. 15 • No. 23
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City OKs incentives for Hornets by Jon Styf Contributor
(The Center Square) — The Charlotte City Council voted to put $275 million worth of public incentives toward Spectrum Center renovations and building a new practice facility in order to extend its lease with the NBA’s Hornets this week. The plan approved June 13 includes $215 million in Spectrum Center upgrades, part of a deal to extend the lease with the Hornets at the arena until 2045, and $60 million for a Hornets practice facility across the street. The $215 million in upgrades will be funded through the city’s tourism tax fund while
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The reason why I am begrudgingly having to come along here and make this tough decision that goes against a lot of what I believe in with public arenas and stadiums really boils down to, this isn’t a normal situation.
the practice facility will be funded with a new naming rights deal for the arena. The tourism tax is funded with a 3% hotel-motel occupancy tax in the city and a 1.5% rental car tax. The funds can only be used toward the city’s tourism economy. Any cost overruns on the project will be covered by the Hornets. The Spectrum Center is owned
by the city of Charlotte. The Hornets, majority owned by Michael Jordan, are estimated to be worth $1.575 billion. Economist J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University in Georgia explained that using a separate tourism tax to fund the project instead of general fund dollars is the same because both are funds that could be potentially used by the city for
• Tariq Bokhari Charlotte City Council taxpayer projects. “The tourism bucket is just another bucket from that same well,” Bradbury said, pointing out that most Hornets game attendees live in Charlotte and therefore won’t pay the hotel or rental car tourism tax. “… The Charlotte Hornets do not bring a lot of tourism to Charlotte see HORNETS, Page 5A
Gratitude shines at Ardrey Kell graduation by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
Next steps
Mecklenburg County leaders want to ensure its citizens do not have to resort to living in tents. Peter Safir/Charlotte Center City Partners
United Way to take reins of homelessness initiative CHARLOTTE – United Way of Central Carolinas will serve as the lead agency of what Mecklenburg County described as an Enduring Structure to address homelessness. The structure will be supported through the Mecklenburg County manager’s office and community support services by a contract with United Way. It will provide oversight, a program of work, staff and financial support. “We are thrilled that United Way of Central Carolinas has agreed to step into this role and provide their unique expertise and leadership as we create a structure that will advance this work,” County Manager Dena Diorio said. She described this work as a community-driven process. “Bringing together partners from multiple sectors to solve our community’s greatest challenges is central to
United Way’s mission,” said Laura Yates Clark, president and CEO of United Way of Central Carolinas. “We look forward to collaborating with nonprofit, government, business, philanthropic and faith partners to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors have the opportunity to achieve economic mobility.” The Enduring Structure also includes two committees to support the work. The Advisory Committee will be comprised primarily of private sector representatives. The Technical Committee, chaired by Stacy Lowry, director of Mecklenburg County’s community support services, will be comprised primarily of technical experts and practitioners from public and private sectors. Voices of those who have experienced homelessness will be included. “This is an exciting next
Peter Safir/Charlotte Center City Partners
step, and we look forward to quickly creating an Implementation Plan that will turn strategy into action and help us identify the necessary sources and uses,” said Michael Smith, CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners. The next steps in the process
are to identify short-term wins in partnership with the city, county and partner agencies that align with the strategic framework and continue developing the long-term implementation plan, which will include expanding United Way’s team to manage the work.
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CHARLOTTE – Kevin Lin may be headed to Harvard in the fall to study economics and government, but he explained in his commencement speech June 11 how the road to an Ivy League education wasn’t easy. Since fifth grade, Lin had spent what he said seemed like every free moment working at his family’s restaurant. He would constantly complain about working so much, yearning for a summer vacation. As salutatorian, he told classmates that he regretted complaining so much during those eight years at the restaurant. “I come to realize it wasn’t my parents’ fault we worked at a restaurant,” Lin said. “It was the best economic opportunity available to them as immigrants without college or even high school diplomas. While we all have slight differences in our story, the same principles hold true. Just like mine, your parents worked their butts off too in order to present better opportunities than they had. Now as high school graduates, it is our job to find these opportunities ourselves.” Valedictorian Ananya Ramesh also thanked her parents for their support over the years, mentioning how they would make her coffee at 11 p.m. as she was finishing up an assignment for an AP course. Ramesh is heading to Georgetown University to study math and government. “As we take these passions beyond graduation into college or work, continuing to grow and learn everyday, it’s important to appreciate the numerous people who have been cheering us on for the past 13 years,” Ramesh said. A common theme in recent graduations has been to talk about the effect COVID-19 has had on the high school experience. Principal Jamie Brooks focused her remarks on what students could learn about the loss of former classmate Caralina Arney and school resource officer Julio Herrera. “The loss of prom, homecoming dances, football games and fine arts productions pales in comparison to the loss of loved ones,” Brooks said. “But what we gain from these losses is the recognition that in a time in our world where everyone is so divided, so polarized and so quick to judge one another for our differences that at the end of the day we all love the same and we all grieve the same. “