Published: Sunday, Jan. 04, 2009 / Updated: Monday, Jan. 05, 2009 06:59 AM

Plans for new Knights stadium in uptown Charlotte in holding pattern

CHARLOTTE -- As the New Year begins, questions persist about the fate of the Charlotte Knights' planned baseball stadium in downtown Charlotte.

The minor-league team has played in Fort Mill since 1989, but had wanted to play in uptown sometime during the 2009 season.

But nearly one year after county commissioners approved a lease for the proposed stadium, the Knights haven't closed on a deal to pay for the facility, so no major construction has begun. There's also a lingering legal fight from an attorney who'd rather see a major-league baseball team.

Rumors have swirled the project is dead. However, backers say they're not ready to drop their efforts, though the Knights' general manager said it's unlikely the new stadium will be ready by opening day of the 2010 season, the current announced target.

January could bring some answers as the team is planning a series of meetings with banks, the county and others to discuss the stadium's future.

"I wouldn't say the project is not going to happen," said Dan Rajkowski, the Knights' general manager and vice president. "We just have some challenges ahead of us. We can't speed it up. These are things beyond our control."

The sight of the old Virginia Mills Building is a constant reminder that much work remains. The building stands on part of the land where the 10,000-seat stadium would go, a nearly 8-acre tract of county land bordered by Mint, Graham and Fourth streets and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The uncertainty is a contrast to the excitement many had in late 2005 when a proposal for the ballpark was pitched by Michael Smith, president of Charlotte Center City Partners.

The team has wanted to return to uptown for years. Smith's proposal called for exchanges of public and private land to make room for the stadium, as well as a county park next to it and a mixed-use development in Second Ward. A 2006 study said the project would spur about $750 million in development and millions in tax revenue.

Still, the project wasn't without its critics. The most vocal, real estate attorney Jerry Reese, has filed five lawsuits challenging the deal. Four of the suits have been dismissed, but he has appealed those decisions. A ruling on two of the appellate cases could come as early as Tuesday.

Reese maintains that a minor-league stadium isn't good enough for Charlotte. Recently, he said that as time goes on, the city becomes an even better candidate for the majors, pointing to high-attendance for sports events like last weekend's Meineke Car Care Bowl.

"You bring a minor-league team uptown, that's just not of the quality that people are used to," he said.

However, others see Reese as a thorn in the side of what they consider a good investment for the community.

"(The stadium) is going to bring affordable family entertainment over a lot of Charlotte summer nights," Smith said. "And I look forward to that crack of the bat whether it's 2011 or later."

Securing the funding

The ballpark's future likely rests on how quickly the team can secure money for the project. The Knights have commitment letters from Bank of America and Wachovia that expire at the end of January. Rajkowski said the team has been unable to close on the offers because of the Reese suits and has received extensions of the commitment letters.

Rajkowski said he plans to sit down with the banks again this month and talks could include representatives from Wells Fargo, which took over Wachovia last week.

Meanwhile, former county commissioner Parks Helms said he plans to work with the Knights' attorney to come up with a fallback plan to help pay for the stadium that could include more investors.

York County's stake

January also is a big month for York County as it starts debating what to do with the Knights' current digs in Fort Mill. The county has set a Jan. 13 deadline for anyone to submit proposals for future uses of the 32-acre county site where the stadium sits.

The Knights are set to play across the state line for at least one more season, but York County officials said they'd like to know by June whether the team will stay or go, County Manager Jim Baker said.

Baker said leaders would be open to letting the Knights stay in Fort Mill but would prefer a long-term commitment.

"We're not going to continue to do (year-to-year) extensions for an indefinite period of time," he said.

Both sides could discuss the matter more this month. "We need a place to play baseball," Rajkowski said. "We've been good tenants in York County and have a good relationship with them."

At the same time, Rajkowski and others said the team isn't letting go of the goal to be in uptown Charlotte.

"From the very beginning, people said it wasn't going to happen, and we have come this far," Helms said. "I don't believe those of us who have been involved in it ... are going to give up on something that has so much value for this community."