CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Panthers have a new vision for their practice facility near Bank of America Stadium.
A rezoning petition field Monday from Panthers Stadium LLC lays out plans to turn the property along South Cedar Street.
The 11.9-acre property across the tracks from BofA has been home practice fields and already removed Atrium Health indoor facility. A city-owned parking lot off West Fourth Street also is included in the rezoning.
In December, the team announced that it was going to move its annual training camp from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to its uptown facilities.
The latest plans would feature an indoor fieldhouse, and the outdoor facility would allow for up to 5,000 seats temporarily.
“The rezoning filing is a necessary step as we work through the strategic vision for our facilities,” a spokesperson with Tepper Sports and Entertainment said in a statement. “It will enable us to pursue enhancements and modifications to the practice fields with the goal of constructing a field house for football operations and community opportunities like Training Camp.”
Panthers management is pursuing Uptown Edge zoning under the city’s new Unified Development Ordinance that went into effect in June 2023. The city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan references a Regional Activity Center for the site, and the Uptown Edge zoning falls under the designation.
The new zoning would allow for the construction of bars or restaurants, but the team has no plans for those at this time.
The Panthers are calling the project’s upgrades “unique in nature with design and other development standards.”
The heights of any buildings in the development would not be higher than 95 feet. A parking deck is also part of the proposal.
A portion of the land holding the existing parking lot would have a 70-foot right-of-way for rail for the Charlotte Area Transit System. The proposed Silver Line would pass through the area.
The development plans will require review by the city’s planning and zoning staff and ultimately City Council for approval.