NC lawmakers to reallocate money from failed tennis facility

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte City Council lost the match against Mason, Ohio, for the Western & Southern Open and now is losing the funding the state set aside for a new tennis stadium.

As part of the House’s budget technical corrections bill, state lawmakers will reallocate the $20 million that was promised to the city of Charlotte for the construction of a tennis stadium in the River District.

A spokesperson for the city of Charlotte says the funding loss is expected.

“Since it never materialized, the funding was never sent to the city,” a city spokesperson said. “We knew after the owner of the Western & Southern Open tournament decided to stay in Ohio that the funding would not be coming to the city.”

Charlotte’s loss is other counties’ gain.

According to the bill, the $20 million will instead go to:

$5,000,000 to Appalachian State University to be used for the renovation project at Edwin Duncan Hall.
$1,500,000 to Appalachian State University to be used for the renovation project at Wey Hall.
$2,500,000 to Appalachian State University to be used for the addition and renovation project at Peacock Hall.
$4,100,000 to Wayne County for a capital project at Rosewood Middle School.
$250,000 to The Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$2,000,000 to North Catawba Fire-Rescue Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$325,000 to Grace Chapel Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$2,000,000 to the City of Lenoir to be used for Harpers Avenue Area infrastructure improvements.
$110,000 to King’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$200,000 to The Gamewell Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$275,000 to Caldwell County to be used for a new ambulance.
$140,000 to Collettsville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$600,000 to Patterson Fire-Rescue Department, Inc., to be used for capital improvements and equipment.
$1,000,000 to the Town of Hudson for downtown infrastructure improvements.

The remaining amount of funding allocated to Clay County in the sum of $2,000,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year for a new 911 call center may also be used for capital costs and equipment associated with the construction of a farmers market.

The bill passed with bipartisan support and is now in the hands of the Senate.