Might this suggest that the NASCAR Hall rising in Uptown is not on solid footing? You might think.
The $93m. Sports Museum of America had the benefit of $36m. in donations and $57m. in tax-exempt financing, yet still drew only a little over one-tenth of the projected attendance. Boosters expected one million visitors a year and got 125K. As a result, it is shutting its doors and returning exhibits to their owners.
Yet the city of Charlotte insists the NASCAR Hall is on track despite a serious change in the underlying assumptions about local — and national — disposable income. I really, really hope they are right about that — and I absolutely, positively will refuse to pay any property tax increase associated with bailing out this venture.
