The City of Charlotte is considering tearing down and rebuilding American Legion Memorial Stadium, located in the historic Elizabeth community that sits on the edge of Uptown. The stadium mainly hosts high school events, but if this renovation is approved it will be with hope that it will house the city’s first Major League Soccer team, according to Parks and Recreation director Jim Garges.
“We have been talking about what’s the next step for the stadium,” Garges said. “It’s probably a teardown and rebuild so we can accommodate Major League Soccer if there is an interest someday. We want it to remain viable.”
The rebuilt stadium would originally have 9,000 seats with the ability to expand to 25,000 if the need arises.
Owners of the Charlotte Independence, the city’s minor league soccer team, have expressed interest in bringing a MLS team to the Queen City.
McPhilliamy’s Charlotte Independence, members of the United Soccer League, currently play homes games at the Ramblewood Soccer Complex. McPhilliamy also owns the Charlotte Hounds, a professional lacrosse team that currently plays at Memorial Stadium.
He said he’s enthusiastic about the city and county’s concept for rebuilding Memorial Stadium. He said the team would be willing to contribute financially to the project.
“I think if you look at Memorial Stadium and you stand at the center of the field, you could envision something that would be one of the best stadiums in the U.S., with the view of downtown and its location,” he said.
If approved, the city would use monies from the hotel/motel tax and a 1% tax on prepared food and beverages to rebuild the stadium.