A new engineering report recommends that three sections of bleachers at Memorial Stadium remain closed and the nearby concourse area be off-limits after several rows of seats at the stadium collapsed.
The preliminary report also said that a sinkhole appears to be forming at the Armory Drive entrance to a pedestrian tunnel that passes under Charlottetown Avenue, and recommends further study.
The report doesn't give a cost estimate for any repairs because its writers said more investigation is needed.
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department officials ordered the study after staffers discovered last week that six or eight rows of seats along the Independence Boulevard side of the stadium had collapsed, James Alsop, a division director in the parks department, told the Observer yesterday. Alsop will discuss the report at a press conference later today.
The report said portions of a stone tunnel underneath the stadium and in the general area of the collapsed seats has "severe distress," and that another section of the tunnel has failed and allowed soil to be carried away.
The 24,000-seat Memorial Stadium was built in the mid-1930s as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal program. The stadium hosts many community programs and athletic events. Alsop said yesterday that a volleyball event planned for this weekend and the Fourth of July fireworks celebration should go on as planned. -- April Bethea
- Read the report.
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14 comments:
Not only was it a WPA-built stadium, but Roosevelt visited Charlotte for its opening.
So, please repair it. Even expand it. It's still a useful facility and has significant history attached to it.
blow the thing up.
I am a native to charlotte and it is time to let go.
It is too old and cost to much to repair.
I agree. Memorial Stadium is still functional and serves a valuable purpose as a mid-size stadium. It is part of Charlotte history and should not go the way of other older, historic buildings that were demolished. It is also important to remember that the stadium was constructed as a memorial to those who gave their lives for our country and should be renovated.
3 words...Great American Bash...
I'm sure CPCC would love to have the land. But if we let it go where would we have a common place to events? Maybe UNCC ?
Panter stadium is too large. Does any HS have a nie size facility? I know times are tight.. but maybe OBama can speare the $ and build a nw place?
I'm the first poster and I am also a Charlotte native. Memorial Stadium fills an important niche for games that would be lost in the vastness of Panthers Stadium (if they can even afford it.) We're much too quick to tear things down in Charlotte. Next thing you know, someone will want to implode the original Charlotte Coliseum. At that rate, my 50-year old house in SouthPark will be historic!
The Night of the Skywalkers
I really like this stadium and the view of the city from the bleachers. I think it would be a mistake for the city to tear down another piece of history downtown. Just like they did with the old area and the convention center. Seems like everything uptown/downtown here has been built within the last 10-20 yrs. That's why Charlotte looks new but has no feel for culture or history. People coming from other cities always say how clean and new downtown is, but eventually get bored here after a few days. So for those who propose tearing it down, what will take it's place? This city already has enough book stores, Targets, and Harris Teeters.
Save Memorial Stadium! Let us not tear down all these old buildings.
Memorial Stadium also has a dedication to Confederate War dead as well. There is a good sized memorial plaque associated with it.
Maybe with money from O'Bama's New Deal we can get a new memorial statdium! In memorial to the old one.
Tune in tomorrow for yet another chapter of "Our Crumbling Infrastructure."
The state title games should be played there. The atmosphere at the Indy-Butler games and the Indy-Richmond games is a lot more electric than the title games played in bohemoth stadiums in the triangle.
I remember when the NY Jets and Houston Oilers played exhibition games at Memorial Stadium, in the 60s...
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