Bank of America Stadium renovations considered

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You could end up helping the Carolina Panthers pay to upgrade Bank of America Stadium if and when the time comes.

Bank of America Stadium is one of only six NFL stadiums that hasn't had a major renovation recently.

The Panthers are studying the stadium's long-term needs and may have something by the end of the season. It's too soon to tell how much that list would cost, but Mayor Anthony Foxx sent Panthers owner Jerry Richardson a letter suggesting the city may be willing to help foot the bill if need be.

He invited Richardson to "discuss those plans with our city council" at some point. While Foxx said he can't "commit resources" on his own, he needs counsel, he does think the city has an "interest in the long-term presence and success" of the team.

After all, just last week, the Charlotte Knights baseball team broke ground on a ballpark Uptown, a stadium the city and county are helping pay for.

But the Knights said they were down to their last resort: taxpayers. The Panthers may be different. At least two council members, Michael Barnes and Patrick Cannon, said they'd want to know that the Panthers needed the help, that they couldn't fund the upgrades themselves.

"There are a lot of businesses that survive by tightening budgets and being creative and they never come to the city for money. I like it that way," Barnes said in an email.

Taxpayers told WSOC the same thing. "The owner should pay for that," said Dionne Hill. "They definitely have enough money to pay for their own expenses. That shouldn't be the responsibility of the taxpayers."

WSOC