BB&T Ballpark a home run for Charlotte

This weekend the Charlotte Knights will play their last home games of the season in uptown at the BB&T Ballpark.
 
City leaders said the success of this first season is already transforming the area around it.

SECTION: Charlotte Knights

They said the ballpark is helping create what they call a baseball village with the opening of Romare-Bearden Park and then the BB&T Ballpark.
 
The Knights smashed attendance records this year, eclipsing the old record of 430,000 on July 5.
 
They are now at 667,000 with two home games left but there were concerns about what comes with all those crowds.
 
"(There have been) no issues from garbage, parking or a behavior standpoint," said Knights General Manager Scott Brown.
 
He said lack of parking was not an issue and prices stayed reasonable at around $5.
 
Fans are spreading the wealth and it's not just the money those fans bring but the vibe as well.
 
It is a part of uptown normally desolate with the exception of Carolina Panthers game days but is now bustling with activity all summer.
 
New restaurants have opened and apartments and condos continue to spring up on all sides of the baseball village.
 
"The vision always was that would become this great ballpark neighborhood," said Michael Smith, CEO of Center City Partners.

He said the ballpark is a magnet for development creating a new identity for the Third Ward.
 
"We've got over a thousand units -- $300 million in development -- that we believe is related to that park," Smith said.
 
That was achieved and the team didn't even make the playoffs and city leaders said Charlotte has come out as a winner so far and it's not over yet.
 
The ballpark will host the minor league championship game Sept. 15 and they plan to rent the stadium for private functions in the off season.

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