Half the Charlotte City Council, the mayor and a couple of Mecklenburg County Commissioners are headed to New York City Monday for the Charlotte Chamber’s Inter City visit.
The Charlotte Chamber’s annual trip to another city is typically a rite of spring. But back in May, airplane problems made most participants miss their flight for a scheduled visit to London.
“New York was our second choice,” says Charlotte Chamber President Bob Morgan. So that’s where he’s headed Tuesday with about 100 local business leaders and public officials.
They’ll focus first on neighborhood revitalization with a visit to once-blighted-and-now-hip downtown Brooklyn.
Then, for a little touch of home – sort of – the group will gather at Bank of America’s new office tower at One Bryant Park for an evening reception.
Wednesday afternoon they’ll visit MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants.
“It’s one of the newest stadiums in the NFL and we’re going to see firsthand what it takes to stay relevant in the NFL from a facilities perspective,” says Morgan.
They’re also interested in hearing what it might take to host a Super Bowl, now that Charlotte’s bagged the DNC, Morgan adds.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will speak to the group. And not coincidentally, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson will be along for the trip. Before long, he’s expected to be in front of the Charlotte city council asking for taxpayer support to renovate Bank of America Stadium.
As usual, taxpayers are also footing the $2,800-per-person bill for local officials to take the two and a half day trip. The RSVP list includes Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, six city council members, three city staffers, County Manager Harry Jones and two county commissioners for a total cost of more than $37,000.