Council OKs Metrolina race track

[swilson2000]

Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning Monday that will allow a developer to build a $50 million race track and amateur sports complex on the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo grounds in north Charlotte. Plans for the project, called the Metrolina Speed and Sports Center, include a 40,000-square-foot facility with rooftop skateboard park, a 200-room hotel and a banked race track. The popular flea market would stay on the site. Developer Simon Weber expects the project to create 150 jobs, and he said Monday he plans to open the complex in May 2010, when the uptown NASCAR Hall of Fame opens. City Council voted unanimously to rezone the 135.3-acre Metrolina property. Weber is also planning a 100-foot buffer between the outdoor facilities and property lines and a 3.2-acre community garden to soften noise for the nearest neighbors.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/597/story/795199.html