Charlotte City Council approves new construction to link Bojangles’ Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium

The Charlotte City Council voted 6-3 on Monday evening to fund an $18.5 million project that will link Bojangles’ Coliseum, home of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, and Ovens Auditorium.

The two venues are currently separated by only a parking lot, and this project will join the two together by constructing a two story link between the facilities. The facility will feature a shared lobby, additional restrooms and office spaces as well as other amenities.

The project will be a welcome addition to the area surrounding the Checkers’ home arena, which has yet to receive the economic boost that other parts of Charlotte have received in recent years. This is not the only project slated for construction near Bojangles’ Coliseum, as a shopping center will be close by on Independence Boulevard. The highway is also slowly being converted to an expressway that will eventually reach as far as I-485 in Matthews.

The project will kick off next year and is expected to be complete by the summer of 2019. It follows a $16.5 million renovation to the coliseum itself that was completed in the summer of 2015, in preparation for the Checkers’ return to Bojangles’ after spending ten years at what is now known as Spectrum Center in uptown Charlotte.

The Checkers issued the following statement on the upcoming project:

The Checkers are thrilled that the Charlotte City Council has continued its commitment to our home facility at Bojangles’ Coliseum. Our move back to the coliseum two years ago has been nothing but positive, and we feel the increased amenities provided by The Link will only improve our ability to create an enjoyable experience for our fans.