Baseball is Back at BB&T Ballpark!
CHARLOTTE, NC — Baseball is back in Uptown! That means a spring and summer boom for business around BB&T Ballpark.
The team opened its fifth season in Third Ward Thursday night, as the area around the stadium, and Romare Bearden Park continues to explode.
“Every day, almost 50 people are moving to the Charlotte area,” says Knights Chief Operating Officer Dan Rajkowski. “And I look at those as new fans.”
The knights knew that moving from Fort Mill to Uptown Charlotte would be good for business. But reality exceeds expectation.
The team plans to draw around 630,000 fans this season. That means an average of 9,000 extra bodies in and around the stadium, 70 times between April and September. It’s a boon to nearby business like the Rhino Market & Deli on Morehead Street.
“We’re hoping people on the way to the Knights game will see our traffic in here, and want to stop in for a beer before, and then come back after,” says Rhino Market’s McKenzie Harrison.
“Upwards of $500 million in development,” says Rajkowski. “We thought that would happen over the course of time, not in four years. I think that’s really incredible. It’s not all due to this ballpark, but we were a piece of it.”
The skyline around BB&T Ballpark has gone through major changes in the four seasons since the team moved in. And the growth keeps coming.
The team led minor league baseball in average attendance three times since the move, with a commitment to bringing the fans back again and again.
“It’s a beautiful place to hang out,” says season ticket holder Kevin Burianek. “It’s always fun down here. Got the amenities that they’ve got this year. They’ve added a couple of new ones in here.”
The knights 3,000,000th fan should pass through the gates sometime this July; an astounding feat in just four and a half seasons.
“It’s incredible,” says Rajkowski. “I didn’t think we’d see it this quick. But I’m certainly glad that we did.”
Indianapolis edged out the Knights for the attendance title last year.
The team was named the second most valuable Minor League Baseball franchise on a recent Forbes magazine list.
