The Charlotte City Council agreed Monday to increase the NASCAR Hall of Fame budget by $32 million to boost exhibits and pay for unexpected building costs. The 9-2 decision came after council members chastised city staff and other hall planners for not telling them sooner about the price hike. Council members complained of early, “lowball” estimates of the exhibit costs. They asked how the extra money would help attendance. And they said they felt trapped. The vote brings the project’s total cost to $195 million – all of it paid for by a mix of hospitality taxes and money from land sales. Most of the project’s funding comes from a hotel room tax that can not be used for anything else. (Charlotte Observer)(9-23-2008)
