Charlotte City Council weighs $25 million plan to modernize Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium systems

Vote scheduled after committee advances major mechanical work package

Charlotte City Council is preparing to vote on a $25 million capital plan aimed at addressing aging building systems at Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, the city-owned venues that anchor the Bojangles Entertainment Complex on East Independence Boulevard.

The proposal reached council after receiving unanimous support at a recent Economic Development and Workforce Committee meeting, setting up final action later in March 2026.

What the $25 million plan covers—and what it does not

Project documents and public briefings describe the request as a “critical needs” package primarily focused on mechanical reliability. The largest share of the funding is dedicated to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning replacements, with the remaining portion intended for facility assessments to define additional future repair scopes.

• HVAC replacements and related mechanical work across both venues, representing about $23 million of the request.
• Condition assessment work intended to evaluate core systems and identify further needs, including electrical and plumbing upgrades.
• Preliminary work to study parking and access improvements, including evaluation of a potential parking deck concept.

The current request is not structured as a full renovation of the complex. A roof replacement is not included in the $25 million package, even as recent event disruptions linked to leaks have highlighted broader infrastructure pressures at the site.

Aging equipment is central to the decision

City staff have described the complex as more than 70 years old and heavily used, with mechanical systems spanning multiple eras of installation. During committee discussions, examples cited included air-handling equipment at the coliseum dating to the 1970s and legacy air-handling units at Ovens dating back decades, alongside chiller and boiler needs at the auditorium intended to improve operational redundancy.

Officials have framed the investment as essential to keeping the venues functional and bookable, particularly during peak months when equipment failures can jeopardize scheduled events.

How the project would be funded

The plan is structured to use local tourism-tax revenues rather than Charlotte’s general fund. The funding source described in public materials is a combination of the city’s occupancy tax on hotel stays and a rental-car tax, revenues that are commonly used for visitor-related facilities and event infrastructure.

What happens next

If approved by council, the immediate work would prioritize mechanical replacements designed to stabilize building operations and reduce the risk of cancellations linked to equipment failures. The condition assessment component is expected to inform whether council faces additional capital requests in future budget cycles for electrical, plumbing, and site-access improvements.

The upcoming vote will determine whether Charlotte proceeds now with a targeted systems-focused investment while deferring larger-scale renovation choices—such as comprehensive building modernization or roof replacement—to separate future decisions.