CONCACAF Gold Cup returning to Bank of America Stadium + First Mormon temple coming to Charlotte

Andrew Nantais
Updated ·3 min read

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On to your news!

1. CONCACAF Gold Cup returns to Charlotte in 2023, further cementing it as a ‘soccer city’

Fans drum and wave the Mexican flag during the matchup between Martinique and Mexico at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday, June 23, 2019.
Fans drum and wave the Mexican flag during the matchup between Martinique and Mexico at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday, June 23, 2019.

International soccer is making its return to Charlotte.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Associated Football (CONCACAF) announced today that the Queen City will be one of 14 host cities for the 2023 Gold Cup.

While ticketing information and a complete schedule for the event will be announced later this week, CONCACAF confirmed that Charlotte will host a doubleheader at Bank of America Stadium.

Alex Zietlow shares more details from the announcement.

2. First Mormon temple coming to Charlotte, as church membership surges. What to know

The Mormon temple in Apex, North Carolina has been the only temple in the state. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will build a second temple in Charlotte in the coming years.
The Mormon temple in Apex, North Carolina has been the only temple in the state. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will build a second temple in Charlotte in the coming years.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has chosen Charlotte for one of its new temples.

Seeking to bring a location closer to a growing number of Mormon church members in western North Carolina, the temple would be only the second of its kind in the state. A $5 million structure was built in Apex just outside of Raleigh in 1999.

Currently, the closest temple for members is located in Columbia, about an hour and a half drive from Charlotte.

Gordon Rago has more on the Church’s plans.

3. Mecklenburg lost 100 square miles of farmland in 20 years. Will this plan save the rest?

Julia Rogers stands inside a tunnel greenhouse where she and her husband grow the flowers offered for sale in bouquets. After Rogers’ husband returned from active duty in the military, they built a house on the site of Blackberry Ridge Farms, a century farm that has been in her family for over a hundred years. They began farming hemp and flowers, as well as offering their space for events and educational classes.

Residential and commercial growth is pushing farmland out of Mecklenburg County.

As Charlotte growth exploded between 1997 and 2017, corporate farming pushed small farmers out of business as the county lost approximately 64,000 acres of farmland, said Evan Davis, farmland preservation director at the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

To stave off losing more farmland, the county is working on a plan to preserve its remaining 13,000 acres of farm property.

Genna Contino explains.

4. Charlotte City Council will consider plan to buy, tear down aging hotel in Sugar Creek

Economy Inn at 5350 Reagan Drive in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte City Council will vote on purchasing the motel for demolition on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Economy Inn at 5350 Reagan Drive in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte City Council will vote on purchasing the motel for demolition on Monday, April 10, 2023.

The future of an aging motel in northeast Charlotte will be decided tonight.

The Charlotte City Council is expected to vote on a proposal to purchase the hotel with a plan to demolish it and relocate those living there.

The proposal calls for a $4.2 million acquisition of the Economy Inn at Reagan Driven to redevelop the property, according to council documents.

DJ Simmons runs through the proposal.

5. Some more stories to read

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Drew Nantais is a Senior Growth & Engagement Producer for the Charlotte Observer.
Drew Nantais is a Senior Growth & Engagement Producer for the Charlotte Observer.