NASCAR Hall of Fame - Nothing to sneeze at!
The much-anticipated NASCAR Hall of Fame is set to open in May 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to bestowing honor upon those featured in the Hall of Fame, the 130,000 square foot hall will house a museum and entertainment attractions. It will serve as a tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners, and other contributors to the sport.
The complex will also include a new ballroom and the NASCAR Plaza Office Tower.
Perhaps most exciting for the fans, however, are the multitude of attractions being considered for inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Among those are a racing simulator and "A Week in the Life" (a behind the scenes look at a NASCAR team and race day preparation), and about ten other interactive activities! For more on those, visit www.nascarhall.com.
So what kind of impact will a facility of this magnitude have on the city of Charlotte?
According to John Connaughton, University of North Carolina--Charlotte economist, the economic impact will be roughly $62 million annually! In light of the recent economic downturn, the NASCAR Hall of Fame also may be just the thing to boost revenues for NASCAR in terms of admissions sales and souvenirs. Regardless, it will surely boost Charlotte's economy, bringing jobs and tourists alike to the city.
I, for one, look forward to learning the exciting new plans still in the making for NASCAR's first Hall of Fame and Charlotte's own "Crown Jewel", as coined by Charlotte's mayor Pat McRory.
And that's the view from here.
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