Hornets Prepared to Pay Beyond City’s $30M for New Practice Facility

The Hornets’ post–Michael Jordan era continues to bear fruit. 

In a determination to get a new downtown practice facility under new owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, the Hornets said they are “fully committed” to the new building above the $30 million provided by the city in a new proposal. 

The proposal is part of a $275 million plan the Charlotte City Council approved in 2022 to help renovate the Spectrum Center and build a new practice facility. In January the Hornets unveiled renderings for Spectrum Center improvements, including adding 2,500 seats to the arena’s lower bowl and renovations to concessions, suites, lighting, and signage, among other focuses. 

Despite his greatness on the basketball court, Jordan was both unsuccessful and perhaps frugal as an owner. Plotkin and Schnall, who bought the team from His Airness in August, have wasted no time trying to spend money and strip the roster. The team acquired more draft assets early this month at the NBA trade deadline. Recently the franchise asked the city council, which first approved the proposal in 2022, to redirect half of the $60 million for the practice facility to arena renovations. The city council is expected to vote on the measure in March. 

The $275 million plan helped keep the Hornets in the city through 2045. The practice facility is expected to be near the Spectrum Center in downtown Charlotte, and both the renovations and practice center are expected to be complete by ’26.