CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
Whether the Democratic National Convention was good or bad for Charlotte is a matter of some debate. Preliminary information is in, but the jury is still out.
WBTV did some digging Monday into the impact of the Convention.
The Convention Host Committee says a Bloomberg report about money troubles is incorrect. Last week, Bloomberg reported that the convention was $15 million short and may have to rely on the president's campaign to cover the gap to pay vendors. The Host Committee told WBTV, it will pay the debt itself. The Committee does have a line of credit with Duke Energy, but it does not have to disclose how much money was borrowed until October.
The Mayor's Office told WBTV the LYNX Blue Line transported an average of 32,708 people per day during the four days of the DNC. In a statement, Mayor Foxx told WBTV, "The DNC provided a significant boost to our City. Our hotels were booked solid during a normally slow week, our light rail line experienced the busiest week ever, and our Airport had a record day in local boardings. All that is in addition to the global media exposure Charlotte enjoyed from the thousands of journalists who came to cover our City. The impact of that exposure alone is impossible to quantify".
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Regional Visitor's Bureau (CRVA) told WBTV the impact assessment will not be ready for 4-6 weeks. Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, is providing that assessment. That study was commissioned by Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and the CRVA.
WBTV is still digging into the DNC impact, and will continue to update you as we learn more.
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