Hall of Fame reveals concepts; sets public input session
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - When fans walk to the wing of the NASCAR Hall of Fame where the inductees are enshrined, even the ramp will teach them something about NASCAR.
The ramp will increase in banking from 0 degrees to 36 degrees as fans learn about the configuration of NASCAR tracks on their way to what is tentatively being called the "Hall of Champions."
That is just one of the concepts that NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled as it updated the Charlotte City Council on its plans for the three-story Hall of Fame, adjacent ballroom and office tower Monday night.
All of the plans are still evolving for the Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to open in 2009.
"None of this is locked in," said the facility's executive director, Winston Kelley. "All of this is just conceptual based on the initial architectural renderings that now the exhibit designers can take to the next level.
"They'll do additional drawings, we'll do public input, and we'll go through a more detail analysis. It might look exactly like [the current concepts] or it might be 50 percent there."
The Hall of Fame will hold a public forum - open to anyone, not just Charlotte or North Carolina citizens - from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Charlotte Convention Center for input on the hall.
Kelley said the meeting will include discussion groups where fans can offer their ideas.
"We want to hear anything related to their opinions on what should be in the hall of fame, what the exhibits concepts are, their reactions to the exterior, their reactions to what's in the plaza," Kelley said.
The tentative plans include a seven-zone concept:
- The ceremonial plaza in front of the building where the induction ceremonies would be held.
- An atrium area that would welcome visitors that would include cars, a big screen for videos, electronic displays, etc.
- A 250-seat theater with a high-definition screen that would show an introductory film for visitors. It also would be a place for fans to watch races.
- Glory Road: The banked ramp leading into the Hall of Champions.
- The Hall of Champions, which is where the inductees would be permanently enshrined.
- Heritage Speedway, the area that will recap NASCAR's history.
- Race Week, the most interactive area of the Hall of Fame, where fans can learn about what it takes to build cars, what goes on during a race weekend, etc.
Other portions of the building will include a restaurant, a broadcast center and a gift shop.
"It's starting to come to life ... with some concepts," Kelley said about the six-acre complex. "We're seeing how it's starting to come together."
The ballroom will be big enough to seat 2,500 people, and the 19-floor office tower will have approximately 400,000 square feet, of which NASCAR will use 86,000 for its Charlotte offices and NASCAR Images.
The facility is being built by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority in a partnership with NASCAR.
