President Barack Obama will speak at Time Warner Cable Arena
CHARLOTTE, N.C. President Barack Obama will now deliver his acceptance speech Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena after predicted severe weather led officials to move the event out of the Bank of America Stadium.
The Time Warner Arena’s seating capacity is less than a third that of Bank of America Stadium, and approximately 65,000 members of the public who received community credentials for the stadium event may not be able to attend the event inside the arena.
Campaign officials promised a Thursday conference call between Obama and the 65,000 people, and they said they’re working on an event where the president would be able to meet with the credential holders before the election, though no date or location was announced.
On Wednesday, the Democratic National Convention Committee said officials had monitored weather forecasts. With several reports predicting thunderstorms and lightning on Thursday, officials decided to relocate the event “to ensure the safety and security of our delegates and convention guests,” convention CEO Steve Kerrigan said in a news release.
The National Weather Service, which has been briefing convention organizers and others about forecasts this week, said the number of thunderstorms on Thursday could be fewer than those that have hit the region in the past few days, but forecasts showed there was a slight, 2-to-5 percent chance of severe thunderstorms developing during the day that could produce either winds of at least 58 miles-per-hour or hail measuring at least one-inch in diameter.
Brent Colburn, Obama for America communications director, expressed sympathy with the community credential holders who will be affected. “This isn’t a decision we wanted to make,” Colburn said. “It was a decision we felt we had to make. We share their frustration and disappointment, but we felt the campaign made the right decision at the time it decided to use the stadium,” he concluded.
Because of the venue change, road closures and restrictions planned to start late Wednesday won’t happen – meaning I-277 will remain open. Restrictions and closures currently in place will be extended through early Friday, federal law enforcement officials said.
