The Charlotte Knights are seeking a one-year extension (to 2012) from Mecklenburg County on a deadline to begin construction on their $55M stadium Uptown.

Failure to meet that deadline could mean early termination of the ballclub's 50-year ground lease ($1/year) for the eight-acre site at Third and S. Mint. Knights GM Dan Rajkowski says the team is negotiating naming rights and working on corporate sponsors and the climate for securing financing is still poor. Private sources interested in financing it four years ago are no longer as enthusiastic, he adds. The Knights say pushing construction to 2012 will have the team playing in the new stadium by 2014. County Commissioner Karen Bentley says the project is a no-brainer as an economic boost to Uptown, but she's disappointed the team hasn't responded to inquiries about financing details. The committee has asked the Knights to come back in June with more info about how it plans to pay for the stadium.