Construction is picking up at the BB&T Ballpark in Third Ward, the future home for the Charlotte Knights minor-league baseball team. Crews have removed most of the soil on the roughly 8-acre site, and have begun pouring concrete and laying down foundation for the stadium, said Dan Rajkowski, the team’s general manager. The ballpark is being built on land bordered by Mint, Fourth and Graham streets and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Crews are expected to soon finish improvements on the nearby streets in preparation for closing Third Street between Graham and Mint, which runs through the center of the ballpark. Construction on the stadium is expected to be mostly done by the end of next year, with the team set to begin playing in Charlotte in spring 2014. Rajkowski said the team plans to share information in the coming months about season tickets, club seats and suites at the ballpark. Meanwhile, fans can view a webcam of the stadium site and get other updates on the project at http://charlotteknightsatuptown.com. -April Bethea
