Gastonia s Franklin Urban and Sports Entertainment District, better known simply as FUSE, does not need to attract visitors from Charlotte to be successful, according to its master developer Brandon Bellamy.
Instead, the eventual combination of sports, dining, entertainment, and retail to be found at the new downtown stadium and its adjacent properties, can draw support from the more than 200,000 people who live within a 20-minute drive. Daytime, pedestrian traffic is one of the keys to success for this project, said Bellamy, owner of the Honey Hunters, the Atlantic Professional Baseball League team that will play 70 home games per season there.