FOX 46’s “Good Day Charlotte” filmed in downtown Matthews in June 2018. Mayor Paul Bailey hopes national media in town next year for the Republican National Convention will film here, too. MMHW file photo
MATTHEWS – Debbie Foster, who chairs the town’s appearance and tree advisory committee, presented a preliminary plan May 13 to town commissioners about sprucing up Matthews in advance of the 2020 Republican National Convention.
The RNC takes place Aug. 24 to 27 in Charlotte. The event is expected to attract thousands of people to the region as delegates and other convention attendees are expected to fill hotels in town.
Mayor Paul Bailey told the board he is lobbying convention organizers to have one of the major networks to do a live broadcast from the downtown area during the convention.
“That is one of the things I want to talk with them (RNC committee) face-to-face about,” Bailey said. “We could get some national publicity.”
Foster said tourism money could be used for such projects as adding public art, improving the major entrances in town, engaging in a wild flower project and re-landscaping the town green. Foster said work needs to begin this fall to be ready for the 2020 convention and a landscape designer needs to be hired to work on the project.
“Plantings is one of the biggest things we need to do,” Foster said. “You just can’t wait until next year to start planting things. You need to be doing it now. It’s a really tight timeline.’’
Foster told the board she will come back in June with more detailed plans, including what the project would cost.
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