Charlotte, N.C. ? A day after NBA legend Larry Bird expressed interest in bringing an expansion team to Charlotte, the mayor and several City Council members said Monday they’re prepared to set aside $80 million for a new uptown arena.

That would mean delaying a decision on a new minor-league baseball stadium for the Charlotte Knights, an idea many council members supported after it became clear the Hornets were leaving town.

But, the officials stressed, no arena would be built without an absolute commitment from the NBA to put a team here.

Mayor Pat McCrory said he got “very positive signals” about the prospect of an expansion team when he talked to NBA officials Monday. He expects to get some direction from the NBA after the playoffs, which end in late June.

NBA Hall of Famer Bird, former Boston Celtics coach M.L. Carr and Boston-area millionaire Steve Belkin have contacted the league about putting an expansion team in Charlotte. They said Monday they unsuccessfully pursued the Hornets before the team was granted permission to move to New Orleans.

Carr plans to stay in Charlotte this summer to assemble local support for an expansion team.

“We know Charlotte needs and deserves a team,” Carr said Monday.

News of the potential ownership group sparked renewed enthusiasm from city leaders about building an arena for an expansion team.

“I can assure (the NBA) in no uncertain terms that if they can guarantee an expansion team for Charlotte, there are sufficient votes on City Council to move ahead swiftly on the construction of a new arena,” said Lynn Wheeler, chair of the council’s economic development committee.

The economic development committee is scheduled to meet today to approve a timeline for deciding how to use the $80 million in hotel/motel tax money that had been committed to an arena for the Hornets. After the team’s departure was announced, council members had talked about using some of that money on a minor-league baseball park.