RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A glimpse into the future of the surrounding area near the home of the Carolina Hurricanes was released on Wednesday.
Pacific Elm Properties and Gale Force Sports and Entertainment announced their plans for the Raleigh Sports and Entertainment District, the new $1 billion mixed-use development surrounding the venue that houses the Hurricanes and the North Carolina State basketball program.
According to a news release, the redevelopment of the 80-acre site, which is located off Interstate 40 and adjacent to Carter-Finley Stadium, will “provide new opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment” all year long, as well as feature a unique outdoor setup for tailgating and programming.
“Together with the Centennial Authority, we are committed to bringing new amenities to fans and creating experiences that bring more people to the arena and stadium area and encourage them to visit early, eat, and even stay over on-site,” said Brian Fork, chief executive officer of Hurricanes Holdings, LLC. “This development is the next step toward building the premier sports and entertainment district in the country and keeping the area a regional economic driver for decades to come.”
Phase one of the development is set to include more than 200,000 square feet of entertainment and lifestyle retail, 150,000 square feet of office space, a 150-key hotel and more than 500 apartments. Meanwhile, additional phases will expand upon these various uses throughout the expected development timeline, estimated to be 15 years.
The first phase is slated to begin in December 2025, and will include an expanded plaza to complement the upcoming arena renovation. Furthermore, this stage will also feature a 600-foot promenade lined with tailgating suites, balconies and new open space for thousands of fans to gather that’s “blending time-honored traditions with state-of-the-art innovation,” project leaders said.
The new tailgating experience will be directly adjacent to a 4,300-seat music venue operated by Live Nation and part of a larger five-acre tailgating space, including the plaza between Carter-Finley Stadium and the arena, which will also receive improvements. Construction of the first phase also includes two parking garages that line either side of the tailgating experience, projected to be finished by the start of N.C. State’s football season in 2027.
“After more than two decades, we are fulfilling the creation of a world-class destination that our local and state partners expected when the Arena was opened in 1999,” said Philip Isley, chairman of the Centennial Authority. “This proposed development ensures that our Arena renovations will be enhanced by building this transformational sports and entertainment district to ensure our Arena remains a regional attraction and economic catalyst for many decades to come.”
CBS 17 spoke to Wolfpack fans about the plans. Many said they were seeing the renderings for the first time and expressed their excitement.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” NC State sophomore Desirae Krut said. “I’m a big hockey fan, so having that around the arena, it’s going to be pretty nice too.”
The new tailgating experience, detailed in two of the renderings released by developers Wednesday, is something students said they would love to take advantage of.
“Seems like a good way for everybody to connect with each other and like a general space,” Krut said.
NC State junior Noah Orthner said, “I also like the idea of having tailgating spots closer to the, you know, arena and the football stadium because a lot of times people have to go way far away and pack everything up and go there, so I think it would be a huge advantage to have that.”
Orthner also said the parking garages would be a huge improvement; he said parking can get chaotic on game days.
However, some students expressed concerns and doubts about what the final project would look like. Sophomores Caryn Biesecker and Sidney Ramsey said it could be a great idea, but they are not sure how things will work out.
“The parking is already, I think personally, it’s overrun a bit, so with the construction, [it’s] going to make it even worse,” Biesecker said.
Ramsey echoed those concerns and also said, “Like you see the images, but is it really going to look like that in the future? So it’s kind of like you don’t know what to expect until like the project actually starts.”
CBS 17 asked CEO Brian Fork about these concerns. Fork said Phase One construction is planned for December 2025 because it is after NC State’s football season. He said he hopes that will limit some of the traffic impacts.
Fork also said the renderings are just conceptual. The city and the community will have a chance to give their input and any final plans will have to go through an approval process.
This announcement comes days after signage dawning the name “PNC Arena” was removed from the venue. Cranes could be seen on Monday, bringing down the letters as speculation of a potential new naming rights deal continues to circulate.
The Centennial Authority, the arena’s governing body, is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Thursday. The agenda described the purpose of the meeting was to review a contract, but no other details on the nature of the contract were readily available.
Rumors of a new naming rights deal are rooted in a new video game trailer for EA Sports’ NHL 25. A screenshot from the trailer recently surfaced on social media, featuring the words “Lenovo Center” on center ice during a Carolina Hurricanes home game. However, the potential name change hasn’t been confirmed yet.