First renderings released for $300m PNC Arena revamp

Carolina Hurricanes fans have been given their first glimpse of what PNC Arena will look like following its forthcoming $300m revamp.

The National Hockey League (NHL) team’s arena revamp is to be funded by the local authority as part of a wider agreement that saw the Hurricanes agree a 20-year lease extension with the City of Raleigh last year.

Architecture firms Gensler and LS3P have now released their first renderings and renovation plans. Three different scales of renovations have been presented to the Centennial Authority Board, which operates the venue and must now decide which renovations are possible within the $300m budget.

The architects identified 10 projects in all, from high-profile to behind-the-scenes changes. The projects include reimagined main and upper concourses and a potentially massive expansion of the south side of the building that could include an exterior re-skin of the 25-year-old arena.

There are also designs for four new suites and a club/meeting area under the stands opposite the Zamboni entrance, a 7,600-square-foot external storage building to save space inside the arena and a 300-level bar overlooking the arena bowl.

“It’s extraordinarily exciting to see the ideas that Gensler has proposed to us,” authority chairman Philip Isley said. “It makes our next several years feel like it’s going to happen in a really good way.”

Wider $800m+ project

The renovations to the arena itself are separate to a wider multi-phase, mixed-use district, which will cost at least $800m. Agreed in June 2024, this wider project is being led by Hurricanes owner and governor, Tom Dundon, and was kickstarted by the team’s lease extension.

The district development is being overseen by Dallas investor Jonas Woods and Dundon through their Pacific Elm Properties development arm. The agreements call for a minimum of $800m in development but new Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork said recently that Dundon envisions likely approaching or exceeding $1 billion.

Development of the mixed-use district is due to be led by Gale Force Sports and Entertainment’s real estate affiliate Pacific Elm Properties which is majority owned by Dundon Capital Partners.

The first phase will be to install more than 200,00 square feet of retail space, a 150-key hotel, more than 500 apartments and 150,000 square feet of office space. Of the apartments, it is claimed that 10% of them will be “affordable at not more than 80% of area median income levels.”

This initial phase is projected to be completed in 2030.

After that, a new 4,300-seat ballroom set to be operated by Live Nation will be built. It is intended to host an array of events including concerts, comedy, community events, corporate meetings and more.