Images: Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes NHL team has released the first renderings of the Raleigh Sports & Entertainment District, a planned $1bn (£766m/€908m) mixed-use development surrounding its home arena.
The plans, which are being led by Pacific Elm Properties and Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, call for the redevelopment of an 80-acre site near the arena and Carter-Finley Stadium. The latter venue serves as the home of North Carolina State University’s American football team.
The district will provide new opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment, with tenants to be curated to serve fans of the Hurricanes and NC State.
The first phase of the project will 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. Additional phases will expand the variety of uses over the expected 15-year development timeline.
Entertainment facilities will be clustered closest to the existing arena and stadium, with housing and office uses concentrated closer to the nearby Edwards Mill Road for ease of circulation. The first phase will begin in December 2025 and will include an expanded plaza to complement the upcoming arena renovation, which is separate to the wider district project.
The first phase, which is set to be completed in time for the 2027 college football season, will include a 600-foot promenade lined with tailgating suites, balconies and new open spaces for fans to gather. The tailgating experience will be located next to a 4,300-seat music venue, which will be operated by Live Nation.
The redevelopment is part of a deal reached earlier this year between Gale Force and arena owner Centennial Authority to allow for the transformation of the site outside of the arena, and a lease extension to keep the Hurricanes in Raleigh for at least the next 20 years.
Brian Fork, chief executive of Hurricanes Holdings, said: “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. 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.”
Philip Isley, chairman of the Centennial Authority, added: “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.
“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.”
Earlier this week, the Hurricanes announced that PNC Bank’s arena naming-rights deal had come to an end. The venue had been known as PNC Arena since 2012 but a new deal could be announced this week, with reports suggesting that technology company Lenovo has secured the rights.
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