Setting priorities: Centennial Authority gets further update on PNC Arena renovation
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PNC Arena & West Raleigh Development Plans
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has a vision for both inside and outside PNC Arena that could entice fans to come early for games and stay after they’re over. Here is The News & Observer’s coverage of arena renovations and development plans for west Raleigh.
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The plans to significantly renovate and enhance PNC Arena, which continue to gain impetus, took another step forward Friday.
Members of the Centennial Authority, the arena landlord, received a proposal prioritization report for the extensive project, which authority chairman Philip Isley would like to move along as swiftly as possible.
The report to the authority’s building and construction committee centered on a “menu” of proposals for the 23-year-old arena and again emphasized the need for a consensus on the individual project concepts by the major stakeholders – the authority, Carolina Hurricanes (Gale Force Sports & Entertainment), N.C. State and the “political partners.”
Among the upgrades for the arena that were proposed by Ratio/HOK are an expanded entry lobby at the south end — a “grand entrance” — with space for a 4,000-square-foot sportsbook; and a rooftop bar with a “view terrace” on the upper level at the south end facing Carter-Finley Stadium.
Other proposals include: new office space at the north end of the arena; an updated exterior with digital signage; bars on the main concourse that overlook the playing surface; and premium clubs under the stands at the arena level and the main concourse.
One discussion Friday was about the green “curtain wall” appearance of the exterior of the arena. Replacing it would be costly but committee members agreed it needed change.
The authority has been working with renovation consultant CAA ICON to decide what the renovations would cost. It planned to prepare a list of proposed changes to present in June to the City of Raleigh and Wake County in requesting the money from tourism tax funds needed for the renovation.
That meeting has not yet been scheduled but could be held in August.
“Time is of the essence,” authority member Doyle Parrish said Friday. “We need to have a plan to make these decisions. Time is important in making our priorities known.”
And paying for it? Parrish, talking to the committee, said the Interlocal Agreement funds amount to a “pie” with a fixed amount of money, adding, “If our appetite is larger than that pie, resources have to be found outside of that pie. So that’s part of the real critical debates that are going to happen here in the future.”
Authority executive director Jeff Merritt said a stakeholders meeting would be held next week. The next scheduled full authority meeting is Aug. 3.
“I would say within the next 90 to 120 days we’re going to need to have a solid plan,” Merritt told the committee. “Costs are coming, so that will be a factor in it.”
The authority, in a statement Friday, said the improvements would position PNC Arena as a “premier destination” hosting a variety of events to “serve the diverse population” of the Triangle and region.
“In addition, the arena enhancements will provide new revenue streams that allow North Carolina State University and the Carolina Hurricanes to maintain or elevate their economic position within the NCAA and NHL, respectively, while strengthening the facility’s competitive position in the large-venue sports and entertainment market,” the authority statement said.
The authority said it expects to “deliver the project within budget and on schedule through a transparent, inclusive, design and construction process.”
In 2019, Ratio/HOK estimated the cost of upgrades at $225 million. Then came the pandemic, putting everything on hold.
The plans call for a new Wade Park entry to the arena ground off Edwards Mill Road that aligns with Wade Park Blvd. A rendering shows a traffic circle at that intersection, but the report notes the circle would not be included in the estimate.
The new entry was one of the proposals given highest priority in the report.
The renovation project would be biggest for an arena that opened in 1999 and hosts Hurricanes games, N.C. State’s men’s basketball and a variety of events.
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon also wants to develop land immediately surrounding the arena into a mixed-used urban entertainment hub with shops, restaurants and a concert venue. The authority is currently negotiating a long-term lease extension with the Hurricanes needed to secure more tourism-tax funding from the city and county.
This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Setting priorities: Centennial Authority gets further update on PNC Arena renovation."
