Newest PNC renovation proposals show latest vision for arena’s future
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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 Centennial Authority on Tuesday saw the latest vision for the future of PNC Arena. The question now: How much of it can it afford to realize?
Tuesday’s presentation by architects Ratio and HOK was an updated and presumably final version of what the arena authority has been considering since 2014, a massive package of potential renovations that includes new clubs and suite spaces, bars overlooking the arena, more backstage space and new offices for the Carolina Hurricanes, a new entry from Edwards Mill Road and even outdoor space overlooking Carter-Finley Stadium, which will host the NHL’s Stadium Series game between the Hurricanes and Washington Capitals on Saturday.
The arena authority will now work with renovation consultant CAA ICON over the next 8-10 weeks to figure out what the renovations would cost and prepare a menu of proposed changes it can take to the City of Raleigh and Wake County in June to request money from tourism tax funds to update the 23-year-old arena.
“This will get us in the right mindset to get some final numbers and go back to the city and county to make sure we have the funding to do what we need to do,” authority chairman Philip Isley said Tuesday. “We’ll continue to work on that over the summer months.”
That approval would be predicated on a long-term lease extension with the Hurricanes, which the authority is currently negotiating. That lease extension in turn appears contingent on the authority giving Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon the ability to develop the land around the arena into a mixed-use urban hub like North Hills.
In 2019, Ratio/HOK had the cost of upgrades pegged at $225 million, a figure certain to rise with inflation, increased construction costs and new arena trends. The process stalled at that point because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I say this as a fiscal conservative: This is the time to be bold,” authority vice chairman Kieran Shanahan said.
Some of the proposed changes were originally presented to the authority almost a decade ago, when it first started exploring major renovations to the arena, while others have been updated for the latest arena trends. Authority members saw many of those in recent tours of Chicago’s recently renovated United Center and Wrigley Field as well as new arenas in Milwaukee and New York.
Tuesday’s presentation took ideas that were presented to the authority by Ratio/HOK as concepts last summer, updated them with input from stakeholders and put them in a format the authority can use to move forward with planning, pricing and a phased approach to construction that will allow the upgrades to be completed over a period of several summers.
“What we’ve tried to do is show the opportunities that might be available for this building,” said Ratio’s Bill Browne, who noted any loss of seating capacity — as with the bars overlooking the arena bowl — would be offset by increased revenue.
Among the upgrades proposed by Ratio/HOK are a new “grand and communal” entry lobby at the south end with space for a sportsbook; an updated exterior with digital signage; bars on the main concourse and in the upper bowl that overlook the playing surface; new premium clubs under the stands at the arena level and under the main concourse; a “view terrace” on the upper level at the south end facing Carter-Finley; and a new road connecting the arena perimeter with Edwards Mill at the intersection with Wade Park Boulevard, north of the current entry.
Changes to the loading dock would allow concerts to load in and out more quickly, a suggestion that came directly from arena employees and was incorporated into the plan, while the Hurricanes and authority offices currently located at the south end of the arena would be moved to new quarters in the north end to free up space for the entry lobby, terrace, clubs and other fan amenities.
“We think the south end could be really special and something to be focused on in a larger project,” HOK’s Micheal Day said.
PNC Arena was originally completed in 1999 and the interior of the building has seen few changes since then, beyond some tweaks to club spaces, concessions and a new scoreboard and LED ribbon boards. Dundon, a Dallas billionaire who bought the Hurricanes in 2018, is attempting to activate his right in the arena lease to develop the almost 80 acres of wooded space and parking lots surrounding the arena.
The renovations and development discussion has accelerated considerably over the past year, since NHL commissioner Gary Bettman visited Raleigh in April to underline the importance of an updated arena and surroundings to the league, but the conversion of surface parking lots into parking decks to allow for the construction of hotels, restaurants, offices and an outdoor music venue – as the Hurricanes have proposed – remains the biggest sticking point with N.C. State, which uses the arena lots for football parking.
Isley met with Bettman in New York last month to update the commissioner on the renovation and development process, and said Tuesday the authority would now prioritize what changes it wants to pursue with an eye to starting the 4-5 year renovation process in the summer of 2024.
“When we go to our funding partners, we have to make sure we have a plan, a way to implement that plan and construct it in a timely fashion,” Isley said.
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This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Newest PNC renovation proposals show latest vision for arena’s future."
