Bring MLB To Raleigh

Canes hire a new GM, President, & CEO of “Hurricanes Holdings” all in one off season. Previously this was all overseen by one guy, the previous GM/president Don Waddell. I post this here, but have to wonder if the new CEO of “Hurricanes Holdings”, will be not only overseeing the redevelopment of PNC Arena, but also help put things into place for MLB Raleigh.

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MLB in Tampa is a done deal. Tampa Bay rays are paying for cost overruns in their new stadium. If Dundon wants a public/private partnership for his bid he has to pay for the cost overruns because I don’t think people want their property tax hiked again. @Loup20

Also Tampa just took that route today, they came up with a deal where taxpayer will not have high taxes.

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2024/07/18/rays-stadium-deal-july-18-vote.amp.html

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Be warned people in Raleigh are gonna be against this big time. People don’t want property taxes cranked up to fund a stadium yes if Cost overruns can be covered then it has a chance of passing but no property tax rising. I also think the state and county will fund it not the city.

Warning signs I’ve blocked out there users name to keep there info private but they are being nasty about the idea to bring MLB to Raleigh. On the Raleigh Reddit.





Sounds like they just don’t like baseball. whatever. I find it pointless to argue with random people on Reddit.

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Facebook is worse trust me.

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  1. I don’t view Reddit as a good sample of the general population.

  2. I don’t even think those comments are that bad. There are going to be a small subset of people against this idea. Always has been. We know that. But the majority of this city/state is going to be for the idea.

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May not happen for a few more years with A’s and Kansas City situation too. I highly advise you be worried with the city more so than the state or county and make sure to cover your own cost overruns, so taxes aren’t rose against property owners, because honestly that will be the tipping point for us getting funding or not. I know Dundon is smart and I trust him that he knows this but it’s my best advice I’m no expert but that my 2 cents.

You’re definitely correct that the funding aspect and how it’s structured is extremely important. However, I wouldn’t let it keep you up at night. Those dealing with that are on top if it and fully understand all of this.

Note that there is a well-known consultant who deals with expansion, relocation and stadium financing who is dedicated to working through all of this with Dundon’s team.

Also, pay attention to the Canes recent hires.

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So So Excited About Our Possibilities Of Having MLB In Our Great City! Would Love Seeing Our Skyline On National TV! :heart_eyes:

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Doug Warf definitely seems like a hire to focus on PNC renovations and also a possible MLB team.

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Yep, with 5 towers or so over 30 stories :relieved::crossed_fingers:t4:

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They also hired a CEO “Brian Fork” for “Hurricanes Holdings”. I imagine the two of them will have big parts in the redevelopment of the PNC Arena grounds, as well as a future Raleigh MLB team.

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Big question to me is if they think they can fit a MLB stadium on the PNC property. As much as I’d prefer closer to downtown, it makes a whole lot of sense there if they can do it. Infrastructure will already be built out and the entertainment amenities (aka The Battery clone) will be there. Not to mention they are more in control there.

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This could definitely be a “Wild Idea for Raleigh”, but here is one idea for a downtown stadium. I already sent this to MLB Raleigh, but thought I’d share my thoughts here as well. Please feel free to tear it apart or make suggestions. This was fun!

Since replacing Central Prison is likely infeasible, what about the property next door? There would of course be political challenges given its history, but to my knowledge, Governor Morehead school is owned by the City of Raleigh already. A new school would likely need to be built elsewhere, of course, but this location provides a unique opportunity to bridge downtown Raleigh with Dix and Pullen Park, while enabling excellent skyline views from the stadium.

  1. Field/Stadium - Build to highlight the skyline and obscure the prison.

  2. Entry Plaza/Stadium/Park/Greenway - Expand on the already existing greenway, connecting with Dix Park and Pullen Park.

  3. Pedestrian Bridge/Plaza over the train tracks - The property of the former Goodnight’s is currently undeveloped, and I believe up for sale, since the planned development has fallen through. This is a prime opportunity to stitch together this property to downtown. I’m envisioning something similar to the plaza behind Truist Park in Atlanta with some bars/restaurants.

  4. Greenway/Stadium Plaza - Commissioned Art or Landscaping Wall to hide the Prison. Would connect with a pedestrian bridge over Western Blvd, with an entrance to Dix Park. This could be blocked off and serve as another entry gate on game-days, but open to the public on non-game days, similar to Eutaw Street in Baltimore. Greatly increases pedestrian connectivity to both Dix Park and the stadium.

  5. Greenway - Potential routing for a walkway to connect to the future RUSBUS/Union Station. Hargett Street is due to close to traffic, but a Pedestrian bridge could extend from Wye Hill over the tracks, into RUSBUS. This greenway could be themed to fit the team, or provide history signage on the area, including the “former” Governor Morehead School and surrounding neighborhoods.

  6. RUSBUS - Currently under construction. Provides direct connection to Union Station, and intercity trains/future commuter rail/ future high-speed rail. There are also future plans to extend West Street under the train tracks, which could allow another Bus Route.

  7. Bus Route - Ashe Ave. could be closed to thru-traffic on game-days, and used for buses and walking. Game Day buses could be used in conjunction with Park-and-Rides. Lots of connectivity potential with Pullen Park and Dix Park.

  8. Western BRT Station - The planned Western Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) line will go right past the property, and a BRT station would be ideal here. A bridge over the station (with escalators/elevators between) would connect Ashe Ave. with Bilyeu Street, allowing buses to reach Park-and-Rides, and improving pedestrian access.

  1. Current Parking Lots - A number of surface parking lots and parking decks already exist on NC State’s Centennial campus, around Reynold’s Coliseum, in Dix Park, in Pullen Park, and throughout downtown Raleigh. Some lots could be leased by the team for gameday use and tailgating. Free buses, separated from normal traffic where possible, could be provided.

  2. Future Parking/Entry Plaza - As Dix park is developed, some portion could be designed with the Stadium in mind. I envision a Grand Entrance to both Dix Park and the MLB Stadium. Possible parking lots/decks.

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I agree that the arena district makes sense for a MLB stadium with some high-density and transit-connectivty.

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This has been my dream location for it for a while. Add in that it has existing rail connectivity to the entire region already. It’s as good as it gets from a future growth perspective, but it’s horrid for vehicular traffic and it’s unlikely the school gets moved.

Given what’s already happening at PNC Arena, it’s pretty much a no brainer to go there.

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Residents of Boylan Heights are up in arms about moving RH one block down, can you imagine their reaction if a baseball stadium was proposed there?

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Im sure some of that money the were granted can go to funding for the MLB stadium.

It can I think PNC Arena is the best site not far from Downtown especially in October with the fair. Commuter rail isn’t that far and BRT wouldn’t be either. That’s the choice. Downtown South is great too and this will be mentioned in my blog, ima go down every path for every site proposed. But PNC with it so close to downtown and NC state I don’t think anything would be a problem there.