I won’t shed any tears over Red Hat moving to Dix as it can be really annoying to have 3 concerts in a row on weeknights when you have to be up before 5am every morning. Having said that it would be nice if we had a venue like they have in Pittsburgh called Stage AE which is an indoor/outdoor facility.
I just don’t know where it would go.
Also maybe Downtown South will host some events when Red Hat has been built over.
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Let me tell you, walking from Dix to downtown (for instance) is probably no worse than the walk from Coastal Credit Union back to your parking spot, at least from my experiences there. I agree I like the very central location of Red Hat Amp but I’m good with a much better built amp. in Dix.
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Agreed, plus by the time the transition actually happens there will be plenty of restaurants/bars in the “Dix” neighborhood supported by Park City South Park City or w/e it’s called 
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A mixed use soccer stadium might make the need for an amphitheater obsolete. Sure, go ahead and put a small one in Dix, but we might not need a big one if DT South comes to fruition.
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Not to get too far off subject, but this thread had me go back searching through the Dix master plan for this rendering of the potential Dix amphitheater. Love
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And a trestle that’s supposed to take you from one ridge over to the amphitheater.
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No replacement amp should exist without a replacement Shimmer Wall.
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I think moving Red Hat to Dix is a mistake. No one likes walking at Coastal either so I’m not sure why we’d settle for a similar situation. It will still feel cut off from downtown even with trestle and other ped improvements and will suffer from being too similar to a Koka Booth or Coastal. There will not be the same walkability of restaurants and bars even with some fill in around Dix. I like the idea for this site at first blush, but with all the big money boylan heights people pushing Dix the writing may already be on the wall.
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Red Hat Amphitheater was always advertised as a temporary use. It’s current location is too “in the thick of it.” I personally like the idea of putting it at Dix, but if that’s no good, move it 2 blocks south, to the city-owned, kite-shaped parcel bounded by South, Dawson, McDowell, and the RR tracks.
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I am firmly in the camp that wants to keep it in downtown. The parcel @orulz mentioned at South, Dawson, and McDowell would be fine as would the parcel between there and red hat currently used for loading. I like the idea of a rooftop venue on the convention center if safety and engineering concerns could be addressed. Maybe part of the city hall block north of Nash Square. Or the block owned by NC Association of Educators next to Duke Energy PAC.
Just please keep it downtown and walkable to food and bev. 
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That site really does look like a kite, tail and all!
Willing to bet you dollars to hipster small-batch artisinal donuts that an amphitheater at Dix is exactly what’s needed to kick off development across Lake Wheeler, which would then presumably include all the pre-gaming venues one’s heart would desire (not to mention Trophy on Maywood is a quick walk away).
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That’s great, and I hope that happens if that’s what they decide. But it can’t/won’t ever match the density of places you can walk to within 5 minutes at RH.
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It’s actually about a mile from where the amphitheater will be to Trophy Maywood, with no good way to cross Lake Wheeler (although I’m sure that will change by the time there is an amphitheater) ideally there would be places in the park proper, in addition to on the outskirts, to hangout and pregame which would draw people into the park and help generate revenue at the same time.
Eventually Trophy will have a restaurant on Maywood and an event stage if they stick to their plans so they could even host pre-show shows there.
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I’m intrigued by the Red Hat love but I get most of it is based on proximity to DTR amenities…
It is so very obvious, however, that it was planned to be temporary and has always been such a shame.
Yes, the shimmer wall is there but the entire pavilion is not even oriented for that art to be experienced by the patron - the shimmer is behind you if you’re watching what you paid for AND you’re baking in the sun when you’re there watching the artist you want to support.
It’s just so path of least resistance and always will be.
I’m of the mind that a more thoughtful amphitheater that takes into account the region and the patron experience would be the best long term outcome and I’m skeptical that we’d get acts to book if we split artists between a Dix amphitheater and another 1.5 mi closer to DT as things are already split amongst our triangle sister cities… So, think Wolf Trap, put it in the park and make it impactful.
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Agreed. It’s a sham of a venue as currently built. Honestly best outcome IMO would be:
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Rebuild Red Hat completely from scratch in same location with stadium seating and increased capacity, oriented with audience facing toward the city.
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Relocate Walnut Creek events to massive Dix field where Dreameville takes place.
That way we keep current Red Hat location while bringing massive events close to DTR. Yeah yeah parking parking blah… If Dreameville can do it with temporary installations it can be done better with permanent installations.
I understand this will never happen.
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Third unlikely option. Redesign MLK BLVD (more southernly or c-channel cut and cover underground), straighten Salisbury St, work out an agreement with Shaw University to relocate their historic buildings a block away. Rebuild Red Hat Amp on the new space.
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The Kite Parcel 2 blocks south of RedHat would be better in every way.
Here is a to-scale copy and paste. Even a slight redesign of the roads could fit an amp here. It could work and would activate the dead zone that is MLK Blvd.
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I would agree but I still posit that booking acts between a DT and Dix amphitheater, it’s essentially the same thing so you’re splitting the bookings thus no financial foundation for two. Pick the best and compete with our sister cities. So if that’s the kite, then no dedicated amphi at Dix, just use ‘fields’ like the Polo Fields in GGate park. Maybe that works…
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