PNC Arena’s naming rights cost more, though, right? (I want to say it was on the order of $2M/year, but I’m probably misremembering that.) Either way, I’m not surprised; naming rights are an easy way to get passive revenue for infrastructure projects that need a few million dollars.
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That’s believable to me due to the fact that the arena is shown on TV. Anyway, I’m not in marketing so clearly not a good judge of value when it comes to these things. 
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It was actually $4.5M annually. Canes now want $7-8M annually
I battled for hours if this belonged in the Pictures of Raleigh, Raleigh History or this thread, and ended up here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmFPmuEPhOJ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Raleigh Convention Center construction 17 years ago today! Taken from a HUGE drone (manned helicopter, not really a drone at all).
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I remember that. Hopefully we destroy that parking lot to the left and expand it. To hold bigger events like to RNC or DNC. or other events that put our city on the map the towers are gonna be awesome also.
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You remember 17 years ago?!
Yep as a kid I saw the Cree sign installation, RBC center construction all the dirt and construction remember Raleigh wide open. Back then I didn’t know much wasn’t a huge visionary like I am today I was in Elementary school. I remember traffic light being taken down in Dawson, and the hotel.
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It why I’m an Raleigh biggest visionary today and fight against NIMBYs and want the best for Raleigh and I’m planning a podcast soon.
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Please send me the link once it’s up and running.
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I will sometime in the new year, once we see the council in action a little more need upgrades.
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Has anything ever been proposed for the gravel lot next to the parking deck/Red Hat next to the RCC? I personally think that lot sticks out when you come in via the money shot route into DT. I was always under the impression any future RCC expansion would go onto the lot where Red Hat currently is only and not where the gravel lot is…or am I mistaken here…
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I think I remember them saying that specific lot is earmarked for large vehicle parking for the convention center, like Boat shows etc.
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Wow thanks for the info, I had no idea the RCC ever had or were shooting for these types of events. I always thought the boat and RV shows happened out at the Fairgrounds where there’s plenty of space and room. Personally I think it’s a missed opportunity to hold a lot for a super specific event like that for maybe 1-3 days a year.
Easily think something like the development proposed for 320 W. South street would fit there quite nicely IMO.
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Yea they hold more niche events than you’d imagine, car shows, home and garden shows. It’s also used for a spill over area from Red Hat events. Currently, it’s being used as spill over storage for the outdoor Christmas Rink at Red hat, of course this goes away once the convention center expansion takes Red Hat.
They hold Boat shows at both the Fairgrounds and Convention Center, people love Boats here. it’s a good time if you’ve never been, they sell beer and wine and don’t mind if you spend half an hour inside one of the house-boats enjoying several beers with your friends.
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Agreed that Memorial Auditorium is lacking. Those back seats are WAAY back there. Could they somehow reconfigure the interior to have a proper balcony and pull those miserable nosebleeds forward?
I understand the acoustics aren’t fantastic either, but making it less of a ginormous hollow cavern just might do something to fix that.
I’m with you on Meymandi and Fletcher as well. In spite of being over 20 years old, they both still come across as perfectly modern venues that work well and need no major changes.
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Yeah I’ve been to a lot of the car shows there with my dad, I even remember going to some at the old Raleigh Convention Center as a kid. I know depending on the type of car show it’s supposed to be (i.e. classic cars, newer cars, etc.) they have some of those also out at Dorton Arena/State Fairgrounds too. My wife dragged me out to the ‘Ideal Southern Homes’ event last year since she’s all about some HGTV and thankfully they sell alcohol at that too.
You aren’t lying about the love for boats either. I live out here near both Jordan and Harris Lakes and I see people driving around with boats a ton. There’s tons of boat storage facilities all around these lakes too.
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This is somewhat a pipe dream but it would hugely benefit the city if they had an elevated indoor track with stadium seating in the convention center, obviously one that could be deconstructed afterward. The city could host college and potentially some professional meets. We already have a popular professional outdoor meet, Sir Walter Miler, that is hosted by Meredith College every august.
This is the permanent indoor track at Boston University.
The minimum amount of space needed is 80,000 (based on what I saw online, might not be correct) square feet. The closest banked track is in Lynchburg, VA at Liberty University.
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That looks way nicer than the indoor track meets I used to do in high school (back in 1845).
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The elevated indoor track would be cool, but I’m not sure it would make the most sense at the Convention Center location. If it can be deconstructed, of course it could be used for other purposes, but I think it just isn’t as useable of a space as they would be looking for. Interestingly enough, Birmingham, AL has one of the nicer track facilities in the country (Birmingham Crossplex - Indoor Track & Field), but it is on the outskirts of town. It seems like something that would fit better at the Cary indoor sports complex.
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Yeap tournaments, political conventions, and even Lego fest could be there. But yes even a Draft combine in the NFL could be there.