There is still plenty of tailgate parking. Not everyone tailgates. There are still plenty of surface lots for tailgating. let the folks that don’t tailgate park in the decks.
I think lost in all this is that compacting the tailgating could actually be a good thing.
The tailgating for the Stadium Series was electric with basically every car being used and the rows just filled with tables, people, games. Having everyone that wants to tailgate in one place would be really cool versus sputtered around a massive lot.
A designated tailgating lot could make even a Tuesday night against Winnipeg feel like a playoff tailgate I think.
And I get that it’s different for State football, but I’ll prioritize the sport with 41 home games over the one with 6.
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I love tailgating at State FB games - but if you look in those lots, it’s pretty clear that not everyone with a parking spot uses that to tailgate. People either don’t tailgate at all - or they go congregate at whoever’s spot has the primary tailgate setup for their group.
I hate all the hand wringing over losing surface parking lots. I’m assuming these decks are located where they are in the rendering from a design perspective because it’s the closest spot to both the Lenovo Center and Carter-Finley. As long as the parking selection process for State football is well thought out - this should only have positive impacts on the parking. Let people who don’t want to tailgate - or who need to be located closer to the stadium walking-wise, take these spots - and then that opens up the other tailgate spots for the people who want to tailgate.
I just hope we see some additional entrances/exits to the area added - and (even if it is a pipe dream) some kind of genuine public transit option.
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Nice! I was just there for the Winston-Salem Open and will be back this weekend for the Ole Miss game - it has solid concessions, but a whole fun eating/drinking zone around would be far better.
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I will be at the game as well! Anxious to see how my rebels do against a more quality club.
I do like this plan, be good addition to that area.
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Wow this looks amazing
Nice! Hotty toddy
Characterssssss
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Years ago when I lived in Buffalo I went to a Sabres game. We met up before the game at a pub near the areana for a bite and several beers. Then went to the game were we had several more. Other than the $, it was really not that much different then tailgating, when it came to alcohol consumption.
If they don’t let folks grill on those parking deck premium tailgate spaces, then it’s a huge miss in my book. I’m not sure that code will allow it, but I’d love to know if/how they got past that.
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I’m personally wondering where that new indoor music venue will be. They said it will be directly adjacent to the new tailgating space. I suppose it would be that final west lot?
The official press release:
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I never cared what the “name” of any given arena is - it’s all just an advertisement lol - but I do certainly prefer the image that the title of “ARENA” gives vs “Center” - it just kinda feels like a downgrade with that change. Why not “Lenovo Arena”? I will admit that Lenovo Center rolls off the tongue a little more naturally, but it still just feels “lesser” if that makes any sense
Ehh - Potato, Potuhto. Plenty of Arenas around the country are called “Centers”
Why not go all in and call it The Lenovo Coliseum? And bring back Gladiator events?
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Much like “Village District” or “Forest Park”, it’s fine but snoozy. Raleigh is consistently a little fearful of having a personality.
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Looking ahead to the first phase (and more) of development around the “arena” itself, a name like Lenovo Center can be more appropriately used to also refer to the entire subarea.
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I’m still not over Datsun being renamed to Nissan. 
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I’ve been wondering the same thing. Not seeing it in any of the renderings.
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I don’t think the rendering calls it out well enough, but Philip Isley with the Centennial Authority said on the Joe Ovies & Joe Giglio pod today that the concert venue (and other entertainment option - likely the sportsbook) are the two buildings shown in the east lot in the rendering to the right of the arena and next to the new tailgate area and parking decks.
The other building closer in the foreground to the left of the arena in the rendering is likely going to be a hotel.
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