Raleigh Stadium/Arena/Sports Discussions

Not surprising but city council approves rezoning for the development around Lenovo Center. Construction should start shortly after the 2025 NC State Football season ends.

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That area of Raleigh will blow up.

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Yeah, we will continue to “blow up” areas of the city that are very car dependent: resulting in more walkability that you have to (except @GucciLittlePig & @GucciLittlePenguin ) drive to.

We need more large scale energy and commitment to downtown proper.

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¿Por qué no ambos?

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just SO MUCH EASIER and cheaper to acquire a huge swath of land, acres and acres, master plan it, and build it out intentionally
a la North Hills, Fenton etc. (and now Lenovo Center “Entertainment District”)
rather than try and assemble large parcels downtown to do anything on a scale approaching this.

I would love more downtown. This definitely will compete for development. Billions of dollars. Wow.

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It’s easy to get swept up in “$1 billion” headlines and assume that Raleigh’s downtown is being overlooked in favor of cheaper or more convenient developments on the outskirts. However, examining the facts about Raleigh’s growth provides a clearer picture of where the majority of investment dollars are truly being directed.

The Lenovo Center entertainment district expansion is a promising addition to the region, but it’s important to note that the timeline spans 20 years. Phase I includes two parking structures, a tailgating zone, and a 4,500-seat music venue. While it’s pitched as a $1 billion development, this figure is speculative and not guaranteed, as each phase relies on meeting specific milestones for progress to continue. Significant momentum will be necessary for this project to fully materialize as envisioned.

For reference in Raleigh’s downtown core (which is larger at 700+ acres compared to 80 acres):

I didn’t even include Maeve, 301 Hillsboro, AC Hotel, Smokey Hollow, Rockway, or the dozens of other projects currently under construction, along with the $2+ billion pipeline of upcoming developments. This all points to downtown Raleigh’s strong momentum, solid foundation, and likelihood of receiving the majority of regional investment dollars, even as hubs like North Hills, Midtown Exchange, Fenton, and RTP continue to see significant growth and development.

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I think you may have just taken some wind out of the sails of the Lenovo project. Not to say that it won’t be a great development (some day) but other developments are happening right now. Thanks for the perspective that we all needed.

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