The new plans for the Raleigh Sports & Entertainment District might be a best-case scenario for Pack fans

Change is coming to the area surrounding Carter-Finley Stadium and as the new mock-ups made their rounds this past week, there were mixed reactions.

Some people were mad, some were excited and some were hesitant as to how this would affect Saturdays in the Fall as they have come to know them.

I think all of those feelings are valid. In fact, I kind of went through these phases of feelings when I first got wind of the new plans around the PNC. But as these mock-ups start being released, and I really sit back and look at the whole picture of where this IS going and where it COULD have gone, I feel like we might be getting the best-case scenario given the potential outcomes that were on the table.

Let me explain…

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Tailgating is part of NC State Football culture

As a die-hard, lifelong, NC State fan and 2-time graduate of the University, I’ve done my fair share of tailgating.

When I was in college, it was cornhole, Bojangles, and tossing the football over on the fairgrounds lot. Sitting in the back of a pickup truck with a group of friends drinking crappy beer sweet tea while awaiting kick-off.

Since college ended, it’s been parking in one of the pay lots, breaking out the grill, the tent, and the chairs, and tossing the football around with the family until game time.

If you’re an NC State football fan, you probably share these memories and experiences in some similar form or fashion.

Tailgating is part of the NC State football experience. It’s ingrained in the culture here and it’s one of the reasons people feel nervous about any new development or changes to the area surrounding Carter-Finley Stadium.

I feel it too.

In a world where everything is changing around us, we don’t want our Saturdays in the fall to change.

Change is coming and there is no stopping it

But there is a reality here that we have to understand…even if we don’t like it.

The property around the PNC (now Lenovo Center), bordering Carter-Finley to the North, was never meant to be an open parking lot forever. In fact, we’re very fortunate that it’s stayed the way it is for so long.

The initial vision for this area was to create a live, work, play experience around this entire area. A district anchored by sports and entertainment. That was the dream when this place was built 1999.

The land around the PNC Arena (now Lenovo Center) is not owned by NC State University. It’s owned by The Centennial Authority, whose entire existing was put into place by the NC General Assembly to study, design, and provide a first-class, multi-purpose facility for the Triangle region. The property is then managed by Gale Force Sports and Entertainment (A subsidiary of Hurricanes Holding)

If the Hurricanes were going to stay in Raleigh and if NC State was going to continue to play basketball in this arena, then there was no doubt that this area was ALWAYS going to be developed. The question was when and how. 

The Raleigh-Durham region is the second fastest-growing region in the country, only behind Austin, TX. There are more and more people coming into this region and because of that, there are more and more businesses ready to invest in this area. As this growth occurred, it became clear that with nowhere to grow inside the beltline, and with Apex/Cary almost maxing out their space, it was clear that density was about to come to the PNC/Trinity/Blue Ridge area.

Worst-Case Scenario Averted…

The worst-case scenario was that Hurricanes would leave Raleigh, the arena would eventually become obsolete and the land would be sold off to a developer that has no real skin in the game to create a great gameday experience with the land.

(Look at the condos built on the east side of the property – just east of the wooded lot on Trinity. Former tailgating land turned into condos that provide nothing for the gameday experience. This was the fear.)

But what has happened over the past few years has been interesting. The Hurricanes have gotten good. They’ve built a loyal fanbase, and they’ve are starting to introduce tailgating into THEIR culture.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have struck a deal with the state to renovate the arena and start the inevitable mixed-use building around the property. Both NC State fans and Hurricane’s fans have been vocal about this development, demanding it take into consideration the gameday experience for not just hockey, but NC State Basketball and most importantly to us, NC State football.

Best-case on the horizon?

So yes, some of the surface parking around the PNC is going away. But realistically, there was no way that was ever staying in the first place. NC State was only borrowing those lots from the Centennial Authority for the time being.

These mock-ups are actually pretty exciting to me, given the situation. I was worried about sterile parking decks and a bunch of apartments, but the new mockups show a real attempt to set aside a large chunk of land that replaces parking (in decks) but builds on high-end tailgating stalls and large, open, pedestrian-only lawn area.

I know the REAL best case scenario would be for nothing to change, for every open parking spot on the property to stay as it is and tailgating as we know it, to remain unchanged. But as our region grows, and as our local teams begin drawing more and more fans, any uncontrolled property is going to be developed. As Wolfpack fans, I feel like the best thing we can hope for is whatever is being developed to provide some sort of amenities for our game day experience.

While it might take some getting used to, I do think we got something here that Pack fans will grow to really enjoy, and an area that will really become the centerpiece of the overall experience.

Imagine College Gameday setting up in this area with Pack fans packed into the gathering area behind them, lined with tailgaters, big-screen TVs, and NC State banners. Imagine recruits walking through the area, being immersed in the experience.

This development could have gone a lot of different ways, but the one we got, I believe is going to be a net positive for NC State in the long run.

Do you agree? Is there a different outcome you were hoping for (aside from nothing changing?).  What are your thoughts?