The Carolina Hurricanes submitted their rezoning application late Monday to the city of Raleigh for mixed-use development of the area around the Lenovo Center.
New renderings show what the development could look like in the future for the arena, which serves as the home of Carolina Hurricanes and NC State men's basketball team. The request seeks to rezone the roughly 80-acre site around 1400 Edwards Mill Road in Raleigh.
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The Raleigh City Council will have to approve the rezoning application, which is part of a proposed 20-year, $1 billion redevelopment of the area. The city council's process could take up to nine months.
The Hurricanes got the rights to redevelop the area last year as part of a deal that included a long-term lease for the NHL franchise at the venue (formerly called PNC Arena) as well as funding for a $300-million renovation of the arena. Each phase is expected to develop roughly 20 acres.
The land is owned by the state. The Department of Administration signed off on the rezoning proposal several weeks ago. The Centennial Authority, which owns the arena, gave its approval at a short meeting of its executive committee Monday afternoon. The application was filed after that.
The Hurricanes hope to break ground in December 2025 on the two parking structures next to the arena.
Public documents show the proposal calls for arena parking to take up about 20 acres on the northeast side of the arena. It requests permission to build up to a 40-story structure, but that wouldn't all be for parking. The document shows a proposed tailgating area between the two parking structures, as the Hurricanes detailed previously.
The city could approve the rezoning, but put caps on the height of buildings or limit the types of businesses on the property. Developers often ask for more than they plan to build in initial plans, knowing the city may cutback on some of their requests.
The entertainment district between the Lenovo Center and Carter-Finley Stadium would be about 27 acres with buildings having heights between three and 15 stories.
The plan calls for a 12-acre, mixed-use development west of the Lenovo Center along Edwards Mill Road. It would be up to 40 stories tall.
Also, there are proposed homes – officially called a "live/work subdistrict" – near Wade Avenue and Interstate 40. This area will be about nine acres and up to 40 stories tall.
The idea is to turn the area into an entertainment district that attracts people on days when there is not a game or concert. The plans calls for a small music venue with about 4,000 seats.
The plan calls for several types of businesses, including retail, entertainment, offices and live-work areas. It also said it will have greenways, a plaza and pedestrian amenities to encourage walkability.
"The hard part is making sure you get it right," Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said last week. "Do people think to come here? That's the scary thing about what we're doing next is just making sure once it's done, you don't have regrets."
Mixed-use development around arenas or stadiums is the latest craze for team owners. Dundon purchased the team in 2021. But plans to develop the acreage around the arena — mostly just parking spots — had been part of the initial plan. For 25 years, however, it didn't happen.
"This is going to be the place to be," Gov. Roy Cooper said last week "Not only are you going to see Hurricanes and Wolfpack games but I think you can see big concerts, big events and it's going to be a center of attention. This is the right move in an exciting time for our state."
The Canes' proposal also said there will be 12.1 acres of open space.
The development is being done by Pacific Elm Properties and Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, a parent company of the Hurricanes. Dundon said they have studied similar developments around the country, but he wants the project to be unique to Raleigh and its needs.
"We've been through a lot of iterations to try to figure that out," Dundon said.
Earlier in September, the arena formerly known as PNC Arena officially became the Lenovo Center. The computer manufacturer signed a 10-year, $60-million deal to get the naming rights.
This story has been edited for clarity about the potential height of the proposed parking structure.