The Wake County Board of Commissioners has voted to approve a lease agreement between the County, Town of Zebulon and Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC), WRAL’s parent company, for Five County Stadium.
The vote was approved on Monday and finalizes the partnership first announced in September.
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“Today’s vote moves us one step closer to transforming the Stadium into a year-round destination for families, sports fans and visitors,” said Don Mial, Vice Chair of Wake County Board of Commissioners. “This partnership with Capitol Broadcasting Company will help bring new energy and economic opportunity to Zebulon and eastern Wake County.”
The decision was also approved by the town of Zebulon Board of Commissioners during a meeting on Monday evening.
“As one of the fastest-growing communities in Wake County, Zebulon is proud to see this partnership move forward,” said Mayor Glenn York. “Five County Stadium has always been part of our story, and these improvements will help keep it a place that brings people together.”
Officials said in a news release that the decision paves the way for CBC to begin managing and redeveloping the facility starting Jan. 1, 2026, and will run through Dec. 31, 2035.
The company will pay up to $710,000 over the course of the contract to the County and the Town and receive a share of the stadium’s naming rights revenue.
Under the agreement, CBC will also assume the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the facility while the County and Town make an initial joint investment of $8.26 million in stadium improvements.
The County and Town will also establish a $1.97 million Capital Repairs Fund to bring the total public investment to more than $10 million.
“This partnership allows us to invest in our future, strengthen our community, enhance quality of life, and preserve a landmark that means so much to our town,” York continued.
The County Commission has also accepted more than $238,000 from the Carolina Mudcats for lease termination and rental payments and transferred $8.5 million within the County capital funds to help support the upcoming major facility projects.
Planned stadium upgrades include a synthetic field, new outfield walls and lighting, refreshed locker rooms and offices, and new social and family spaces.
Partners are working together to come up with an annual maintenance plan to make sure the facilities are taken care of throughout the 10-year agreement.
Officials also said these upgrades will make sure the stadium remains a vibrant community destination for years to come.
The agreement also notes that starting in 2026, the stadium will host a Coastal Plain League baseball team each season, as well as Wake Tech Community College’s baseball, softball, and men's and women’s soccer games.
The company also purchased Rocky Mount Mills in 2007 and the American Tobacco Campus in 2001 to revitalize both into mix-use community facilities, also adjacent to growing cities.
