Raleigh City Council holds meeting on future Red Hat Amphitheater move

The Raleigh City Council held a meeting Tuesday to discuss the plans to move Red Hat Amphitheater to a new location.

The amphitheater will relocate to 205 W. Lenoir St., which is one block south of its current location. Between 500 and 1,000 more seats than the current capacity of roughly 6,000 are expected at the new venue after it moves to make room for expansion at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Some members of the city council raised concerns about closure’s impact, and who could be impacted.

“We are working with all of our partners [on] how we can preserve bike and pedestrian access with, and without, the closure,” Raleigh Assistant City Manager Evan Raleigh said.

The Raleigh City Council passed a rezoning proposal for the project in December 2020, and Wake County commissioners approved expansion of the convention center and moving Red Hat during a meeting in August 2023.

The expansion of the convention center would move the music venue a block south, and would close South Street at McDowell Street and Dawson Street.

Raleigh's Downtown South project in 'permanent holding pattern,' developer says

Tuesday's meeting lasted about an hour and included talks about the Downtown South project, which according to developer, Kane Realty, is in a “permanent holding pattern.”

Bonner Gaylord, chief operating officer of Kane Realty, said the company is “still geared up and ready to go” for the project which could cost more than $2 billion. The project is projected to include retail and office space, an entertainment venue and housing.

Gaylord told WRAL News that plans continued for the groundbreaking of Downtown South's proposed music venue in the second or third quarter of 2024.