Wake County, Raleigh approve multi-million dollar sports complex for Cary Towne Center

It would be part of a total overhaul of the old mall property, which would include office space, residential space and hotel rooms.

“The hospitality tax would provide about $35 million of the project’s estimated $193 million cost,” said Wake County Commissioner Susan Evans. “This would be money well spent, because we don’t have anything like this facility in the county now, and I’m very excited about the new opportunities it would provide."

The 239,000-square-foot complex would take up five of the 38 acres in the mall's redevelopment and include flexible space for multiple basketball or volleyball courts. locker rooms, storage, meeting spaces and a capacity for 4,000 spectators. The rest of the space could be used for restaurants, stores, hotels or offices, according to Carolyn Roman with the Town of Cary.

While the project would be paid for in part with tourism dollars, it is designed to attract that same type of investment by hosting regional and national tournaments.

"We want Wake County to continue to be a destination for people from all across the state and all across the country," said Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria. "You have all sorts of parents traveling all over the state and the country. Why not have them come here, provide some opportunities for local folks, but also an opportunity to bring more tourism and more tourism dollars into our economy?"

Commissioner Vicki Adamson pointed out that locating the new complex at the existing Cary Towne Center site is in some ways easier than starting from scratch.

The Town of Cary would be responsible for the cost of planning, land acquisition and site enhancements, and some of that funding would come from increases in property taxes, Roman said.. Money from the county and City of Raleigh hospitality taxes would be used for construction and equipment at the facility.