Renderings revealed for $300 million PNC Arena renovations

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The first proposed renderings for upgrades to PNC Arena were shared during an hourlong presentation Thursday during the Centennial Authority Meeting.

"We're trying to do this for the fan experience and the community," said Centennial Authority Chair Philip Isley.

Proposals include a beer garden, grab-and-go food options at a market, updated entrance and concourses, improved premium area, additional toilets, and more parking spaces for broadcast capabilities, tour buses, and Hurricanes personnel.

"With these tweaks and these other changes to the building, it's going to make sure that this building is not only great for the next five years, but for the next 15 (years), the next 25 years, when we decide what we're going to do next," said Isley.

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While fan surveys shared during the meeting gave the PNC Arena staff and gameday experience high marks, the 25-year-old building has drawn scrutiny from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Bettman has called for renovations to bring the facility into line with modern NHL arenas.

One idea includes removing seating from Sections 317, 318, and 319, to replace it with a View Bar and more free-flowing area. The concept is similar to what Duke unveiled earlier this week with the introduction of its Devils Deck area inside Wallace Wade Stadium.

"The thinking is to expand what's going out in the parking lot, the tailgating experience, and draw that into the building. Create a whole new experience, and combine that with the scenic overlook," said Mike Martinez, Associate Principal at LS3P, one of the firms working on the project.

The upgrades are projected to cost $300 million. Isley acknowledged enthusiasm behind the renderings while cautioning that issues still need to be addressed.

"We have to still go through the local government commission process to get our bond, the ability to basically obtain bond," said Isley.

Isley hopes to begin construction in 2025, with work taking place during multiple phases and years.

"The biggest issue we are going to have is that this is an active building. We're going to only be able to do construction at a time when the building is either not being used or you're going have to cordon off certain areas while the building is being used," said Isley, who added there will likely be a time in which the building will be shut down during the later stages of construction.

According to Sports Business Journal, the Hurricanes finished sixth in the NHL in attendance last season and saw the second-largest increase in average attendance.

"I think the ideas of removing all these stairs and obtaining so much more square footage is a really underutilized effort to make the concourses feel a lot less crowded. The first concourse level on any game day is really, really crowded," said Isley.