People in Raleigh, business owners weigh in on city's high-stakes Red Hat Amphitheater plans

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On Tuesday, Raleigh City Council took up a high-stakes discussion that could ultimately determine the future of Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh.

Dozens of business owners and residents signed up for the public comment portion of the Council meeting to weigh on plans to relocate the popular music venue.

"I don't think it's an overstatement to say that it's a lifeline," said Pam Blondin, owner of Deco Raleigh, a gift shop a few blocks from the amphitheater.

Blondin was one of the majority of speakers who urged the council to approve the plans and pave the way for the amphitheater to move one block south of its current location. She said tough decisions like this are necessary in the course of a vibrant city's growth.

"It's the way places evolve. And I think the key here is to do it in a in a neighborly way," Blondin said.

Thorne Daubenspeck, Executive Director of Band Together NC, also addressed city leaders. Band Together is a non-profit that raises money for local charities and organizations through live music events, and they've called Red Hat Amphitheater home for the last 10 years. In that time, they've raised over $9 million.

"There's a reason why many, many people come to downtown Raleigh, and it's because of this venue. The economic impact would just be, you know, taking that away would be a huge mistake."

The primary focus of the debate is a permanent, one-block closure of South Street to accommodate the relocated venue once Raleigh expands its convention center. Without that closure, Red Hat wouldn't be able to retain its current capacity and could lose big-ticket performing acts -- and could lead to a relocation from Raleigh altogether.

But, concerns remain about the disruptions that partial road closure could cause, with many opposed saying it would disproportionately impact residents who live on the Southwestern edge of downtown.

"Transit will suffer greatly, but businesses will eventually suffer the most critical artery to downtown for the many, thousands of new residents around Dix Park will be severed. Red Hat Amphitheater needs to stay downtown, but South Street must remain open," Raleigh resident Jay Spain told the council on Tuesday.

After lengthy public comment, city leaders highlighted the venue's importance by the numbers. So far this year, more than 265,000 tickets have been sold for Red Hat events, generating $27.5 million in economic impact. In what the city called a "down year" in 2023, the venue was still directly responsible for 65,000 people staying overnight in Raleigh.

"It is a functioning, beautiful amp that's making Raleigh a stop, it's a must-play. And that's really exciting for us." said Kerry Painter with Raleigh's Convention and Performing Arts Complex.

On Tuesday, the City Council authorized a plan to purchase a parcel of land just south of South Street from the NCDOT that's necessary to move the project forward. They set a public hearing date for South Street closures and other traffic disruptions for September 17th, when this project could see a vote.