Amphitheater Relocation and Convention Center Expansion

In 2010, Red Hat Amphitheater was built on land intended for the expansion of Raleigh Convention Center (RCC). With RCC now at capacity, the City is carefully planning next steps. After exploring many options, the City, its architect and contractor identified one option that meets all needs.

The Latest:

One block of South Street between Dawson and McDowell will permanently close effective April 14, 2025 in preparation for the relocation of Red Hat Amphitheater. Pedestrians and vehicles will no longer have access to this section of South Street.
The RCC expansion will also include a new Omni Park Hotel, which is currently scheduled to open in 2028. Concepts were shared with City Council at their November 6, 2024 meeting. The hotel is expected to have 550 guest rooms and 55,000 square feet of meeting space, which will allow for larger events to take place downtown and support the growth of the RCC expansion.
There are several design options under consideration for the new RCC building (read the FAQs to learn what’s driving the expansion, etc).

Helpful Links

Creating New Paths

Much of the South Street car traffic will use Lenoir Street (one block north) to get to and from downtown. Even if all the traffic from South Street reroutes to Lenoir Street, studies show Lenoir Street would be at roughly 60-percent capacity for the size of the two-lane road.

Plans are underway to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can easily move around this part of downtown. Stay tuned for more information including maps of new routes.

There are exciting projects under consideration for getting around downtown. Read about our Strollway plans that will come through this section of downtown.

The Amphitheater’s Impact: Economy, Community, and Culture

Visitors spend a lot at and around the amphitheater, generating $17.5 million in 2023. With twice as many concerts in 2024, the economic impact on the community from Red Hat Amphitheater doubled.

Red Hat Amphitheater - economic impact

Saturday on South

South Street Community Open House

Video recap of the Sept. 9 South Street Open House - City staff from multiple departments shared info about the Convention Center expansion project and plans to relocate Red Hat Amphitheater, which includes closing one block of South Street.