Deal Reached on Downtown Concert Amphitheater, Passes Council

photo New Raleigh

UPDATE: The City Council voted 7-1 to continue on the amphitheater, with only Crowder opposing.

WRAL is reporting that a deal has been signed between the City of Raleigh and Live Nation to bring the highly anticipated concert amphitheater to Downtown Raleigh. The amphitheater would be located across from the Raleigh Convention Center in the empty lot. Any deal with Live Nation seemed dead back in August, but it is a relief to see that it has popped up once again.

There will be a boutique amphitheater and festival grounds on the site. No word as to when the actual concerts will begin, but one day we will have an amphitheater in downtown. Hopefully it will be by Summer of 2010.

City Manager Russell Allen said he would ask the City Council on Tuesday to shift $1.6 million into accounts so contractors can be hired to construct seating for 4,200 people on the grassy slope. The amphitheater also will have standing room for another 800 people.

“This is one of those things that will bring people to our city, particularly in the summer when we need them here,” Mayor Charles Meeker said. “It will help make the town more lively. It’s not the only thing going on, but it’s one of many things happening.”

LiveNation will bring 15 to 20 shows a year to Raleigh, and the city will use the venue for several local shows as well, Meeker said.

Allen said the amphitheater would be comparable to one in Chastain Park in Atlanta. Raleigh plans to use a portable stage to keep construction costs to $2.6 million, he said.

The city might use money from hotel room and restaurant taxes to pay for the balance of the construction costs, officials said.

The facility could generate a $500,000 a year profit, Allen said.

Below is a photo of the Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta.

Chair Enthusiast12/01 11:38 AM

They’d better get some cool chairs, or I’ll take my concert dollars elsewhere.

JB12/01 12:15 PM

Hopefully they will let Deep South put on the Downtown Live events there and stop destroying Moore Square

arthurb312/01 12:32 PM

The plan was to move all concert events from Moores Square to this new venue.

hackles1012/01 12:46 PM

Awesome! If it comes out looking anything remotely like Chastain Park it will be an amazing addition to downtown!

Hopefully its open for a concert series next summer!

MMI12/01 12:54 PM

If they stick to the Chastain model, there will be a seating area up front for tables. Chastain even lets you bring in a picnic for dinner.

sarah emily12/01 01:08 PM

i hope it doesn’t block the view of the beautiful tree mirror wall

CJT12/01 01:10 PM

By moving all outdoor concerts to an expensive new amphitheater, Moore Square’s civic character will be changed forever.

RaleighRob12/01 03:14 PM

Sarah—I’m betting it will be at least partially incised into the ground, with the shimmer wall up above the seating area.

JRD12/01 05:14 PM

Thats great that this will be a new venue even though I was a bit against it at first. Now, with all this money spent on this venue, we can actually use IT as opposed to using things that are not venues as venues. Now Moore Square can actually be nice because its not being trampled on by Johnston county and we dont have to completely gut it to make it into that ugly park we all saw in the renderings.

ct12/01 10:45 PM

The Walnut Creek amphitheater, constructed by the city with private participation, appears to be headed for oblivion. It’s not even 20 years old.

rg12/02 12:35 AM

Good

Crowder is a Joke12/02 06:09 AM

Why does he always vote no for something good?

Deano12/02 07:59 AM

a much needed addition to downtown that opens many opportunities! Moore Square was never meant to be a concert venue and now it can thrive in other ways, not to mention it would be a perfect spot for a second stage for a large downtown festival. As for Downtown Live, hopefully the new location will improve Deep South’s abilities to book better acts, but I doubt it, that seems like an internal problem.

tito12/02 08:19 AM

for those of you who haven’t been down there recently, there’s already a fence up and grass has been planted/grown in. the spot has been graded to slope downwards towards deep south (corner of dawson and cabarrus). i’m pretty sure that’s the corner where the stage will be, so there’s no chance of it obstructing anything other than your view of deep south. they did a really good job thinking this through as far as moving foot traffic through the area. the sidewalks are very wide, there are several openings, a permanent fence, etc - essentially all those things that make moore square not an ideal place for music and festivals.
i don’t think moore square will become some desolate forgotten place either. i think it’s got enough businesses and traffic around it to be something more like the space naturally offers - smaller events maybe, or just a place to sit and relax. in either case it’s time it stopped being used in a way that it can’t support.

oakcity12/02 08:37 AM

get slayer to play there.

Michael12/02 12:38 PM

Raleigh should really try and start a music/arts festival like Bumbershoot in Seattle, SXSW, or City Limits in Austin. Downtown will have several great venue possiblilties (City Plaza, Nash Square, Moore Square, and this new Venue the for headliners, as well as several indoor options. The writing’s on the wall, make it happen Raleigh.

ct12/02 12:42 PM

Which venue would be better for a music/arts festival, Raleigh or Durham? Having been to DPAC several times, my impression is that it’s a very nice facility and well-managed. Durham has a good thing going in the vicinity of DPAC, the Bulls stadium, and American Tobacco facilities. Raleigh will come to the party late.

ADAmT12/02 01:45 PM

Check out Cherry Bounce, Michael: http://www.cherrybouncefest.com/

yo12/02 01:51 PM

love this and loved cherry bounce this year! Raleigh has come a long way!!

logantv12/02 06:27 PM

could they call it King’s Amphitheater?

smitty12/02 07:13 PM

Bring back BYOB! I don’t enjoy $7 Buttwiper, even if it is in an aluminum bottle.

hackles1012/03 01:50 PM

Any ideas as to the time frame of the construction?

TheWaveLife12/03 03:33 PM

@logantv I second that.

alanh12/03 04:13 PM

Yes, the King’s-Bon Iver-Rosebuds-Greg Hatem-Stitch-Cupcake-Locopops-Fixed Gear Bicycle-Rebus Works-First Friday-Graphic Designers-SPARKcon-Converse Amphitheatre solely for use by the hipsters in town.

MMI12/04 02:44 PM

I’m not a Hipster, yet I loved King’s for what it was, dig me some Bon Iver & Rosebuds, and I patronize at least half of the rest. What’s your fuckin’ point?

Justin12/04 03:42 PM

Any renderings on what this will look like? Other than saying it will look like Chastain.

CJT12/04 04:55 PM

Maybe the city will hold another design competition that will yield wonderful results!

ct12/04 04:59 PM

It is ironic that references are made to Chastain Park in Atlanta. I used to live nearby. It is 8 miles from downtown, in the middle of the 1960-1980 suburban sprawl that gets so much criticism on this website.

Justin12/05 09:19 PM

gogoraleigh has the site plan:
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/05/amphitheater-gets-site-plan/

MCM12/07 12:30 AM

At first I was excited about the amphitheater. Now that I’ve seen the plans, my feelings have changed. Folding chairs, porta johns, concessions out of trailers… what a dump! Just use the City Plaza for concerts and sell the lot to a developer.

Bobby McDonald12/07 08:22 AM

Hopefully the site plan is revised before the shovel goes in the ground. I love the idea of a large downtown venue but looking at the gogoraleigh link the acoustics won’t be great and the bathroom situation will leave much to be desired.

ErnstStarvoBlofeld12/07 12:22 PM

For those who say the Big WC ampl is dead are completely wrong. The battle will be now between Kooka Booth in Cary and this amp and DPAC. WC Amp in south raleigh will still be the big show place for Eastern NC. No way Coldplay or all those big country acts will play something this small. Also, no way will a Robin Williams or other big comedic act play an outdoor theater. Walnut creek will not be effectived by this.

ct12/07 02:07 PM

I remain unconvinced that the outlook for WC is good. Now they are competing with the RBC Center as a venue for large concerts. Meanwhile the number of acts that play to a 10,000+ crowd has been falling over the years.

As to Kooka, I wonder if Mayor Meeker has already started jawboning the NC Symphony about having summer concerts in downtown Raleigh.

brad12/07 03:56 PM

That is a good question. Why did Crowder vote against this?

MCM12/07 08:04 PM

ErnstStarvoBlofeld, no shit. This place is gonna be a dump compared to Walnut Creek and I’ve never heard of a comedian @ Walnut Creek. I’m starting a petition to have this thing nixed unless the city can do it right.

Vigrx Plus12/27 10:42 PM

Easily I to but I about the post should acquire more info then it has.

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Jedidiah Tuesday, December 01, 2009