RBC Center

[Transplant]

Why would anyone in their right mind ride a train to the fairgrounds and walk that far to an event at the RBC Center when they can drive and park very close to the door or take a bus shuttle to within throwing distance of the door?

[cophead567]

i can see your point, a sold out hockey game (19k? 20k people?) doesnt have that many traffic issues with its current location. but since i live downtown, or if anyone was close to a TTA stop, the mile or so walk would not be an issue for me or maybe others. now if there was a pro stadium in that location (80k? 90k?) i think this topic would go in another direction.

[ncwebguy]

You can park very close to the door for the right price. I usualy park in the fairgrounds lot and walk. The TTA station would be a half mile more from there. A tram from the fairgrounds entrance on Hillsborough Street to the RBC Center front door would not be hard to pull off. The fairgrounds could be open to allow an almost straight shot (going around the midway) from the station to the stadium or arena. The station would also serve the fair itself, and a urban neighborhood that could replace the CAT dealership off Blue Ridge south of Hillsborough and the NC State Biotech campus.

The RBC's location was chosen because it had a lot of parking from Carter-Finley already and the easy access to 40. NC State football games have larger crowds and still manage to function year after year. The traffic is a little worse, but bearable, with three times the attendance. UNC's problems were self created. They built a facility with taxpayer dollars that only the university benefits from.

[Subway Scoundrel]

Actually, there was a plan (very tentative) with a rail line running from the fairgrounds stop up through the part being developed and hitting the TTA line somewhere down the line. Never put into the TTA plan but looked at. That would be sweet.

For the arena plan, I think this shows good planning. They need to keep the arena viable because there are cities salivating at the chance to get a team like the Hurricanes and they are offering big incentives. A great example is Kansas City who have the Sprint Center with no tenant. They were offering the Penguins a lot to move there and that is still undecided.

Jim Basselle (Crackberry fame) offered the Penguins $175M just so he could move the team to southern Ontario but that fell through. (No way Bettman is allowing Sidney Crosby to move to Canada). Basselle is still looking for a team and will move a team to southern Ontario in the next 5 years while a Winnipeg ownership group that could include David Asper (CanMedia Global) wants to pick up a team for their new arena (MTS center but don't get me started on Peggers and hockey). Not to mention Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Ok City that are all vying for a team.

Then you have the Winnipeggers who watch Hurricanes games every night so they can fill the internet and Canadian airways with info about every empty seat they saw. It is unbelievable about the miss information out there. By the time we get to work in the morning, team attendance is posted to numerous websites in Canada and US, already have pages of conversation on attendance on teams like the Hurricanes.

The majority of Canadians think that there were more than 500 empty seats at Game 7 of the SCFs and that all anyone had to do was walk up to window at game time and buy a ticket....many think they were giving away tickets.

This new info on the arena shows that at least they are thinking about it which is good. With gambling and real estate becoming new issues of sports team ownership and revenue streams, who knows what it will be in 2019. It use to be suites, but now every minor league A baseball park is being built with suites.

If they do build a new arena in 2019 and Raleigh keeps the Canes or still has them, I think the new arena will/could be built in between I-40 and downtown or near the Dog food plant which would not be bad.

[MadVlad]

Acutally, there was a plan (very tentitve) with a rail line running from the fairgrounds stop up through the part being developed and hitting the TTA line somewhere down the line. Never put into the TTA plan but looked at. Thta would be sweet.

For the arena plan, I think this shows good planning. They need to keep the arena viable because there are cities salvating at the chance to get a team like the Hurricanes and they are offering big incentives. A great example is Kansas City who have the Sprint Center with no tenant. They were offering the Pengiuns a lot to move there and that is still undecided.

Jim Basselle (Crackberry fame) offered the Penguins $175M just so he could move the team to southern Ontario but that fell through. (No way Bettman is allowing Sidney Crosby to move to Canada). Basselle is still looking for a team and will move a team to southern Ontario in the next 5 years while a Winnipeg ownership group that could include David Asper (CanMedia Global) wants to pick up a team for their new arena (MTS center but don't get me started on Peggers and hockey). Not to mention Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Ok City that are all vying for a team.

Then you have the Winnipeggers who watch Hurricanes games every night so the can fill the internet and Canadian airways with info about every empty seat they saw. It is unbelievable about the miss information out there. By the time we get to work in the morning, team attendance is posted to nunerous websites in Canada and all over the country and pages of conversation has taken place on attendance from teams like the Hurricanes.

The majority of Canadians think that there were more than 500 empty seats at Game 7 of the SCFs and that all anyone had to do was walk up to window at game time and buy a ticket....many think they were giving away tickets.

This new info on the arena shows that at least they are thinking about it which is good. With gambling and real estate becoming new issues of sports team ownership and revenue streams, who knows what it will be in 2019. It use to be suites, but now every minor league A baeball park is being built with suites.

If they do build a new arena in 2019 and Raleigh keeps the Canes or still has them, I think the new arena will/could be built in between I-40 and downtown or near the Dog food plant which would not be bad.

[Subway Scoundrel]

Don't forget Hartford, who is trying to get a team back....

[yankeeblue]

don't hold your breath, but yes. it was one in a series of Really Bad Planning Decisions into which Raliegh staggered and stumbled.

[ChiefJoJo]

Welcome!

I moved your post here as this is a better topic. If you look in this thread, you might find the article. RBC Center will be good til 2034 BTW.

[ChiefJoJo]

The Raleigh City Council and Wake Co Commissioners voted today to approve changes in the hotel & meals tax. Some will go to the NC Museum of Art's expansion project, an incentive fund to lure new conventions, and up to $26M for upgrades to the RBC Center. Apparently the remaining funds required to upgrade the arena will come from NCSU, the Canes, and the Centennial Authority.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

Maybe in 10+ years Capital Bank,(in downtown Raleigh), will be big enough to afford putting there name on a new downtown arena? Yes, it's me day-dreaming again!!

[JeffC]

have they said anywhere in print what exactly what they want to do at the Arena? Of course, as an NC State alumni and fan, I'd like them at the earliest opportunity to correct the botch job that left the upholstery on the arena chairs a very unState like burgandy.

[dmccall]

have they said anywhere in print what exactly what they want to do at the Arena? Of course, as an NC State alumni and fan, I'd like them at the earliest opportunity to correct the botch job that left the upholstery on the arena chairs a very unState like burgandy.

[orulz]

(that especially goes to the students, whose attendance is awful)

[DanRNC]

Attendance at NCSU basketball games is pretty bad-I think it hovers around 12,000 or so. This program definitely did not need a facility this big-they should have just rehabbed Reynolds. The highest average they had for one season was around 14,000. Average attendance last season for Canes games was about 17,500.

[Jones_]

If student attendance is lacking it is precisely because they now have to drive to games.....my freshman year Reynolds was still in use and it was awesome to just roll out of bed from a nap and head down for the game.

[plus2]

If you are not a State fan, but a Canes fan, like me, then the burgundy seats are just fine! Bright red seats would be tacky.

[orulz]

Historical attendance statistics here. NCSU clearly does not sell out every game, but attendance has hovered around 14,000 since the move to the RBC, except for 2000 when it was over 16,000. (Capacity is 19,722)

NCSU is generally between 15th and 20th nationally in attendance among division 1 schools, and usually 3rd in the ACC, behind Maryland and UNC - both of which have had extraordinary success of late, and seem to sell out most games.

But this doesn't address the issue of student attendance.

That data can be found here - but is only available to students, and my Unity ID no longer works.

[ChiefJoJo]

^ beat me to it, but here's what I found:

NCAA hoops attendance:

Rank School G Attendance Average

1. Kentucky 15 341,445 22,763

2. Syracuse 19 410,153 21,587

3. North Carolina 17 344,071 20,239

4. Louisville 22 402,963 18,316

5. Tennessee 15 269,310 17,954

6. Maryland 17 291,961 17,174

7. Wisconsin 16 274,272 17,142

8. Indiana 13 220,343 16,949

9. Illinois 16 265,888 16,618

10. Kansas 16 260,800 16,300

11. Ohio St. 17 261,622 15,389

12. Arkansas 16 239,336 14,958

13. Memphis 20 297,328 14,866

14. Michigan St. 14 206,626 14,759

15. Wake Forest 18 263,970 14,665

16. Arizona 14 204,213 14,586

17. North Carolina St. 18 260,509 14,472

Canes avg attendance:

17,387

Keep in mind that the hockey seating area is a bit smaller than BB.

Attendance at NCSU basketball games is pretty bad-I think it hovers around 12,000 or so. This program definitely did not need a facility this big-they should have just rehabbed Reynolds. The highest average they had for one season was around 14,000. Average attendance last season for Canes games was about 17,500.

[JeffC]

Enthusiasm for NC State hoops is the highest right now that I remember since the Valvano era. Look for the hoops attendence numbers to take a huge jump next year. 17th in attendence nationally is remarkable for a program whose post-season record of achievement over the last 16 years is 1 (one) Sweet Sixteen appearance. Pack fans are starved for success, and will turn out en masse when given a reason to be hopeful...

Geeze, State outdrew 2 time defending national champion Florida...

[DanRNC]

I will say that the RBC Center has been successful and will probably be paid for twice over during the next 2 decades but that does not take away from the fact that NCSU basketball attendance isn't stellar-their attendance was lower than Wake Forest's whose teams have been terrible for the last couple of years and whose school is a fraction of the size of NCSU.

[JeffC]

their attendance was lower than Wake Forest's whose teams have been terrible for the last couple of years and whose school is a fraction of the size of NCSU.

[urbanesq]

GO PACK!!

[fingerwolves] [fingerwolves]

[dmccall]

Student attendance at NCSU basketball games is awful? Since when?

[ChiefJoJo]

I think you'll see attendance jump quite a bit with the Pack ranked by some in the way-to-early pre-season top 25. I'd guess something in the 16-17k range.

As far as the student attendance goes, I do like one thing that made it into the final design from way back when it was supposed to be an NCSU-only bldg... the little student "moat area" around the court. The high-rollers site right behind the student in an elevated position, so they get a great seat near the court worthy of big $$$, but their views are not obstructed. It's not enough to make it rowdy like Reynolds was, but a nice touch just the same:

[JeffC]

I will agree, however, that the helter-skelter development around the arena is an urban planning disaster and contributing to the despoilment of the the Richland Creek Basin, some of the loveliest "wild spaces" left in close proximity to the city...