Ahead of its expected Tuesday vote on Red Hat Amphitheater’s proposed relocation, the Raleigh City Council is currently split 4-4 between members who are prepared to vote “yes” and those who are undecided or oppose the plan, according to Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
On Tuesday, the council will hold a public hearing to decide whether to close one block of South Street and relocate the amphitheater from its current, temporary site. The plan would keep the popular music venue downtown, just one block away from its present location. Many local business owners support the plan, but some council members have lingering questions about how it could impact traffic and connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods.
“We have four solid votes for approval,” Baldwin tells the INDY. “The rest will depend on the presentation, comments, and the cases made for or against by the public.”
The council needs five votes to approve the street closure and advance the plan. If the vote fails, there is currently no alternative plan to replace the amphitheater when it is demolished to make room for the Raleigh Convention Center expansion.
Council member Jane Harrison, who represents District D, is prepared to support the street closure.
“[Red Hat Amphitheater] is a beloved concert venue, and it has significant economic impact to downtown businesses,” Harrison says. “Unfortunately, the closure of South Street is part of this process, and I wish it wasn’t.”
The good news, Harrison says, is that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT) is working with the city council on plans to create a one-way “slip lane” between Dawson and McDowell streets to reroute traffic that the South Street closure will impact. That plan isn’t finalized, but NC DOT has given the “green light” so far, according to Harrison.
At-large council member Jonathan Melton also plans to vote “yes” on the amphitheater relocation. Like Harrison, he says talks with NC DOT eased some of his initial concerns about downtown connectivity. He’s also excited about the prospect of bringing a pocket park and pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly design changes to the new amphitheater site.
“We have a really good opportunity with this amphitheater to leave the area around it in a much better and safer condition,” Melton says.
At-large council member Stormie Forte is another likely “yes” vote. Earlier this month, Forte told Raleigh Magazine that closing part of South Street was “the only option available to keep the amphitheater downtown” given the city’s budget constraints.
Forte did not immediately respond to the INDY’s request for comment.
District C council member Corey Branch also appears to be leaning towards a “yes” vote on the street closure, although he says he’s still undecided.
“I have not made a final decision,” he says, “but I do plan on doing anything I can to keep Red Hat open and downtown.”
District E council member Christina Jones remains undecided. She sees the benefits to keeping the amphitheater downtown, especially for small businesses. But she also feels the process leading up to this vote has felt rushed, leaving her with questions.
“For such an impactful decision as a big street closure in downtown, I don’t feel that we were given the necessary amount of time,” she says. “We went on break for six weeks in the middle of this, and then we came back, and now it’s a rush to the finish line.”
Jones says the council doesn’t yet have enough information about the proposed slip lane.
“I have hesitations with making a vote before we have answers to questions that impact people’s connectivity,” Jones says.
Council member Megan Patton, who represents District B, declined to share how she will vote but emphasized the complexity behind the decision.
“It has been disappointing that the pace of and rhetoric around this decision has reduced things to ‘Either you approve of the street closure or you hate downtown,’” Patton tells the INDY. “Our decisions are never that black-and-white.
“My colleagues and I have spent countless hours over the past three months gathering information, hearing from residents, hearing from small business owners, organizational leaders, and our own staff,” Patton says. “I know every member is taking this decision very seriously.”
District A council member Mary Black did not immediately respond to the INDY’s requests for comment.
Tuesday’s council meeting begins at 1 p.m. and will be live-streamed on the City of Raleigh’s YouTube channel.
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