The Southern Gateway

This wedge-shaped plot sitting just South of the convention center and adjacent to Memorial Auditorium would cozily accommodate a Major League Baseball stadium with supporting mixed-use development

A mockup of what a stadium may look like at the Southern Gateway site.
The City of Raleigh proposed a stadium in this location in their most recent 10-year plan

Downtown Raleigh’s Gateway Center is the patch of land bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the south, McDowell Street to the west, South Street to the north, and Salisbury Street to the east. It is also bisected by a line of Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.

In Raleigh’s most recent 10-year plan (adopted by the city),  this plot of land had two options. One of those options included a stadium or sports complex.

One of the main hurdles in building a stadium here would be the rail line that runs through the property, however, this challenge could be turned into an opportunity if the rail-line was integrated into the new district’s design.

The Experience

Imagine walking out of your downtown office, grabbing a bite to eat on Fayetteville St. and then walking over to catch a 7pm game. The Gateway location would be the most intensely urban site suitable for an MLB stadium in Raleigh. Skyscrapers would almost spring from the outfield fences. Being so closely ingrained in the downtown street grid, alternative transit would be relied upon heavily, as would foot traffic from downtown workers and residents.

Transit

Of all sites considered, this would most heavily rely on alternative forms of ingress/egress. The northeast entertainment district loop would serve rideshare as well as shuttle buses from RUSBus, Moore Square, and satellite stations. Additionally, a multimodal bus/rail station could accommodate commuter rail passengers and bridge the northeastern plot with the stadium to the southwest. Parking would be the biggest hurdle to this site, with on-site parking likely limited to VIP's and permitted visitors.

Surrounding Community

Since the Gateway site is currently isolated from surrounding residences by Downtown Raleigh's street grid, a Gateway ballpark supported by alternative transit would have relatively little impact to surrounding residents. Very few businesses would be displaced, and along with the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the stadium would serve to bookend the southern end of downtown's entertainment artery.

See other potential locations