Over the past 8 years, we’ve talked a lot about why Raleigh, North Carolina, is deserving of a Major League Baseball team. But as we enter the home stretch with our market on the cusp of putting together one of the most complete bids in the country, while sitting in MLB’s largest East Coast dead zone, we believe it’s time to talk a little more about the vision for the experience once the team arrives.
It’s been made very clear that any MLB-approved expansion plan will need to come alongside an entertainment and sports district. For most markets, that part creates complications as more high-level stakeholders need to be involved and working on the exact same timeline. For our bid, this isn’t an issue; in fact, multiple sites that have these plans already in the works have already been scouted and are on the short list for the stadium’s eventual home.
What that district looks like is the bigger question. We envision this district to be a destination unique to North Carolina. While there will surely be national chains interested, this district would prioritize state and regional tenants to offer goods, services, and experiences that immerse the visitor in our city and state culture.
North Carolina has some of the best weather in the country, which is why we’re always outside with a beer/drink in our hands. All of our restaurants have patios, and most have common spaces. You could argue that this is why we have a reputation as a tight-knit community where people of all walks can sit together, engage in conversation, and leave as new friends. We envision the ballpark catering to this with open-air bars overlooking the playing field, serving local beers and doing what we do best…sharing a drink under the Carolina sky. Only this time we’ll be doing it while watching some baseball.
When you ask people what food North Carolina is known for, it’s always BBQ. But if you live here, you know even that answer isn’t enough. Is it Western NC BBQ or Eastern? That battle has been waged for years, but inside the ballpark, you get to decide for yourself. We envision multiple BBQ options inside the stadium (Western down the 3rd base line and Eastern down the 1st base line), Cheerwine, bright-leaf hot dogs, and more NC-born brands take you through a culinary tour of our state’s rich food history.
Like it or not, North Carolina has always been baseball country, so when we finally land an MLB team, we don’t want to ignore any detail as we design an experience to put our mark on America’s Pastime. And when we say details, we mean every single detail…down to the playing surface.
Warning tracks are made of a diverse mixture of granite, clay, and sand. Ironically enough, North Carolina, known for its diverse landscapes, has mountains made of granite, a piedmont region known for its red clay soil, and sandy beaches that line the coast. We also have one of the East Coast’s most celebrated turf programs at NC State, who have designed its own grass blends. We envision leaning into these things as we make sure even our playing surface is locally sourced to tell OUR story.
North Carolina’s baseball history is rich, but our story isn’t widely known. We envision changing that with exhibits celebrating our state’s minor league, negro league, little league and college baseball heritage. These would be designed by NC artists with the help of the NC Baseball Museum, which would loan out its unmatched collection from our state’s hardball history.