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- The council unanimously approved a spending plan that would see hundreds of millions of dollars spent to renovate PNC Arena, expand the Raleigh Convention Center, relocate Red Hat Amphitheater, begin the Cary Indoor Sports Facility, and other regional tourism projects. This was one of three votes from several elected bodies necessary for the projects to move forward, and a unanimous vote from the council shows they realize how important the projects are to keeping our region competitive and our quality of life high.
- The council heard an update on development plans for the future S-Line passenger rail service to Richmond, VA. The S-Line is part of a federal plan to improve connectivity between Raleigh and Richmond, but also to connect our city by rail to Washington, D.C. As the line gets up and running, the city wants to make sure that development around the rail stations that are going in is robust and equitable. Keep an eye on this project as it’s going to further energize regions of the city that are already seeing a lot of attention like the Blue Ridge Corridor where PNC Arena’s renovation will spur lots of changes.
The Wake County Commissioners were also out for a summer break, returning mid-August. Top on their agenda was also a vote on allocating tax dollars towards the sports, conference, and tourism projects addressed by the city. After hearing an update from staff, the commission members similarly voted unanimously to approve the projects and move our region forward. In addition to the Raleigh City Council and Centennial Authority votes, our elected officials have shown a strong commitment to these projects and our region’s intent to chase larger events and opportunities for more people from out of town to experience our area.
Don’t be surprised if a LOT of policy is packed into what would be considered a financial document. Legislators often find ways to pack in policy priorities that didn’t survive as independent bills. While there’s no guarantee what will be in there as the Senate leadership negotiates with House leadership, there will be plenty to digest when the bill language drops. Also of note is the tenuous start date for Medicaid expansion in NC – leadership has declined to split its start date out from the budget, which was the original deal that was made to get it passed.
First Responders Appreciation Breakfast on Sept. 12
Chamber staff work with representatives from all of Raleigh’s first responder agencies as well as members of the business to curate event content that is relevant to our members and first responder attendees. We hope you are able to join us in recognizing the members of our community who keep us safe!
