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Dozens of people spoke Tuesday at the Raleigh City Council meeting. Most of the speakers voiced their thoughts about the future of the Red Hat Amphitheater.

Residents ask Raleigh council to consider traffic, jobs, community cost of plan to move, expand Red Hat Amphitheater

Economic impact. Currently, we're losing some of those opportunities to cities that have already improved and increased their capacities. Our hotel will add approximately 100 full time jobs into Raleigh downtown. These will be permanent jobs with excellent wages and benefits for the citizens. We hire, we want to sustain these jobs and add more of them. I urge you to support the proposal for the Red Hat amphitheater to be moved and improved. Thank you. Hello, good afternoon, everyone. Uh My name is Alex Leon. I'm a resident of 5433, Wade Park Boulevard in District D. Uh Today I'm gonna be speaking in strong support of shutting down, uh, the one block of South Street between Dawson and mcdowell, uh, to relocate the Red Hat amphitheater. Uh My position is simple. It's just beyond the amphitheater. Uh, if we don't shut down this one block of South Street, uh, it could put hundreds if not thousands of potential current and future jobs at risk. Uh Basically, uh sorry, first time speaking publicly. So I basically, uh, we wanna make sure that our local downtown businesses are supported. Uh We don't want to see them go away because they are part of a vibrant and thriving downtown. Um So, yeah, that's uh all I had to say. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Ben Davis. I own property in downtown Raleigh and have been a Raleigh resident for over 27 years. I support keeping Red Hat amphitheater in downtown Raleigh and voting. Yes, on September 17th. While Minnie today will speak of the economic impact. I want to talk politics. People love Red Hat amphitheater. It's where my kids learn to ice skate. It's where Minnie had their first date and it's where Minnie saw the greatest concert of their lives. Don't gaslight us into thinking there is a perfect plan when it comes to government bureaucracy. The pursuit of perfection impedes progress. You will never make everyone happy. The vote is September 17th. Election day is 42 days after. For those of you who want to, who say you want to keep Red Hat and down downtown Raleigh, prove it. Plan B is never a guarantee. Downtown Raleigh has serious problems and we need serious people to help solve them. If the Red Hat plan fails, your constituents won't go to the ballot box. Thanking you for saving South Street. They will hold you responsible. I've been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years from working at Live Nation at Walnut Creek Amphitheater House of Blues and opening the D pack in Durham. And now I have the privilege to be the executive director of the music nonprofit band together here in Raleigh Band together, puts on the largest Southeast annual charitable concert. And over 10 years, we have called Red An amphitheater. Our, in the last decade through our yearly concerts and community, we have supported over $9 million that goes back to our nonprofit impact partners. As I stated, I was on the ground floor bringing DAC to life. And from the very beginning, I got to see firsthand how that facility completely transformed downtown Durham and is now thriving. Red Hat was created to help offset these losses from these national touring shows going to Durham and help bring more people back to downtown Raleigh. I cannot stress this enough. Red Hat amphitheater is a focal point of downtown and it's such an important piece of our community impact concerts with the health of survival of our local businesses, hotels, and restaurants. To take this crown jewel away would be catastrophic repercussions. It's my highest recommendation to keep this venue downtown. It will be a huge mistake if we don't. Thank you. Thank you. Um Speaker 20 Lo put up to number seven, please. Yep. No one more. There you go. I'm Jay Spain. You all know me is um hindsight really 2020 in 1977 Fayetteville Street was closed to create a pedestrian mall. We put the civic center in the middle of the road. It was a massive failure for residents, but especially businesses, many closed or relocated to North Hills or, or Crabtree. It was a massive failure for residents but especially businesses in 2006, the civic center was demolished and Foo Street reopened to traffic. It took a public process to fix bad planning. A new convention center was planned and built with public engagement. Adding Red Hat amphitheater in June 2010, great input, great planning. Now, why do we want to close another street permanently? Transit will suffer greatly but businesses will eventually suffer the most a critical artery to downtown for the many thousands of new residents around Dick's part will be severed. Red Hat amphitheater needs to stay downtown but South Street must remain open. Ok. If we could have the speaker list up next is Taylor Morgan, Danny Rosen, Frank Hayes, um Nathaniel, um Dill and Carissa Kramer. Good afternoon. My name is Taylor Morgan. And while I'm not a Raleigh resident, I am one of the many visitors who helped generate the 17.5 million in revenue. Red Hat amphitheater brought in last year. I'm here to urge you to support the closure of one block of South Street to allow Red Hat to expand to the size it needs Red Hat isn't just a venue. It's a vital part of Raleigh's culture and economic landscape. But without this expansion, the amphitheater won't be able to attract the same level of top tier artist. A smaller Red Hat simply won't work if this one block isn't closed, Raleigh risk losing out to cities like Charlotte and Wilmington and the local businesses that rely on event traffic will suffer. This is a small sacrifice with a massive payoff ensuring Raleigh remains a destination for world class entertainment in a thriving downtown. Please support the closure of South Street to secure Red Hat's Future and Raleigh's platform on the cultural map. Thank you. Thank you. What Taylor said. My company brand Fuel has moved downtown after 20 years of being in a uh stale office park in RT P. We moved downtown due to the allure of a vibrant social downtown. And the amphitheater was a big driver. Taking the amphitheater away means you take away. One of the main reasons my company just invested in a five year lease to stay downtown. I'm also co-founder of band together. Please imagine a sad future where band together moves its concerts from downtown to other triangle venues. The positive impact to those we serve in our community would greatly decrease for those who are food insecure, struggle with mental health and can't afford housing. And here's my dream a future where a percentage of every Red Hat ticket sold went to local nonprofits. Our amphitheater would be the only community impact venue in the world with every ticket sold, the city of Raleigh could proudly state that it's would be investing back into areas of need. That's good marketing and goodwill. Thank you. Thank you, Frank Keynes. Hello. Uh my name is Frank Keynes. I live at uh South Bland Avenue is and I wanted to make three points about the amphitheater. First of all, I support it in downtown, but I believe closing South Street is bad for the city and has unknown future impacts. The city should review all alternatives with public input. The amphitheater is vital for Raleigh but the plan to close the block of South Street is being pushed through without public engagement, especially from those most impacted by this closure. Closing South Street impacts a walkable city, Chavis and Dick's Park connection and South Street businesses like Fayetteville Street. Its closure has unknown impacts. Proposed mitigations are uncertain, costly and incomplete. A full transit and traffic study is needed to account for thousands of new residents around Dixson downtown. In summary, this amphitheater needs to stay downtown but closing South Street should be a last resort. The city should review relocation plans with clear objectives and involve all impacted Raleigh residents. Thank you. Speaker 24 is Nathaniel here. OK. Um Cresa Kramer speaker 25. Hello. Uh My name is Carissa. I'm a bartender downtown, so I'm not sure you've had my perspective. Um I work for primarily Berkeley Cafe which has already been in the in front of you before for different reasons. Um I also bartend at Red Hat and other businesses downtown. I work in district D primarily and I live in District C and I will tell you, it is not an exaggeration. Uh, to tell you that you will literally kill a handful if not very many small businesses downtown. It is very much that simple. You will kill us. Uh We get by those nights that we have the profit from a red hat go a long way in the nights that we just simply don't because summer if you don't know, is a tough time for service industry. Folks, people are on vacation and whatnot. Contrary to the other comments made, I feel like the council has done their due diligence. You have explored other options. And South Street, the small block is not that big of an issue in terms of keeping something that is so vital to downtown. I feel like one of your main purposes as city council is to promote, promote stable and positive change and uh for the city and I think this is the way to do it. Thank you. Uh huh. Ok. Um Next speakers. Um We could move the speaker list up speakers 2627 I guess 28 is not here 2930. So Athena Woolen. Hi, I'm Athena Wallen. I live on Brookside Drive. You've heard about my uh attempts to convince you that visibility is a form of equity. Um I am now going to tell you that there seems to be discrepancy within the operation of the Department of Transportation itself. The parking division has a different route to implement projects that is different than the rest of the department in the vein that it doesn't have the same um, scope and pedestrian minded uh uh objective, sorry. And it's inherently car centric by nature. So if we could try to get the Department of Transportation to, uh you know, coexist and intermingle with itself better, then maybe we won't have bike lanes continuously replaced by parked cars and that, I guess I have time. Thanks, Kate. Um This is Kate Council member branch. We're actually gonna have a conversation on Brookside Drive Thursday at three o'clock here in the chamber. I'm gonna be there. Look forward to you. Thank you. Ok. Um, speaker 27. Hi. My name is Rusty Sutton, my husband and I own the dis um, the green monkey at 215, South Wilmington Street in District C. I've had the privilege of meeting with other small businesses in downtown Raleigh. Over several weeks, I've learned we all have a common struggle. We are just managing to stay afloat, lower foot traffic due to safety concerns and parking misconceptions. Now, we are facing the possibility of losing one of our bright spots. Red Hat amphitheater. The city council, small business and citizens must unite to save our amphitheater council members. I implore you to stand with the majority of businesses and citizens in the decision to keep the Red Hat amphitheater in downtown Raleigh. It's a driver of foot traffic. A booster of sales and a supporter of local jobs. It's mo removal would only make the task of revitalizing and our downtown more daunting your vote. Thank you just in case he's not here. Ok. Um Brick French, good afternoon. My name is Rick French. I am a chairman and CEO of French West Vaughan in downtown Raleigh. We're one of the larger employers downtown. I am also chairman of the Board of City Club Raleigh. So I'm speaking on behalf of both organizations here. Our board of City Club Raleigh which represents over 20 business leaders in the community has asked me to express to you that they are strongly in favor of a plan to keep Red Hat downtown and whatever that may take. I can also say to you that as a downtown employer who has dealt with safety issues related to my headquarters building, which is adjoined to the bus station, uh foot traffic downtown is critical for our safety on the nights in which there is not much going on in downtown Raleigh. We have more incidents of attempted B and ES and vandalism on the nights where there are over 100 and some programmed events, whether it's concerts or the ice rink, we have fewer problems. Thank you, Jennifer Martin. And then Joseph Hatch. Next, please. Councilors we've heard from many today on why Red Hat amphitheater is important to Raleigh and specifically downtown Raleigh. We also know that many of you spent a great deal of your time off in July talking to business owners and residents about this project and it was presented to you right before your break. But that's another matter. We also know that many of you have been placed in an unfair position between business and residents and on an issue during election season to which we all want to say, thank you for all the time you were taking to talk to business and residents about this important economic issue. And one that has also been made political with Red Hat amphitheater being a multimillion dollar positive economic revenue producer for the city of Raleigh employees over 100 people in spurs millions into spending to downtown residents, retail bars, hotel, and other venues. We all know the amphitheater belongs in downtown Raleigh. This is a big project and one that needs to be done, right? Needs to be done well and most of all it needs to be done in downtown Raleigh. Our downtown businesses community is depending on this and our community as a whole needs a vibrant downtown and we need to be doing everything we can to get people back downtown. Thank you. Is um Joseph Hatch here. Uh Good afternoon. My name is Joseph Hatch. I'm co-owner of Woody's at City Market. Been downtown for 22 years. Uh to say that the last four since COVID and the riots have been difficult uh would be an understatement. I support closing South Street for the one block to keep Red Hat moved to the new area, expand it to keep people coming in. I guess that's it. You know, I want redhead downtown, but in order to have the proper Red Hat downtown, that one section of South Street does need to be closed. Uh, I haven't agreed with everything city council has done over the years, but I believe they've always done it uh, in the interest of the majority of people. Thank you. Thank you. Ok, thank you everyone for coming out today. Um We're gonna continue our meeting. But if you would like to um all of you who signed up to speak, if you'd like to depart, you can, but we also have a presentation coming up on Red Hat, you might want to stay. So, um with that said, I am going to go to um report of the Planning Commission. Good afternoon. The Planning Commission has not met since you last met and I have no items to report. Ok, thank you. Now, we'll go to special items. The first is the Raleigh Community Advisory Council. It's Tansy. Hi mayor members of the city council. I have a very brief update for today. So just as a way of a background, the city council uh early last year and into the spring took some actions related to the restoration of city support to citizen advice.

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