Tag / Red Hat

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Photo of the corner of Lenoir and McDowell Streets and the construction of the Red Hat Amphitheater, September 2026

The intersection of Lenoir and McDowell Streets are typically quiet. I mean, you don’t see many pedestrians here and just car traffic rolling through on a typical day. However, on the night that Red Hat Amphitheater has a show, the atmosphere is quite different. The photo above shows the view across the intersection as the new Red Hat is still under construction. On show nights, I propose a pedestrian scramble at this intersection, allowing pedestrians to go to whichever corner they want and all the cars have to stop during that light interval.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Image of the topping out ceremony at Red Hat Amphitheater, May 2026

This week, the folks behind the Raleigh Convention Center celebrated the topping out of the Red Hat Amphitheater. They put in place a red steel beam, shown above, with a ceremonial Christmas tree, guitar, and American flag. A new Raleigh flag would have looked nice up there as well but maybe that can be used for the official grand opening. They are really making progress on the amphitheater and if you haven’t been by it recently, it’s more impressive in-person.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Photo of Red Hat Amphitheater construction.

South Street may be closed but it’s still there as crews work to move dirt around the future site of the new Red Hat Amphitheater. There’s a nice new mountain on the north side of “South Street” and a retaining wall alongside the train tracks on the south side. It’s not too exciting to look at but I’ll keep checking in on the amphitheater construction.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

Municipography: Summer 2025 Major Project Updates

During the July 1, 2025 city council meeting, there was an update on a collection of projects, most taking place in the downtown area and I thought briefly touching on these projects here would be a nice way to summarize what’s going on and coming up. If you want to dive in to the presentation itself, the video is above or can be seen here.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

South Street Closed, Amphitheater Construction Up Next

South Street, between McDowell and Dawson, is now closed. I think this is a pretty big deal as it marks the start of a second wave of the “Convention Center District”. That’s not a thing I’m embracing but something that I think we’re becoming more and more; a convention center downtown. That’s probably a topic for another day.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

Taking a Peek at the New Red Hat Amphitheater

During the February 6, 2025 Design Review Commission meeting, there was a presentation (YouTube link here) related to the plans for the upcoming Red Hat Amphitheater, which should start construction this year. The video really speaks for itself and it’s a highly recommended watch. While the images aren’t final by any means, they do a great job of giving you a sense of what’s being built along Lenoir Street, more specifically to the south of the current amphitheater site as it sits today.

Continue reading →
by Leo Suarez

Red Hat Amphitheater Stays in Downtown Raleigh

Above is the Raleigh City Council meeting (watch on YouTube) that included a presentation, public comments, and a vote on the plan to rebuild the Red Hat Amphitheater just south of its current location, resulting in the closure of South Street between Dawson and McDowell Streets. It’s worth watching, as you can really see the council’s thoughtful deliberation on this issue. I encourage readers to give it a view.

Continue reading →