News & Observer reports Cary town leaders want to build an indoor sports stadium:
The 150,000 square-foot sports complex could host youth and amateur events and tournaments, and would fulfill a key objective of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitor Bureau’s tourism master plan.
Wake County and Raleigh elected leaders agreed they wanted to spend tourism money on an indoor stadium and asked for developers, governments and other interested groups to apply. The town of Cary was the only applicant.
Now, Cary is requesting $2.36 million a year for the next 25 years — $59 million total — from Wake County’s pot of money that can only be spent on tourism endeavors. The total cost for the complex is estimated at $193 million.
As the N&O notes, this project is different from the proposed 20,000-seat downtown Raleigh soccer stadium that would host the North Carolina Football Club. Developers of that project are seeking $13 million a year for 20 to 25 years in tourism money. According to the N&O, “that project will compete for a different category of tourism dollars than the Cary stadium,” and both projects will be reviewed by the county. The Raleigh City Council will hear the presentation this afternoon.
