A block of South Street will close in downtown Raleigh early next year to make way for a new Red Hat Amphitheater.
The City Council voted Tuesday to close the street between Dawson and McDowell streets as part of a plan to replace the music venue and expand the Raleigh Convention Center.
The vote was unanimous, despite opposition from nearby residents who consider South Street an important connector between downtown and the Boylan Heights neighborhood and Dorothea Dix Park.
City staff didn’t give council members much choice. They said closing South Street was the only way to build a new venue that is comparable in size to the existing one and within the city’s budget of $40 million.
“The closure of South Street is not desirable,” said council member Jane Harrison, whose district includes the street. “But I’m willing to support it today to ensure that Red Hat remains downtown in years to come.”
The vote was met with applause from a room packed with the amphitheater’s supporters, many of whom wore red T-shirts that said some variation of “Save Red Hat.” Many had ties to businesses who say the crowds the amphitheater brings downtown have been a godsend, particularly as the center city recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.