Quantifying a sports-heavy summer for downtown Raleigh
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Sports have given downtown Raleigh's economy a welcome boost so far this summer.
Why it matters: At a time when many Raleighites flee to the coast or to the mountains, downtown Raleigh visitation grew 5.4% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
- That surge was even stronger in the Glenwood South neighborhood, which saw a year-over-year increase in foot traffic of 20.1% in June — around the time when the Hurricanes were on their way to winning the Stanley Cup.
Driving the news: Those are the latest numbers from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance's quarterly report.
- The numbers back up what has felt like a summer of mass gatherings, between playoff hockey, championship parades, Raleigh Pride and the World Cup. Even before June, $144 million had been spent in downtown on food and beverages.
What they're saying: Bill King, the CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, said this summer has shown that the city could do more communal events around sports.
- "Longer term, though, it would be great to get a sports team down here," King added, noting Raleigh's lack of downtown sports facility is unusual for the city's size.
- "There's been talk of a soccer stadium at Downtown South," he said. "I think that would be a great opportunity to build off of that [momentum from the Hurricanes]."
King warned, though, that he worries the recent violent swarming of Glenwood South by youths on July 4 could negatively impact downtown's momentum.
- "Being able to handle the teen takeover [trend] is important for the entire city because it can happen in any public space," he said.
State of play: It wasn't just sports happening across downtown, though. Investors continue to pour money into the area.
- According to the DRA's numbers, there are 40 development projects planned or under construction in downtown, which would add 6,400 new units if they are added.
- Notable recent development updates include: the completion of the Oldham & Worth apartment building, which added 252 apartment units; the beginning of construction on the 260-unit Rosewood building; and site plans filed for a 20-story apartment tower at 307 W. Martin St.