Chapel Hill's Dean E. Smith Center could be slated for a significant overhaul — or it could be moved to a new site entirely, according to plans from university officials.

Why it matters: The Smith Center, colloquially known as the Dean Dome, has been the home of University of North Carolina basketball and is one of the biggest college basketball arenas in the country since it opened in 1986.

Yes, but: What was state-of-the-art in 1986 could be considered outdated in 2024, when luxury boxes and expansive concourses are considered must-have amenities.

• Nationwide, facilities housing college and pro teams — including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte — have reduced their overall capacity but added premium seating, WRAL reported.

Driving the news: UNC started looking for consultants in February to assess the potential of building a new stadium and facilities for its men's and women's basketball programs, per WRAL.

• The school asked their bids to include three to five potential sites for a stadium, both on and off campus in Chapel Hill.
• UNC also noted its desire to bring additional development around the stadium that could generate revenue.
• The school is considering renovating the existing stadium as well.

Zoom out: The Dean Dome, with its 21,750 seats, is the fourth-largest college basketball arena in the country, according to the NCAA.

• PNC Arena is No. 8, with 19,722 seats. The Raleigh facility, home to the Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State basketball, is also getting hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades.

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More people see "co-buying" as a way to go from renting to owning a home in this pricey market, Axios' Bri Crane writes.

Why it matters: Purchasing a home with a friend or other relation makes homeownership slightly more attainable in a competitive market like the Triangle's, where inventory is low and prices are climbing.

The big picture: Roughly half of Americans are willing to split the bill on buying a home in less traditional ways, Axios' Shauneen Miranda writes.

• Some 15% of Americans already have bought a home with someone other than a romantic partner.

What they're saying: The trend isn't sweeping across the Triangle just yet, April Blackwell, owner of Raleigh-based Blackwell Mortgage, tells Axios. But she expects that to change in the next five years.

• "I believe the seeds are planted and it is something a lot of people are thinking about," Blackwell says.

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👔 Longtime Raleigh men's clothing store Nowell's will permanently close on April 13. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

State lawmakers will consider a new bill this month to force county sheriffs to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they can't determine the legal status of a person charged with a crime. (News & Observer 🔒)

• Several sheriffs in North Carolina's largest counties were recently elected with platforms of not cooperating with ICE.

🐄 Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, was recently detected in a dairy herd in North Carolina for the first time, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture. (WRAL)

• Michael Martin, the state veterinarian, said the risk of human infection remains extremely low. Still, health officials are warning people not to consume raw milk, which can't be sold in North Carolina.

Durham is launching a new Task Force on Black Men and Boys, a program that will connect Black youth with economic and educational resources, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams announced on Tuesday. (INDY Week)

Dreamville Festival says it's returning in 2025, quashing concerns some festival-goers had after comments made by J. Cole during his performance last weekend. Exact dates will be announced in the fall, when early bird tickets go on sale.

Why it matters: Since its 2019 debut, Dreamville has become one of the Triangle's signature events, putting North Carolina on the global stage and pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

Catch up quick: The fourth year of Dreamville, which featured headliners like J. Cole and Nicki Minaj, was held in Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park April 6-7.

• "I don't know how many more Dreamville Festivals I got in me," Cole repeated on stage in between songs, drawing a mix of boos and gasps from the crowd, Axios Charlotte's Alexis Clinton wrote.

By the numbers: The 2024 festival drew more than 104,000 over two days last weekend — a record for Dorothea Dix Park, event organizers said in a statement.

Read more about this year's festival

GoRaleigh is reviving its R-Line bus, which was shuttered after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Raleigh announced.

Why it matters: Before the pandemic, the R-Line was a free bus service that circulated downtown Raleigh every 15 minutes. It was designed for convention center visitors, but downtown residents and workers used the service, too.

State of play: In 2021, after the pandemic and remote work emptied Raleigh's downtown core, GoRaleigh halted the R-Line service.

• Staffing levels of GoRaleigh bus drivers are now at levels to support its return, the News & Observer reported.
• The R-Line makes stops at several prominent locations downtown, including the convention center, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh Union Station and the state Capitol building.

What's next: The R-Line will be back in service beginning May 5.