There are new renderings out for the stadium that North Carolina F.C. owner Steve Malik wants Raleigh to build for his lower-division USL team (promising that if they build it, an MLS franchise really will totally come), and I’ve gotta say, they’re kinda disappointing. Only two images? And nobody raising their fists to the sky?
The stadium designers do deserve an award, however, for the most gratuitous use of fireworks in a serious stadium design. In the first image, there are fireworks going off just a few feet above the heads of fans lining up to enter the game; in the second one, there are fireworks going off above the stadium while the match is in play, which surely won’t be distracting. The subtly asymmetrical roof is a nice touch as well, though the way it’s drawn it’s hard to tell if it’s a design gimmick or if the renderers just have a poor sense of perspective.
Malik has asked for $11 million a year in public money for 30 years (present value: about $169 million), which it’s fair to say is a hell of a lot for a stadium for an MLS team that doesn’t even exist yet. If I’m a Raleigh voter, I’m going to want to see some more details before approving of this plan — at the very least, some lens flare.
My personal opinion as a resident of Wake County, NC is that they shouldn’t build the stadium because if Raleigh doesn’t get an MLS franchise I highly doubt that there will be capacity crowds consistently turning out to watch a USL team play and I’ve never had much interest in Major League Soccer I mainly watch the English Premier League.