NC State’s home arena looks a little unrecognizable right now.
Lenovo Center has been stripped down to bare concrete in the lower bowl, with the seats removed and construction crews working the floor during the building’s eight-week closure in July and August 2026. The striking image was captured by longtime N&O journalist Chip Alexander on Aug. 6, 2026, and it offers a clear look at just how deep into the renovation the Raleigh venue has gotten.
This is one piece of a $300 million, multi-year overhaul of the 1999 arena, which is home to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and NC State men’s basketball.
The work happening this summer is centered on the lower bowl. Crews are replacing the seating in the 100-level and “re-aisling” the section, which means removing some aisles to make room for more seats and improve sightlines.
The goal is to push capacity toward about 21,000. At the same time, the third-level concourse refresh is being finished, including a second grab-and-go concession stand, new bathrooms, and new family services and a family restroom.
Some of the renovation is already in place. The first phase is largely done and brought several major additions to the building, including a 300-level “View Bar” overlooking the arena floor, which opened in February 2026 and has already become a popular hangout. That phase also included five new bunker suites, a 4,500-square-foot multipurpose room for premium hospitality, new upper-level lighting, expanded upper-concourse bathrooms, and the new bunker bar called ‘The Legends Club’ underneath the lower concourse seats and only available to certain ticket holders.
A new way to watch #Canes games 🏒
ICYMI, the View Bar is now open at the @LenovoCenter! pic.twitter.com/2FeqaQ9u6h
- Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 27, 2026
Looking ahead, architecture firm Gensler is handling the design, and the Centennial Authority - which owns the arena - is reviewing the final stages. Those plans call for a new exterior and grand lobbies on the east and west sides, which will become the building’s main entrances, plus a beer hall on the south side that would serve as both a flagship restaurant and a year-round gathering place for fans and the public.
Other proposed additions include an expanded team store on the southwest side with nearly triple the current square footage, a reworked Arena Club on the PNC Club Level that would be unified with the Club Ledge into one premium space, and a refreshed main concourse and PNC Club Level with new bathrooms, an upgraded Lenovo VIP entrance, added escalators, and updates to suites, loges, and priority lounges.
There’s also a South Terrace planned, a 1,400-square-foot outdoor gathering space for fans before games and concerts.
Those final-phase ideas still need Centennial Authority approval and cost estimates before construction can begin, with completion targeted for 2027 or 2028.
The arena project is separate from, but next to, a much larger development proposal. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has suggested privately developing up to 80 acres of surface parking lots around Lenovo Center into parking decks, a tailgate zone, a music venue, and office and retail space. That project has been reported to be worth as much as $1 billion.
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