Hurricanes, RBC Center Extend Lease Through October 2024

Hurricanes Ink Lease Extension To Continue Playing Games At RBC Center

The Hurricanes have signed a five-year lease extension to continue playing at the RBC Center until October 2024, according to David Bracken of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Financial details of the new agreement will be revealed Friday at a news conference. The extension follows “nearly two years of negotiations” between Hurricanes parent company Gale Force Holdings and arena owner the Centennial Authority. Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said that a key aspect to the deal is Gale Force "receiving additional money from the authority to cover rising utility fees, terrorism insurance and game-day expenses.” Rutherford said of the lease extension, “It makes a big statement on our belief in the continued growth of our sport and the Hurricanes and the market.” Rutherford said that the Hurricanes “will have the option of another five-year extension” when the current agreement expires in 2024. As part of the new agreement, improvements will be made to the arena, including “a new sound system, a renovated club-level restaurant, new flat-screen televisions and the ability to pay for food at concession stands with credit cards.” The agreement also calls for "improvements to the RBC Center's basketball facilities and parking lot that were requested" by N.C. State Univ., which plays basketball games at the arena. The school also will have "more say about how the authority spends $6[M] earmarked for upgrades to the arena" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 6/13).