Kane Realty Targets Late 2026 Groundbreaking for $2.2B Downtown South Stadium and Mixed-Use District
Downtown Raleigh’s current southern gateway.
Kane Realty Corporation, in partnership with North Carolina Courage owner Steve Malik, announced in late August 2026 that their transformative $2.2 billion Downtown South development is poised to break ground by the end of 2026. Encompassing approximately 140 acres along the South Saunders Street corridor and Interstate 40 at the southern gateway into Raleigh, the ambitious project is designed to integrate dense urban housing, commercial office space, and retail amenities anchored by a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment district.
The centerpiece of the Downtown South master plan is a proposed 15,000-seat multi-sport stadium that will serve as the permanent, premier home venue for the NC Courage professional women's soccer team, relocating the franchise from Cary. In addition to the stadium, updated project specifications detail a 70,000-square-foot indoor music and performance venue designed to accommodate up to 3,500 patrons, featuring a rooftop lounge overlooking the skyline. The entertainment core aims to establish Raleigh as a premier destination for national touring musical acts and major sports events.
The development marks one of the most substantial private-public revitalization efforts in the city's history, aimed at transforming underutilized industrial parcels into a vibrant, walkable southern urban core. City planners and developers project that Downtown South will generate thousands of permanent jobs, stimulate significant municipal tax revenue, and catalyze complementary residential and retail investments throughout south Raleigh. Environmental enhancements, stormwater mitigation, and greenway connections are also integrated to protect local waterways and establish green corridors linking the district to downtown's center.
