Rick Smith at WRAL TechWire (June 24, 2019)
RALEIGH – Wake County’s economy would get a boost of 6,000 jobs from the proposed $1.9 billion soccer stadium and related development project set to be formally unveiled Tuesday morning (6/25/19), according to a Wake County Commissioner.
“This is absolutely perfect for Raleigh and Wake County,” Wake County Commissioner Sig Hutchinson told WRAL TechWire on Monday afternoon.
“It will produce 6,000 jobs,” he added, explaining he was given that figure by Raleigh real estate developer John Kane.
What kind of positions? Michael Haley, head of economic development for Wake County, said last week as details began to emerge about the project that he expects “office jobs, entrepreneurs, entertainment and service jobs.”
That jobs number is four times as many positions promised by the Amazon distribution project being built in Garner. The project also is 10 times the value of the Amazon investment which was the largest development deal announced in Wake County last year, according to North Carolina Department of Commerce data.
Hutchinson said he had been briefed about various aspects of the project and was impressed by what the duo is proposing to do. He called the project “transformative.”
Haley also praised the development’s potential impact.
“The project represents an exciting opportunity for the community and the region,” Haley said.
“A development of this scale would support a variety of jobs throughout the development and construction phases (plus indirect and induced jobs) as well as once the development is fully realized — office jobs, entrepreneurs, entertainment and service jobs. I am excited about the opportunity this development could bring to our community and the impact it could have.”
