Brian Fork, CEO, Carolina Hurricanes

Invest: sat down with Brian Fork, CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes, to discuss how the organization is balancing on-ice performance, a major arena renovation, and a long-term mixed-use development vision around the Lenovo Center. “What we’re trying to do with our development is to turn this area into an economic driver 365 days a year, so it isn’t only activated on event nights,” Fork said.

How has your transition into the CEO role influenced the Hurricanes’ business priorities, and what have been your initial areas of focus?

When I stepped into the CEO role, we were entering a new phase as an organization in which the scope of what we do expanded in a meaningful way. For roughly 25 years, the Hurricanes have been both our hockey team and the operator of the arena here, the Lenovo Center. That’s already a big responsibility, but the runway in front of us changed as we moved into 2024.

Starting in July 2024, we entered a new lease agreement to stay in the arena for another 20 years, and that lease contemplated a $300 million renovation of the building. On the same day, we entered into a development agreement with the Centennial Authority, where our company would plan and privately fund an approximately $1 billion mixed-use development on the 80-acre parking lot that surrounds the arena.

So our focus since that time has been: how do we keep the hockey product on the ice and the fan experience at the top of the NHL; how do we continue to grow and expand our concert and event business; and how do we do all of that while planning a renovation that positions this building as a world-class venue for the next 20 years and planning what will be the largest economic development project in the city’s history at completion.

The challenge, and the opportunity, is doing all of those things at the same time under the same umbrella and ensuring everybody is aligned. That takes coordination across hockey operations, building operations, event programming, and long-range development planning so these initiatives reinforce one another.

Now that the 20-year lease extension is in effect, how are you thinking about long-term value creation across the team, arena operations, and the adjacent real estate?

On the renovation side, we’re thinking about value creation in three categories. The first is operational efficiency: things fans may not notice directly, but that make the building work better and raise the quality of what we can deliver.

That includes expanding our service yard and marshalling area so more trucks can get in and out efficiently. Touring schedules are tight, and if we make load-in and load-out smoother, more tours have time to stop here and want to stop here. It also includes improving back-of-house areas like kitchens and food service, and improving the flow through the building so operations support a better experience and a stronger event business.

The second category is improving the experience for every fan. We have opened a view bar on our 300 level by removing half of three sections and building a bar that spans the width of those sections with a food service area and a glass wall or glass balcony. People at the 300 level, our highest, will be able to stand and watch the game. That’s a premium-style amenity that’s accessible to every fan in the arena.

More broadly, we’re refreshing concourses, updating bathrooms, upgrading concessions, and improving the ability to get in and out faster. Those everyday improvements add up to a building that feels better and functions better for everyone.

The third category is premium. That’s something we’ve lacked compared to other venues around the country, and we’re addressing it. We have opened a new multipurpose club at ice level behind the South Goal with a new kitchen and the highest-end food and beverage offering we have. We hired a chef specifically for that club, which has been branded as the Lenovo Legend Club.

It’s an all-inclusive club for people who sit in the first two rows all the way around the arena for Hurricanes games. It’s the courtside club for NC State basketball, and it will be used for concerts and events. We’re also adding seven bunker suites on that end of the building, creating a first-class entertaining area paired with seats right on the ice or on the basketball court and positioned for close-up concert experiences.

So, to extend the life of the building, we’re improving operational efficiency to increase event opportunity, improving the everyday fan experience throughout the venue, and adding a level of premium that isn’t currently offered in our market in the same way.

Where do you see the strongest economic and social impact of the Hurricanes’ presence, especially in terms of job creation, tourism, and regional identity?

I’ll answer that by distinguishing how we’ll operate after we complete the renovation and development project, as distinct from what we’ve done for 25 years.

Our arena sits on 80 acres of state-owned land in a central location. It’s about 10 minutes from downtown, right off I-40, about five minutes from the airport, and right in the middle of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. It’s a great location for hockey games, concerts, and basketball.

But on a day when we don’t have an event, you’re looking at a big, giant, empty parking lot on 80 acres of public land in a prime location. We’re now up to about 160 ticketed events a year, which is the highest this arena has ever had, and that’s fantastic. But that still leaves another 200 days a year that this facility is not in use from a public standpoint.

What we’re trying to do with our development is to turn this area into an economic driver 365 days a year, so it isn’t only activated on event nights. The plan includes residential, significant office, retail, a hotel, and a separate, standalone, smaller Live Nation-programmed indoor music venue. The vision is an arena district that people use daily: spending the night, going to the gym, getting breakfast, working, and then staying for entertainment at the end of the day.

That will create a meaningful regional impact by supporting jobs and local business activity, strengthening tourism, and giving the Triangle a year-round destination that reflects the momentum of this market.

How do the Carolina Hurricanes continue to invest and contribute to the community?

We’re excited about everything that’s happening, but it still starts with what we do within the arena and on the ice. We’re coming up on our 150th consecutive sellout of a Hurricanes game, which is something nobody would have believed was possible 10 years ago. We’re invested in this community; we believe we’re part of this community, and people in the Triangle love the Hurricanes and our players. We’ve been able to have success on the ice, and it’s a fun place to be.

A moment that stood out was a Monday afternoon game on Martin Luther King Day. It’s a unique time slot for us, but there were so many families packed into the building, and we had a thrilling one-goal win with exciting plays at the end. I was reminded of what a strong community experience this can be in a place where I grew up and still love.

We’re also going beyond hockey. From the beginning of our fiscal year in July through the end of the calendar year, we have had more visitors enter this building than ever before in six months in the history of the arena, all while doing a major renovation project. We’re trying to get more people in here more often, packing as many shows and events as we can, and continuing to grow that side of the business.

We want to win the Stanley Cup and have as many people here at hockey games as we can, but we also want to bring as many people to Raleigh as possible through shows and entertainment. That puts people in hotels and restaurants, supports the local economy, and helps us be part of this community beyond hockey and beyond basketball.