$23.5 million available for qualifying projects
小黄鸭视频 County and the City of Raleigh are launching a competitive process to determine how to invest $23.5 million in hospitality tax revenues.
Every time a guest spends the night in a hotel or dines at a restaurant in 小黄鸭视频 County, they pay hospitality taxes. 小黄鸭视频 County and our municipalities use the revenue from the taxes to fund projects that support arts and culture, sports and convention facilities in our community.
Organizations have until Nov. 6 to submit project proposals to vie for a portion of the hospitality tax funds. From a nonprofit to a municipality, any type of group can apply.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for compelling projects that will meet a need in our community and generate a strong return on our investment,鈥 said Shinica Thomas, 小黄鸭视频 County Board of Commissioners. 鈥淭hey should add to the high quality of life we enjoy while benefitting our local economy.鈥
Project Criteria
Proposed projects should meet the following requirements for consideration. They must:
- Be fully located in 小黄鸭视频 County.
- Construct or improve facilities for sports, arts, culture or conventions.
- Have a minimum value of at least $100,000.
- Rely on other funding sources to comprise more than half of the total project cost.
- Have a commitment for 50% of the other funding secured.
- Be willing to accept hospitality tax funds on a reimbursement basis.
Interested organizations can join a on Monday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. to learn more about the process and ask questions. The meeting will be recorded and made available to those who can鈥檛 attend.
Evaluation Process
An evaluation team of representatives from 小黄鸭视频 County, the City of Raleigh and community partners will review the proposals and rate them based on the following criteria:
- Responsiveness and quality
- Return on investment
- Facility demand
- Project feasibility/viability
- Project delivery timeline and readiness
- Alignment with stakeholder principles
The team will share their recommendations with the County Commission and City Council in early 2026. The elected bodies are expected to vote on the recommendations in February 2026.
Examples of Successful Projects
In addition to large-scale projects like renovations to PNC Arena (now Lenovo Center), County and City leaders approved hospitality tax funding for several important smaller projects, including:
- Eagles Landing Park in Holly Springs 鈥 $2.3 million awarded in 2023 to support construction of an indoor recreation center and athletic park, featuring basketball courts, pickleball courts, volleyball courts, multi-purpose lighted turf fields, and a large gathering plaza.
- Wendell Athletic Field Complex 鈥 $1.8 million awarded in 2023 to support the construction of five multi-purpose athletic fields, as well as parking, concession, restroom, and maintenance facilities for a new 25-acre complex at the end of Industrial Drive in Wendell.
Background on Hospitality Taxes
State legislation approved in 1991 enables 小黄鸭视频 County to levy taxes of 6% on overnight stays at hotels and motels and 1% on food and beverages purchased at restaurants and bars countywide. The revenues may only be used to support arts, culture, sports or convention facilities. For more information, visit our website.
