Comments on: Pic of the Week http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/ A Downtown Raleigh Blog Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Thomas http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/#comment-2379 Thomas Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:01:22 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1099#comment-2379 I agree with Jerry. Who is the designer of the parking deck (another designer with NO vsision - what is wrong with city council, do not approve ANY project unless there is ground level retail - they cannot even live by their own standards - this stupidity needs to stop - there are not many retail choices in downtown to begin with - retail needs to be throughout downtown, not just in concentrated areas)? Retail must be added to the parking deck, this plan needs to be changed. Also, is retail included on the museum extension, if so, the rendering shows very little? The parking deck (as is) leaves three blocks of no activity, just staring at stone walls when walking the streets. Noone wants to walk these type of streets. I agree with Jerry. Who is the designer of the parking deck (another designer with NO vsision – what is wrong with city council, do not approve ANY project unless there is ground level retail – they cannot even live by their own standards – this stupidity needs to stop – there are not many retail choices in downtown to begin with – retail needs to be throughout downtown, not just in concentrated areas)? Retail must be added to the parking deck, this plan needs to be changed. Also, is retail included on the museum extension, if so, the rendering shows very little? The parking deck (as is) leaves three blocks of no activity, just staring at stone walls when walking the streets. Noone wants to walk these type of streets.

]]> By: Jerry http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/#comment-2378 Jerry Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:42:13 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1099#comment-2378 Good project is they add density, apartments, restaurants and retail (it's a museum in downtown, where are the amenities for visitors?). The Skybridge is not an issue and the Globe adds a different dimension to a downtown which otherwise has NO tasteful art or fountains. AGAIN, the problem is the architect/architecture and developer! I do not want to hear about budget - "DO THE PROJECT RIGHT FROM THE START" another parking deck without retail. Can someone tell me who is responsible for making these STUPID decisions (this is our downtown, we should have a say, this needs to be changed before this project moves forward, there "IS" retail near other museums I visit around the country, what a boring experience for someone coming in from out-of-town) ? A parking deck with no retail is a a worthless structure and creates a boring sidewalk experience (just walked Charlotte a couple weeks ago, their parking decks have NO retail throughgout the city, sounds like Raleigh can't think for themselves, duplicating other city mistakes, we will never learn) Good project is they add density, apartments, restaurants and retail (it’s a museum in downtown, where are the amenities for visitors?). The Skybridge is not an issue and the Globe adds a different dimension to a downtown which otherwise has NO tasteful art or fountains.

AGAIN, the problem is the architect/architecture and developer! I do not want to hear about budget – “DO THE PROJECT RIGHT FROM THE START” another parking deck without retail. Can someone tell me who is responsible for making these STUPID decisions (this is our downtown, we should have a say, this needs to be changed before this project moves forward, there “IS” retail near other museums I visit around the country, what a boring experience for someone coming in from out-of-town) ? A parking deck with no retail is a a worthless structure and creates a boring sidewalk experience (just walked Charlotte a couple weeks ago, their parking decks have NO retail throughgout the city, sounds like Raleigh can’t think for themselves, duplicating other city mistakes, we will never learn)

]]> By: RaleighRob http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/#comment-2370 RaleighRob Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:28:05 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1099#comment-2370 Fortunately, SECU is much more financially secure than most private banks these days. They haven't made any risky investments or did that crazy sub-prime mortgage thing. They're usually quite prudent...no big gains usually, but no big risks. And thus, downtown Raleigh will benefit with a new building when no one else is building. (And SECU will benefit with construction costs at their lowest in years.) As for the skybridge, it'll probably look better in real life than the picture. It is necessary to link the existing museum to the new part. Underground tunnel would probably cost more....and currently the museum's basement is not open to the public anyway. (Employee parking deck if I recall.) Fortunately, SECU is much more financially secure than most private banks these days. They haven’t made any risky investments or did that crazy sub-prime mortgage thing. They’re usually quite prudent…no big gains usually, but no big risks. And thus, downtown Raleigh will benefit with a new building when no one else is building. (And SECU will benefit with construction costs at their lowest in years.)

As for the skybridge, it’ll probably look better in real life than the picture. It is necessary to link the existing museum to the new part. Underground tunnel would probably cost more….and currently the museum’s basement is not open to the public anyway. (Employee parking deck if I recall.)

]]> By: Ernest http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/#comment-2368 Ernest Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:52:59 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1099#comment-2368 Emanuel, Not to disappoint you, but I had a discussion last night with someone who is involved in two projects - was involved until recently, but still is in one of them. The biggest obstacle is that NOTHING can be financed right now. Developers keep going back and forth, but banks simply do not loan money :( This project is financed by an institution that actually has money of its own, so they don't have to borrow. I would guess that this is our only hope at this moment. Get some banks to build something, although I am not sure they have money for that, either :( Emanuel,

Not to disappoint you, but I had a discussion last night with someone who is involved in two projects – was involved until recently, but still is in one of them. The biggest obstacle is that NOTHING can be financed right now. Developers keep going back and forth, but banks simply do not loan money :( This project is financed by an institution that actually has money of its own, so they don’t have to borrow. I would guess that this is our only hope at this moment. Get some banks to build something, although I am not sure they have money for that, either :(

]]> By: Emanuel http://dtraleigh.com/2009/09/pic-of-the-week-61/#comment-2367 Emanuel Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:24:13 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1099#comment-2367 It's good to know Raleigh is moving back to forward progression. Never realized how much I missed seeing construction sites downtown until there was none. YAY!! It’s good to know Raleigh is moving back to forward progression. Never realized how much I missed seeing construction sites downtown until there was none. YAY!!

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