Year / 2007

by Leo Suarez

3rd Annual Bike Fest Roars Into Downtown

Fayetteville St. will be taken over this Friday and Saturday (28th and 29th) for the 3rd annual Capital City Bike Fest. I’ll be in town this year so count on me being out there and getting some pictures and hopefully meeting some cool people.

3rd Annual
Ray Price Capital City Bike Fest

presented by Nationwide Insurance

Fayetteville Street & Moore Square
Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina

Friday September 28th
Saturday September 29th

FREE MOTORCYCLE LIFESTYLE EVENT FOR BIKERS & NON-BIKERS

by Leo Suarez

Convention Center Booking Above Expected

Mayor Charles Meeker released some good information about the new convention center. From an article in the N&O:

Raleigh officials are trumpeting progress on the new downtown convention center, which they said today is now 75 percent complete.

The convention center is expected to open in September 2008, along with a new Marriott Hotel and an underground parking deck. The hotel is currently 50 percent complete, while the parking deck is 85 percent complete.

Downtown boosters say that first-year booking of the convention center has reached 164 percent of their goals, including 23 conventions. There are 58 events scheduled for the second year so far.

From WRAL:

Twenty-three conventions have been booked for the first year of operations, and 58 events have been lined up for the second year, officials said. More than 63,600 nights in the four-star, 400-room Marriott hotel next to the convention center have been booked in the first year, they said.

This obviously sounds like a success story and we are still one year from opening. Based on the numbers from WRAL, 63,600 hotel nights in the 400 room hotel means that the Marriott could be at capacity on an average of 3 nights a week just for the first year. This is also just the Marriott, I’m curious to see if the Sheraton and Clarion have seen increase in bookings. I would imagine they have. Perhaps a successful convention center, once up and running, will get the Winston Hotel Project and the LaFayette into the fast lane as these hotels have been quiet recently.

As a side note, if you really want to read a different opinion of this news, browse through the WRAL comments. Most of it is just bashing the fact that the convention center exists, with the exception of a few supporters. I am obviously no expert and am not claiming to be, but it should be great news that such a huge investment is showing great signs of being successful. The fact that thousands of people are now traveling to Raleigh for a convention is a positive thing for our city. They and their businesses will spend money in restaurants, shops, the airport, hotels, rental cars, and other services that all have a tax in some way. This tax is added revenue for the city to be used on other projects, like infrastructure or schools. I do not want to get into a numbers battle to see if the $220 million spent is worth it but thinking about it this way makes sense to me. Everyone has their own opinion and that is fine. Heck, $220 million could have gone towards a nice rail line, similar to the old proposed TTA light rail, but this is the way our city leaders went. Let’s just be happy it is a success and be proud of the city we live in.

by Leo Suarez

Downtown Walking Tour (part 2)

Here are the next 10 stops on the downtown walking tour. The Moore Square and Helig-Levine pics are more recent. I had put HL off due to construction this past winter. Also, the park looks better in the summer then in January.

Should the convention center really be included in the downtown walking tour? The RCC is a great example of Raleigh’s revitalization and it could be argued that it is leading the way for a new downtown in the near future. But the convention center is just too new, with no real history yet. I think it should be taken off. Anyone have any thoughts?

11. Raleigh Convention and Conference Center (under construction)

12. Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts & Memorial Auditorium

13. Shaw University (founded 1865)

14. Rogers-Bagley-Daniels-Pegues House (c. 1855)

15. City Market (1914)

16. Moore Square (est. 1792)

17. Tabernacle Baptist Church (1881-1909)

18. Exploris (1999, Now Marbles Museum)

19. Montague Building (1912)

20. Heilig-Levine Building (c. 1870, Under Renovation)

by Leo Suarez

RPD Building Getting an Upgrade

I heard about this before but here is some official information on the Lightner Public Safety Center. I’m anxious to see how the designs turn out because a 15 story tower at this location will add to the skyline. It’s nothing major but you will be able to see it coming into town from South Saunders St. and even Morgan St. Looks aside, the building will greatly assist our the city’s safety needs, I support it.

The Raleigh City Council has approved the selection of Kling Stubbins/Cherry Huffman to provide design work and other professional services for construction of the Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex.

Stubbins/Cherry Huffman was cited by City of Raleigh staff for having extensive experience in public safety, call and command center and technology infrastructure design and construction of major 911 call centers and Federal government buildings. The company also has extensive experience building design and construction of energy efficient buildings. The City may also contract with public safety specialty consultants to assist with meeting the needs of the public safety departments through the design process

The Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center will be located on the corner of Hargett and McDowell streets, currently the site of the City of Raleigh Police Department headquarters.

The 15-story, 260,000-square-foot facility will enhance the City’s ability to consolidate public safety operations and other local government offices and functions at one location, including the City’s police and fire departments. The public safety center is named in honor of Clarence E. Lightner, who served as mayor of Raleigh from 1973-75.

by Leo Suarez

Raleigh Signs

I saw this new sign while walking around downtown. I promise you I have never noticed it here before. Is this really where a ‘Welcome to Raleigh’ sign should go? The sign is on Hargett St. right after crossing West St. I know the new signs for downtown have not yet been implemented so I have no idea where this came from. Correct me if I’m wrong but has this always been here?

by Leo Suarez

Fayetteville St. Gets Nominated

I’m being lazy today and just giving you the heads up on this event.

The Raleigh Historic Districts Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17 to review the nomination of the Fayetteville Street Historic District for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The public is invited to comment on the nomination at the meeting, which will be held at the City of Raleigh Urban Design Center, 133 Fayetteville St. (at the intersection of Hargett Street). Residents with hearing impairments who need sign language services at the meeting should call the City of Raleigh Public Affairs Department, 890-3107 (TDD) or 890-3100, at least 48 hours or two business days prior to the meeting.

Raleigh currently has 87 individual property listings and 24 historic districts in the National Register. Listing in the National Register allows property owners to become eligible for state and federal tax credits for rehabilitation of properties for commercial and residential purposes.

The Fayetteville Street Historic District consists of the 100-400 blocks of Fayetteville Street, the 00-100 blocks of the south side of West Hargett Street, the 00 block of the north side of West Martin Street, and the 100-400 blocks of South Salisbury Street. The buildings in the district are predominantly commercial and date from the final years of the third quarter of the 19th century into the third quarter of the 20th century. Only two of the buildings in the district were initially built for government use rather than for commercial purposes. The Fayetteville Historic District also contains a full range of architectural styles and types.
Additionally, 11 buildings in the Fayetteville Street Historic District are listed on the National Register. They are:

• Masonic Temple at 133 Fayetteville St. (the building that houses the Urban Design Center);
• Briggs Hardware Store building at 220 Fayetteville St.;
• Lumsden-Boone Building, 226 Fayetteville St.;
• Mahler Building, 228 Fayetteville St.;
• Carolina Trust Building, 230 Fayetteville St.;
• Federal Building, 314 Fayetteville St.
• Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel, 400 Fayetteville St.;
• Raleigh Bank and Trust Company Building, 5 W. Hargett St.;
• Oddfellows Building, 19 W. Hargett St.;
• McLellan’s Five and Dime Annex, 14 W. Martin St.; and,
• Capital Club Building, 16 W. Martin St.

The Raleigh Historic Districts Commission serves as the City Council’s official historic preservation advisory body to identify, preserve, protect and educate the public about Raleigh’s historic resources.


The tax credit for rehabilitating properties should help Fayetteville St. keep the charm it has for a long time. Let’s hope everything goes well for North Carolina’s Main Street.

by Leo Suarez

Canes at The Raleigh City Museum

Here’s a cool event for you Caniacs. This letter comes from James Sutton, the director of education and outreach at the Raleigh City Museum.

When the Harford Whalers announced their decision to move south and become the Carolina Hurricanes, a number of people wondered if hockey would survive in a state usually preoccupied with college basketball. However, the last decade has erased all doubts as the ‘Canes have won over crowds and won our state’s first major professional sporting championship.

Join us this Saturday at 2pm as we look back on the last ten years in celebration of the ‘Canes wonderful achievements. John Forslund, the “Voice of the Hurricanes” will wow us with some behind the scenes stories about the team and their marvelous achievements.

Hurricane mascot, Stormy will also be here to entertain kids and sign autographs.

You can also check out the museum’s exhibit The Thrill Of Victory: Sports & Recreation in Raleigh which includes memorabilia from the ‘Canes 2006 Stanley Cup Championship season.

It’s sure to be fun for the whole family!

As always children ages 6 & up are welcomed to attend and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please join us for the fun!!

TEN YEARS WITH THE CAROLINA HURRICANES

DATE: Saturday, Sept 15
TIME: 2pm
LOCATION: Raleigh City Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street
MORE: For more information call 919-832-3775 or write jsutton@raleighcitymuseum.org