by Leo Suarez

Plans Submitted for Nash Square Apartments, 36-Story Tower

Above is the latest rendering of the proposed 36-story tower adjacent to Nash Square. The new development calls for about 400 apartments, parking, and ground-floor retail spaces. The plans hit the city last week and the news sites have shared the above rendering so you may have already seen it.

The site for the new tower will be at the corner of Dawson and Martin Street. The site has been empty for a few years with the former buildings demolished and cleared about three years ago. Plans for a hotel were circulating around since then but after a new rezoning for a maximum of 40-stories, we now have the following project coming up.

A key note to the new development is that it also includes the property at 217 West Martin Street, home of the Berkeley Café. The news has said the business’s lease is up later this year and that they are searching for a new location. According to the submitted plans, the building at 217 West Martin will be demolished.

The site plans put the building at around 430 feet tall. Could that be the new tallest building in downtown? We only have to check Wikipedia to see.

  1. PNC Plaza at 538′
  2. Two Hannover Square at 431′
  3. Wells Fargo Capitol Center at 400′

The Nash Square Apartments will crack the top 3 when finished. It’s interesting to see how much of a boost buildings get when they sit on top of a parking deck. The Eastern, a 36-story apartment building in North Hills, sit at 354′. That building is almost 70′ shorter because the car parking is on a separate site.

It sounds to me that critics of tall buildings should support car-free living in Raleigh, am I right?

Taking a look at the ground floor, we can spy the floor plan and notice that the corner of Dawson and Martin could be pretty active with plenty of retail spaces. I’m hoping for a lot of outdoor seating as the northern-facing side gets plenty of shade. Summers outside, facing Nash Square, could be real nice.

The rest of the layout shows typical residential amenities as well as the parking deck flow. Fans of the Berkeley are probably banging their heads as the new development’s parking ramp along Martin is planned for the exact site of cafe’s current home. As with any new development, the sidewalks will be drastically improved and numerous street trees will be planted.

The community seems to be mixed as to the historical context here at 217 West Martin. I’ll leave the conversation for that space but for now, let’s hope the folks behind the Berkeley Café can find a new spot. You should go out and support them sometime soon before they make their move and the building is gone.

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