12 Comments

  1. What is this? An outdated photo? Leo, shame on you :LOL: On a serious note, they have already started putting the frame for the mechanical room, above the 5th floor. Another wasted lot on a low-rise structure, but I am glad something is happening. Thanks for the photo.

  3. Ernerst, what portion of the project is in the photo? Have they started on the SECU building yet? Its hard to tell by the layouts if this is part of the museum or office space, etc? Thanks in advance.

  4. Every building doesn’t have to be skyscraper. I think that 5 would be considered mid-rise, right?

  5. Leo, you cannot fool me :LOL: I drive by there every weekday on the way to work :)

    Anonymous, the portion that you see is the SE corner of Dawson and Jones Str, one block East from Quorum Center. As for the SECU Building, work must have started already, as they are pretty much done with the underground parking of Green Square and they are digging a hole where SECU will go. To their employees they say that everything is under way and on schedule, but I think they tie their project to Green Square. My guess is that by Fall we should see something rising, but a lot can happen until then.

    CX, I hear you, except for one detail: Too many low-rises, especially in the State Government complex. Not many of them are even architecturally pleasing :( I happen to hate skybridges and when I see how huge both skybridges will look, I cannot help but lament the waste of land. Besides, a 15-story building would be a better fit and possibly save the rest of the land for later, or even sell it to developers and make a profit. For the money the big spenders in the state government pay I would love to see something more iconic. What I hate the most is that the state government doesn’t seem to be willing to add destinations that could bring more people, like a few shops and cafes. It would be easier to do without such “features” when we see a 15-story building that takes up 25% of a block, as opposed to 50%+ of two blocks, But, this is only my opinion…

  6. Once again, i’m going to have to side with Ernest. Downtown Raleigh is based on low to mid-rise buildings. If density is the key, then that’s not the way. Besides, you guys don’t think that is part of the reason the city can’t attract major events. When reading the article about Raleigh landing the NHL allstar game, one of the main reason why commissioner Bettman, didn’t grant it then was because we lacked convention space, hotels, and etc. Raleigh is all about the sprawl and spend more time developing the suburban area of the city., when the need to focus more on the core. build up and not outward, the land area of the city is huge enough.

  7. What about the two parking lots on the east side of the Museum of History? I assume those are state government property. Also, what about the parking lots north of the Lieutenant Governor’s office? As well as the 1/2 block parking lot west of City Hall? There is also huge potential to build on top of the area where the new transit hub is going to (hopefully go). Also the area where the current greyhound area is (which would be moved to the transit center, I assume) and what about the Moore Square transit center? Would that be redeveloped if they moved the primary bus station to the WYE? If you can’t tell I hate parking lots, they make the city hot, they make walking around boring and they make density impossible.

  8. One more crazy idea that popped into my head. There are two federal buildings in Raleigh, if I was the federal government I’d wait until the downtown area ran out of room (which honestly shouldn’t be more than two decades) and proceed to sell the area where the Terry Sanford building is (to a developer) and use the money from that sale to help construct a new high rise courthouse and federal building where the current court of appeals is (right across Fayetteville Street from the RBC Plaza). The Thomas Eagelton Courthouse is the largest courthouse in the country, it stands in at 29 stories and just over 500 ft. I’m not proposing that we would have such a tall building, but if NC continues to grow, I don’t see why a 20-story building can’t replace the current 4-story building on that location on FS. Getting a federal building constructed is a massive lobbying effort, but I think it would be worth it.

  9. I think boidair already said it. Going upward is the only way to go when large parcels are available.

    Steve, you can kiss the lots East of the State Government complex goodbye… One corner will be used for the new Visitors Center and on the other block they are talking about yet-another low-rise that will host the NC Bar Association, which will move from Fayetteville Street. Of course, not the entire two blocks will be used, but the proposed development shows the screwed up direction the state officials will continue to take.

  10. I love that we’re communicating on multiple websites. It says in the TBJ article about the move that they’re moving their headquarters from 208 Fayetteville and they’re going to sell that land, any chance of that going to something more than the current 3-story structure? Do you know if it’s possible to build a parking deck under an existing building? I’m assuming the new headquarters isn’t going to take up the whole block (a four story structure taking a whole block is massive) so they’re either going to build parking lot around it or build and underground deck and sub-lease the rest of the land (which I think is more prudent).

  11. Now that I’ve looked at the parcel I think the only way anything could go there is if the Kimbrell’s building next to it was replaced, which wouldn’t bother me as it’s a hideous building.

  12. Steve, it’s YOU again!!! :LOL:

    The chances of anything new going to the 200-block of Fayetteville Str are next to zero. That is a block with several historic buildings, that many cities would love to have. I anticipate little in terms of replacing even one building along that stretch.

    Building a parking deck under an existing building? I am sure we have the technology to do something like that, especially when it comes to small low-rises, but I don’t think it is cost-effective to move a building temporarily, then build a garage underneath and move the building back.

    Steve, use my email (via my website) if you want to chat. I check my email a few times a day.

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