Heritage Park looks pretty desolate these days. That’s because the demolition of the existing houses looks to be complete. All that’s left are the concrete pads that once held up the houses built in the 1970s. I imagine more land clearing is coming up as the future development phases begin construction.
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A lot of land has been cleared around Kindley Street. If you drive around downtown, you most likely have seen it going up and down Western Boulevard and MLK Boulevard as the big hill near the 401 cloverleaf interchange used to be pretty green but now it’s showing that red clay of barren earth. Right now, an automated parking garage, the first of its kind in the state, is being built. We’ll also see the extension of Kindley Street connect to MLK at a new interchange. We’ve talked about this extension before so I walked down to the site to check it out.
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The Raleigh Transit Authority, which I am currently an active member of, has endorsed a plan to rethink the R-Line, our downtown Raleigh bus circulator service. Given low ridership, high cost, and the availability of other mobility options in the downtown area, it may just be time to think differently about how people get around and what needs are not being met. This August, the R-Line will go on sabbatical for a while while the city’s transit staff work on something different — or not, as retiring it completely is still on the table. Let’s take a look at the history and current state of the R-Line.
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The buildings that lined the block of 500 Hillsborough Street have been removed and, shocker, most of the surface spaces are being used for parking now. That seems to be the next step in most cases (not all) before development takes place and after demolition. In reporting from the TBJ earlier this year, the plans for a residential development have been put on pause so we have to get used to this empty lot for awhile.
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The City Hall tower on McDowell Street is looking fresh. I’m so glad that Hargett Street is open again both ways. Hargett is a key bike route and I use it multiple times a week. It’s all worth it though as the former empty police headquarters building that was at this site should now become an active building that also contributes to our skylilne.
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I’ve been overlooking this one for a awhile so I’m glad to be circling back to it. If you haven’t been following the news for the Raleigh “Hair Curler”, the cylindrical structure on Hillsborough Street that was the Holiday Inn, then I hope this update is seen as a good one. Later this year, the building will reopen as a Hotel Indigo after a big renovation. A few years back, there were plans to demolish it. However, here in 2026, the building now has historic status and we’ll soon be able to enjoy the views from the 20th floor once again.
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If you swing by Blount Street these days, you can see the hotel construction taking shape in the middle of the block. This is starting to look like nice urban form here and I absolutely love the sharing of the parking with the development behind it. I formerly had it down as a TownePlace Suites-branded hotel but today I’m seeing it has changed to an Element by Westin, a first for the Triangle. I’ll have to confirm that but either way, the first floor is being put in place now.
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The photo above shows the ongoing construction taking place for the North Carolina Education Campus, shot this month. I tried to match the same angle as a rendering that popped up recently for this project, which finally gives us a glimpse of what the state is up to over on Jones Street. I’ve added that rendering below, so keep reading.
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