Pic of the Week

I pass by this project so often and it’s followed so closely on the Community that I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted a photo of the progress here on the blog. The city’s new civic tower, at the corner of McDowell and Hargett, has a few floors assembled as we head into the summer building season. Be sure to check out some interior photos posted here on the Community, including a look at the future council chambers.

With the base of the tower mostly complete, I imagine the rest of the floors will be a “pour, rinse, and repeat” process all the way to the top. That’s likely what we’ll be watching throughout the year, as the construction timeline currently runs into 2026.

If you’re new to this project, it’s called the East Civic Tower or simply the future City Hall. It’s set to replace all operations currently housed in the Raleigh Municipal Building next door. Several existing downtown office leases will not be renewed, and city departments will consolidate into this one central location. I’m not aware of plans for the rest of the city-owned block but I’m sure one new office tower will be enough for now.

North Carolina Railroad Plans for a Small Office Building on Old Amtrak Station

It’s still just a parking lot over at 320 West Cabarrus Street these days. If you didn’t know, this was the former location of our Amtrak Station before Raleigh Union Station opened up. The former train station here was demolished in 2018. Now, plans are moving forward for a small office building on the site which is still owned by the North Carolina Railroad.

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How Buildings Become Welcoming; The Chamfered Corner or Pan Coupé

Earlier this year, I took a family trip to Paris, and it’s easily one of my favorite cities that I’ve visited in my adult life. The sights, the food, the walking — all of it was fantastic. But with every trip I take, I typically find one small detail to hyper-analyze. It was one of those things that, once you notice it, you can’t unsee it.

I’m talking about the corners of buildings. Not the inside ones. The outside ones. The ones that meet at intersections. But in Paris — especially in the older parts of the city — they don’t just meet. They gracefully arrive at the corner with a flat or sometimes even curved face that greets the street like it’s welcoming you inside.

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South Street Closed, Amphitheater Construction Up Next

South Street, between McDowell and Dawson, is now closed. I think this is a pretty big deal as it marks the start of a second wave of the “Convention Center District”. That’s not a thing I’m embracing but something that I think we’re becoming more and more; a convention center downtown. That’s probably a topic for another day.

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