North Carolina Freedom Park is now open and it certainly looks like a stunning space. The one-acre park at the corner of Lane and Wilmington Streets is dedicated to the African American struggle for freedom. I am so impressed by what the architects, and everyone behind the project, have delivered here. It’s great to see this close to our museums as well as state government buildings.
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All throughout the cities of North Carolina and South Carolina, the development boom times have really kicked in within the last few decades. In most cases, this new growth in the South has led to car-centric development where driving a vehicle is almost required to navigate your city. For those able to drive safely, this has become part of Southern culture. However, not everyone can or wants to drive for their daily tasks. Our sidewalk networks, when present, pick up the slack here. For pedestrians with mobility challenges, high-quality sidewalks are a necessity.
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[Quick note, most of the photos here were taken on a weekday morning. I was trying to beat the heat plus it’s been a busy summer for me. I mention this because I typically try and get photos with people in it as that is more interesting than the opposite but sometimes you can’t help when inspiration strikes, am I right?]
Announced back in July of this year, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) and the city have partnered with a few consultants to create a plan for Downtown as the last few years have seen unanticipated changes. The largest of those being the uptick in remote and hybrid work and how downtown businesses were reliant on a certain number of workers coming to the office and frequenting them for lunch and goods. It is also a great time for a new plan as the previous downtown plan was implemented in 2015 and plenty of policies and recommendations from that one have already been put in place.
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It was considered a pilot program at first but I think it is safe to say we’re official now. Sip n’ Stroll is ready for prime time as new signs have been installed around downtown Raleigh. The social district, which allows people to drink beer and wine throughout certain areas of downtown, has been around for a year now but this August, enhancements to the district have been put in place.
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Have you seen, or even used, the new skate park along Capital Boulevard? The new Conlon Family Skate Park has been set up near Capital Boulevard and Dortch Streets. You can spot riders and skaters at all times of the day from what I have seen.
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Above is an artist’s rendering of a new project, already under construction, at the corner of Bloodworth and Cabarrus Streets. The Raleigh Architecture Company has designed ten homes here and the sales website claims that they are net-zero energy homes.
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Block A at Seaboard Station has really taken shape and I think once that final floor there is completed, the crane will come down. That’ll probably be before the end of the year if I had to bet. Pictured above is the latest project which includes a hotel (on the left) and apartments. (on the right)
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Have you been by the North Carolina Capitol lately? The classic looking blue dome (although I sometimes think it’s green at certain times of the day) is being replaced right now with new copper panels. That’s just one of a few other renovations that are coming to our modest, yet architecturally significant, capitol building.
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