Category / New Construction

by Leo Suarez

Construction Starts on 200 Units at The Link Apartments in Glenwood South

Construction at The Link Apartments

There’s finally construction starting at the corner of West and Jones Street on the upcoming 200-unit apartment building called The Link Apartments. It’s not exciting to look at yet but what has been an empty lot since January 2009, should start to really fill in.

The demolition of small buildings here took place over five years ago for a much grander project called Powerhouse Plaza. The mixed-use office and hotel tower never happened and the lot sat empty for awhile.

During construction of the nearby Green Square project, consisting of the Nature Research Center and the newer Department of Environment and Natural Resources offices along Jones Street, this site was used for construction staging.

Today, it should be no surprise that the apartment boom is continuing and The Link Apartments will add more units to the downtown residential base.

by Leo Suarez

Construction Set to Start On The Lincoln

Construction fencing at the site of The Lincoln

Construction fencing is up at the future site of The Lincoln, a 224 unit apartment building going on an empty lot to the east of downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. With over a year of planning, equipment has rolled in and the entire block has been fenced off.

The lone house along Martin Street still stands however. I guess there’s plenty of room to start construction while the fate of the house is determined. The developer was making moves to buy a nearby plot of city-owned land in order to have it moved. If the city voted to sell the property to them, perhaps the house can be rolled off The Lincoln site rather than be demolished.

With Skyhouse apartments and very positive talks of funding for the Moore Square redesign recently, east-side downtown may be a growing hot spot.

by Leo Suarez

Charter Square South Tower Groundbreaking

Charter Square construction site

It was about 11 months ago that an announcement by Dominion Realty Partners stated that they were bringing the first of two towers to the Charter Square site on the south end of Fayetteville Street. Yesterday, the “groundbreaking” took place for that building.

I say “groundbreaking” because this site doesn’t have any dirt that needs to be worked on. The Charter Square site is over an underground parking deck so parking is ready to go.

Expect to watch construction on this LEED Platinum tower up until around Summer 2015.

by Leo Suarez

Municipography, Capital Boulevard, New Convention Hotel, and The Comprehensive Plan Update

Municipography is a summary of current issues going through the Raleigh City Council and other municipal departments in the city. The point is to try to deliver any video, photos, and text associated with the discussions happening at City Hall or elsewhere. Since this is a downtown Raleigh blog, the focus is on the center of the city.

Email readers, this post contains embedded video which you may not see in your inbox. I recommend jumping to the blog to see all the content.

Last week at the Raleigh City Council meeting, a few projects we’ve discussed on the blog were presented and discussed. The council approved the sale of the city-owned lot on Salisbury Street, known as “Site 4”, to Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd who plans to build a hotel. The plans for the new Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street were also discussed as construction on that project is planned for Summer 2016. Finally, an update on the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was given by the planning department.

Residence Inn on Salisbury Street

See Raleigh City Council – 2-18-14 – City of Raleigh and Summit Hospitality Group on YouTube.

In short, the council approved the sale of Site 4 to Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd to build a Residence Inn hotel. This sale was recommended by the Budget and Economic Development Committee last month and now makes it final.

From the city’s press release:

Following a Feb. 18 Public Hearing, the Raleigh City Council approved the sale of .52 acres on South Salisbury Street, between South Street and Lenoir Street, to Raleigh-based Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd. Approval of the $1.73 million deal will result in the construction of an 11-story Marriott Residence Inn with 140 to 154 additional rooms within walking distance of the Raleigh Convention Center. The site is also known as Site 4 and is considered to be “one of the most important infill sites within the Convention and Cultural District” in the City’s South End Master Plan.

*Sale of Downtown Site Approved

For more details on this project, jump to a recent post with all the details.

Capital Boulevard Bridge

See Raleigh City Council – 2-18-14 – NCDOT Capital Boulevard Bridge Replacement Projects on YouTube.

The Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street is slated for replacement in the next few years and designs have been in the works for quite awhile. The latest on this topic is covered in good detail in the post linked below, including some excellent conversation by readers.

Between the “base” alternative (cheaper) and the “enhanced” alternative (costlier) this is where the city has to step up. There is strong public support for the enhanced alternative but the feds only have enough money for the base alternative.

According to the presentation, in May 2014 an alternative will be chosen with construction planned for Summer of 2016.

From the city’s press release:

Each bridge is proposed for replacement under the Federal Highway Administration’s bridge replacement program. City staff has coordinated the replacement of these bridges with NCDOT to be consistent with the City’s adopted Capital Boulevard Corridor Plan. In each case, NCDOT has developed base alternatives that rebuild each interchange following the existing configuration, and enhanced alternatives that more closely follow the City’s corridor plan recommendations. In order to pursue the enhanced alternatives at either location, the City would be required to pay for the difference in cost above each base alternative.

*Council Reviews Alternatives for Capital Boulevard Bridge Replacement Projects

2030 Comprehensive Plan Update

See Raleigh City Council – 2-28-14 – 2030 Comprehensive Plan – January 2014 Progress Report on YouTube.

The 2014 Progress Report was presented to council and can be found on the city’s website. Some highlights from the presentation:

  • Our city’s comprehensive plan continues to be a national model for city planning.
  • Updates are meant to keep the plan up-to-date with emerging trends and any city restructuring.
  • Of the total 465 action items since adoption, 61 have been completed and now removed, 275 are in progress and 50 have still not been started.

The newest emerging trends that city staff will be studying are:

  • Community Resiliency – planning for extreme weather and emergencies and how the city continues to be responsive and can recover.
  • Innovation Districts – how to foster new growth nodes around unique ideas and innovation.
  • Autonomous Vehicles – how to plan for the upcoming use of self-driving cars and taxis.
  • Sharing Economy – services like bike share, car share, self-rental properties are a future trend. Examples include Airbnb, ZipCar, and B-Cycle.

by Leo Suarez

Land Sold For New Convention Center Hotel

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

During Tuesday’s Budget and Economic Development Committee meeting, a deal was approved for the City of Raleigh and Summit Hospitality Group to move to the next step in bringing a new hotel to the convention center area. The current lot on Salisbury Street, just south of the convention center and facing the Performing Arts Deck, would be the future home of a Marriott Residence Inn.

As part of the deal, the city-owned land would be sold for $1.73 million plus other requirements. No new parking will be built to support this hotel as they plan to lease spaces out from the Performing Arts Deck. This means that the deck will get a more formal parking control system compared to its less structured operation today. Visitors will be able to enter and exit the hotel directly from it.

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

The hotel is planned, at this point, to have approximately 140-154 rooms and ground floor space for retail and/or restaurant. If you look at the floorplans above, the bottom floor is predominantly comprised of that retail/restaurant space in addition to the lobby. The second floor, also shown above, are guest services, the lounge, etc.

The hotel also plans for “A rooftop level consisting of heated space and a terrace with views of the City.”

Happy to see this project move forward as we haven’t heard a thing about it in about a year.

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

by Leo Suarez

A Year Later, Ground Breaking Approaches on The Link Apartments

Intersection of West and Jones Streets.

Intersection of West and Jones Streets, January 2014.

It was practically a year ago that we heard that the on-hold Powerhouse Plaza, an 11-story tower with hotel and office space, switched to an apartment project. The rest of 2013 was pretty quiet about this upcoming residential building but now, according to this TBJ article, Grubb properties wants to break ground sometime this Spring.

Snooping around the internets for more information, Cline Design has a rendering of the building that will sit at the northeast corner of West and Jones Streets. Named “The Link at Glenwood,” this project infuses even more residents to Glenwood South. See their rendering below along with description.

Cline Design - The Link at Glenwood

This 203-unit, wood-framed, multi-family project is part of Grubb Properties’ Link apartment brand, and located in the vibrant Glenwood South district, a growing urban living community in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. Within walking distance to several shops, restaurants, and clubs, situated on a two-acre infill site, a density of over 101.5 units per acre is achieved with and integrated below and above grade parking deck for approximately 187 cars. Six floors contain a diverse mix of studio, one and two-bedroom units. An integral Clubhouse & Leasing center contains ample space for resident gatherings, a complete fitness center, and a large outdoor pool & terrace area with a summer kitchen pavilion. The architectural design blends contemporary forms with durable, traditional materials such as stone veneer, cementitious siding and stucco, creating a well-balanced transition between the commercial and residential uses on Glenwood, Jones, Harrington, and West Streets as well as the immediate surrounding contextual area. Jones Street will be maintained as a “green street” by providing new tress and pervious paving along portions of the sidewalk. In addition, new trees will be provided along West and Harrington Streets.

*Cline Design – The Link at Glenwood

Maybe a few power lines could stand to be buried, you think?