Category / New Construction

by Leo Suarez

City Plaza Piecing Together



Most of you probably heard the news yesterday related to City Plaza. For those that did not, it was announced that Jimmy John’s has signed a lease for one of the spaces. From what I know, the Hillsborough St. and Page Rd. locations do pretty well. I think they will honestly kill it during lunch hours and pretty much own it on a nice weather day. If you haven’t been, Jimmy John’s serves pretty good sandwiches and makes them relatively fast so convenience is high. I believe the one near NC State stays open late too so we’ll see if this one does the same when it opens later this year.

Looking to the future of City Plaza, there are still other spaces to fill. The WRAL article claims that there are six total spaces available for restaurants. If all six become food places, then let’s hope there is a nice mix so that all meal hours are properly covered; from breakfast to late-night. It would be a shame for out of town visitors walking out of the nearby hotels to see an inactive “city center”.

Anyway, I’m actually really looking forward to City Plaza. Anyone’s first visit to Fayetteville St. can tell that there is some significance there and this plaza should make it feel like the center of all the activity on the street.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

This picture is over a year old. There was no need to take another one cause this site, for The Hillsborough, has been the same for this entire time. According to the city:

“The developer also must meet certain other deadlines in the revised agreement or the City could exercise its option to repurchase the property at 301 and 309 Hillsborough Street. For example, site and foundation work must begin by Feb. 3, 2009 and construction of the project must be complete by March 15, 2011.”

February 3rd is only six days away. Will cranes start showing up this weekend? Place your bets.

by Leo Suarez

Digging at Green Square

The Green Square project has been under the radar recently but is moving along. They keep their progress well hidden behind wooden fences but there is a lot digging going on at the corner of McDowell and Jones St. Green Square was one of many projects that were fast tracked by the government in order to stir up the state economy so there is a good chance that this project will not slip. While some buildings had to come down, most of the project will be built on what was a parking lot especially west of the current construction site.

by Leo Suarez

Charter Square Rising

On Fayetteville St., two cranes loom out of a giant hole in the ground. Construction on the underground deck continues and is beginning to rise up to the street. Concrete has now met up with Wilmington and Fayetteville Streets, which are actually at different elevations on this block. Fayetteville St. is higher then Wilmington. See the side view picture below to get a better idea of it. The south parking deck does not have as much progress as the north so we’ll have to wait and see if Charter Square or more parking deck comes next.


Looking north from Lenoir St.


Heads up Bank of America, that sign will be blocked soon.

by Leo Suarez

Destruction at City Plaza

The 500 block of Fayetteville St. is getting a major renovation. City Plaza is now being constructed and should complete the street’s new makeover. With one corner untouched and left for access to Bank of America, the other three corners have been ripped up and stripped down. Work on the plaza is steady and if all goes according to plan, we could be dropping the acorn here come 2010.

by Leo Suarez

The Great Wall of Raleigh

There are two projects to discuss here. The Wake County parking deck looks very close to being complete. The L office building that will wrap the front of this deck has not started yet, leaving a nice big gray wall. The plan was for ground floor retail with office space above. I did notice something interesting here; the sidewalks are being paved. If there is still work to be done on the outside then why are the sidewalks being laid out?


The future