Category / Pic of the Week

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

The Metropolitan Apartments under construction. March 2018.

It has been a year since the 2017 fire and things are still not cleaned up on Jones Street.

The Link apartments seem back to normal on the outside and West Street is now open. The Metropolitan, shown above, is rising up again but across the street, there’s still lots of work to be done. The Quorum Center seems to be slowly replacing the entire facade that faces Jones and new brickwork is underway.

The Metropolitan Apartments under construction with the Quorum Center in the background. March 2018.

I can’t pretend to feel what those residents are going through still but I will toast it up tonight and hope that Spring 2018 brings leaves AND residents back to Jones Street.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

New bike corrals installed on Wilmington Street.

The bike parking scene is strong these days on the 200 block of South Wilmington Street. Two bike corrals have popped up near the crosswalk into GoRaleigh Station. The first incorporates street art and decorative planters. The second is shaped like a car, a common tool used to show that multiple bikes (people) consume much less space than a single car.

Bike corrals now seem to be the norm in and around downtown Raleigh especially with the incorporation of art now. Keep them coming!

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Email readers: This blog post has a virtual reality image. Read the post on the blog to see it. Click Here.

Dillon. #downtownraleigh

A post shared by Leo Suarez (@dtraleigh) on

I’m getting lots of love on the above photo I posted on Instagram and wanted to share it here on the blog. The portico at the corner of West and Martin is pretty striking and screams industrial. It has a great look and feel, showing off the “guts” of the brick warehouse. It brings it outward for a passerby to enjoy.

In addition, I popped a 360 photo of the portico for readers to see also. Enjoy!

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Renovation work in the lobby of Two Hannover Square

Lobby of Two Hannover Square. February 2018.

The lobby of Two Hannover Square is being renovated. A rendering of the new lobby is laid out on display, seen below, showing a sleeker, more modern space.

This is probably a minor point by itself but with the recent renovation of One City Plaza maybe the tide is rising on office rents in downtown Raleigh. I imagine nicer lobbies are intended to attract higher-paying tenants.

Or it could just be a changing of the times as the buildings may have been the same for decades. Something to look out for in our older office buildings.

Renovation work in the lobby of Two Hannover Square

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Steel rises at the site of One Glenwood. February 2018.

Steel rises at the site of One Glenwood. February 2018.

Steel is starting to take shape at the site of One Glenwood. This and the Origin Hotel planned for across Morgan Street are really going to create that bookend feeling for Glenwood South. This complements our earlier discussions around the nearby Willard Hotel at the corner of Willard Place and Glenwood Avenue also.

I actually like this zoomed-out image below as I think it shows how the end of Glenwood is going to get a nice urban presence which could bring more sidewalk activity to this area. Just use your imagination, or the crane, to put a 10-story building here.

Steel rises at the site of One Glenwood. February 2018.

Steel rises at the site of One Glenwood. February 2018.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

The Saint townhomes under construction. January 2018.

The Saint townhomes are moving right along with the first wave of units topped out. I like to think of this particular property as trying as hard as possible to balance the benefits of both urban and suburban living. They have spacious units but with a great location. Space for two cars but in an entirely walkable neighborhood.

Downtown won’t turn urban overnight but I’d like to think these new developments are moving the needle a few notches in the urban direction when you take in the entire city’s growth direction.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Moore Square, January 2018

Moore Square, January 2018

The renovation of Moore Square is very much underway with a lot of small shrubs and short trees being removed. The holidays were a distraction but I noticed the difference recently and just had to grab a photo.

In the winter, with the leaves off the old oak trees, you can really see right through the square which makes it feel a lot bigger than it really is.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Raleigh Amtrak Station, October 2017

Raleigh Amtrak Station, October 2017

Happy New Year all!

Shown above is a photo of the Raleigh Amtrak Station in October 2017. I show this because the Triangle Business Journal had an article stating that once our new train station, Raleigh Union Station, opens this year the former station will be demolished.

Perhaps the archivists, including myself, need to get down there to photograph the station before it’s cleared.

The North Carolina Railroad Company, owners of the building and nearby property, have not announced any firm plans yet for that area. Your guess is as good as mine but I’m betting on a more functional use such as surface parking for train-related or utility-type vehicles. (at least for the foreseeable future)