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!
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Dillon. #downtownraleigh
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
A crane has shown up at the site of The Metropolitan. The parking deck is being put together and foundation work has begun. It’s great to see the site being rebuilt after the fire in March of this year. The area nearby is undergoing a lot of change so it’s nice to see planned residential come through.
Hopefully, the roads will reopen sometime soon. Feels doubtful though as the Quorum Center is still in pretty bad shape from what can be seen on the outside.
