Category / Pic of the Week

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)

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Construction site of The Metropolitan, December 2017

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.

Harrington Street, December 2017

by Leo Suarez

Map of the Week

Retail Street maps of downtown Raleigh in the comprehensive plan

Click for larger

I was perusing through the latest updates for the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan when I spotted this beauty of a map. Technically, it’s not new but just a revised (better looking) map of proposed retail streets in downtown Raleigh.

I wanted to post it here for reference. New developments along these identified streets should be encouraged to provide continuous, ground-floor retail and/or active spaces. That’s something to keep in mind for new proposals.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Boylan Flats construction site, November 2017

The construction site at Boylan Flats is really moving now. The 48-unit apartment building on the 600 block of North Boylan will most likely finish sometime next year.

I wonder if those south facing units may one-day be just a few feet away from a future development on the corner of Boylan and Johnson. That may just be a risk when building a narrow development mid-block with interior windows I guess.