Category / Planning DT Raleigh

by Leo Suarez

Moore and Nash Need A Haircut

While downtown Raleigh continues to go through a sort of ‘urban renaissance’, there may be some elements that are overlooked. We all love tall buildings and the convenience of being close to everything but, where in all this density is there any room for parks and open spaces for us to relax in? Moore and Nash square are our tickets for just that, but as downtown changes I believe that the squares need to change as well.


Moore Square


Nash Square

To get more people to spend time inside our open spaces they need to be more inviting and currently Nash and Moore are not quite the best hosts to visitors, Nash especially. At a comprehensive plan presentation I went to a couple weeks ago, they touched on the layout of the two squares. A big detail that was mentioned that I never thought of before was that there are too many trees. Sounds odd right? If you think about it though a public square is more inviting if you can see all the way through it. It is even better if you can see buildings above the trees and street activity while being anywhere inside the space.

I went to visit Philadelphia in March 2007 and when recalling the trip, I remember that we spent some time around Rittenhouse Square, one of the city’s urban parks. (map) It has become one of the city’s most desirable areas and the park is a great example of what Raleigh should strive for. There is a great combination of pedestrian elements, like benches, wide sidewalks, statues, and fountains, mixed with nature. The trees do not overpower visitors or give anyone a slight sense of claustrophobia. Sunlight still comes through during the day while city and building lights brighten the space at night. Here is a picture I took during the trip.


Wintertime, so no leaves, but use your imagination

I really believe that Nash and Moore need to get a haircut. Even with the leaves gone, Nash square is still a rat’s nest of vegetation. The picture above will show you that you cannot see through the square and being inside can feel a bit crowded. Moore square does a better job but could still use some work. This may be a touchy subject but in the end, I believe it will get a lot of support because of the idea of preserving open spaces. Our two downtown spaces need a makeover and I’m not afraid to say it but many branches and some trees may have to get the ax.

by Leo Suarez

Justice Center Expansion, $200+ Million and a Historic Raleigh Cost


The needs of the county are growing and Wake must provide proper justice services to all of us. To do this, Wake is expanding the current Public Safety Center with this new $214 million project pictured above. Here is the site in Google maps:

View Larger Map

The ugly parking deck, the Garland Jones building, and the Lawyers Building are all coming down for the expansion of the current site right next door. You may recognize these two buildings shown below.

The N&O has an article with more information. Here are some highlights:

Dubbed the Wake County Justice Center, the 11-story building will house criminal courtrooms as well as a number of county offices, including the Board of Commissioners’ meeting room, the county manager’s offices, the Register of Deeds and the Revenue Department. The current county courthouse will become the home for civil legal matters.

WHEN IT’LL BE DONE: Demolition is slated to begin by the end of this year, and the building is slated to be in use by 2013, according to a timeline of the project.

Wake County also has some information on their website, with more renderings of the building here.

I went out and got this picture yesterday. This is the current view from Nash square.


Before. Current justice center is tower in the back right

In 5 years, we’ll have this.


After. Replaces the deck and connects to current justice center

It is nothing too exciting. I guess this is one place I hope I never have to go inside? The building is a service to our county so if we do need this then I have no problem with expanded government services. The building is seeking a LEED certification, so I’m happy that there will be environmentally friendly elements to this new structure. The current parking deck being built on the site of The L will be used for employees commuting to work here. That means a rise in downtown workers and hopefully a rise in restaurants, shops, and living options in and near downtown for this increasing workforce.

by Leo Suarez

State of the City [UPDATE]

Mayor Meeker’s speech is today at noon over at the Progress Energy Center of the Performing Arts. I’m going to update this post later with some thoughts after I watch it. Unfortunately, I cannot go to it so I may have to wait until I get home from work so leave comments on your predictions or for those that went, please leave any reactions or reviews.

It is open to the public and they are also selling lunch.

[UPDATE 3:15pm]
I was able to watch the ‘State of the City’ speech given today by Mayor Meeker online while at work. The speech was nice and short and hit on key topics; some relative to downtown. The drought was the biggest topic, as it should be, and affects everyone in Raleigh. The mayor said that a study with the army corps of engineers has revealed that Falls Lake may be dry by this summer. I know I’ve been watching my water consumption but will start to see if I can do even more. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Here are some downtown highlights:

  • The mayor mentioned the amount of cranes downtown, showing tremendous new developments as well as renovation projects.
  • The Convention Center will open in August; it is fully booked through 2008 and mostly 2009.
  • Transportation will be very important this year. It is time to “get serious” about improving the bus service and creating a rail system.
  • Transit will also change “the old-fashioned way” starting with improvements to sidewalks, lights, and creating pedestrian friendly environments. The mayor mentioned complete streets as a model
  • There will be a focus on urban growth in downtown and along major corridors in the city.
  • The African American Cultural Center is currently in its design phase. Financial details as well as location are still being discussed.
  • There is a downtown parking study underway, results are still a few months away.
  • The mayor stressed energy efficiency in our city lights. There are over 30,000 incandescent bulbs around the city that are planned to be switched over to LED lighting.
  • There will be an Arts Foundation starting with the city putting up to $100,000 a year. The mayor used the new art pieces in Chavis Park and Fred Fletcher Park as examples of what would appear around the city.
  • Dorothea Dix is planning to move most of its beds to the site in Butner in 2Q 2008, but some operations will remain on the site for a little longer. The Dix master plan is favoring a park but it will really come down to what our state officials decide to do with the site (it is state owned property after all).
  • Affordable housing downtown was brought up and it is currently being looked at. No plans as of yet.

The mayor also made a small note about creating destinations around Raleigh, downtown, North Hills, Crabtree were some example. He wanted to light these places up to let people know that this is an important area of the city. He mentioned that the dome of the capitol building is now lit up as of about 2 weeks ago. This explains why I have been looking at the Capitol building at night so funny lately, I never caught this.

It sounds like Raleigh is doing great but our water supply is the biggest concern. If we all can battle through this drought and the city can come up with a plan to solve this issue, then we can finally move on from this 10 month war. It sounds like the mayor has ideas to slow sprawl and attack traffic problems now before they get out of hand. He used Charlotte as an example when talking about transit and how their model was good. I’m glad they got the chance to go out there and see the light rail line personally.

You can watch or read more about the speech (as of 3:07pm) at WRAL and ABC11.

by Leo Suarez

Planning Raleigh 2030

The City of Raleigh has launched a new website, www.planningraleigh2030.com. Since news is slow I wanted to highlight this link and let you browse the many documents to see if you can find anything interesting. According to the timeline we should have an adopted plan approved sometime around May 2009. Here are a couple of interesting points I noticed after maybe five minutes of browsing:

  • “Raleigh is nationally recognized as a model green city”. I do not at all agree with this statement. Yes, we are heading in the right direction but far from being the model that other cities should look upon. I’m a big supporter of the LED replacement initiative taking place across the city. This may be an act to follow, but the city as a whole, still has some work to do.
  • Looking at the growth maps across Raleigh, it seems that the fringes of the city are the areas where the most growth is occurring. I believe this trend needs to slow down and annexing more land and connecting the cities with more highways is the wrong way to approach things. We do not need to consume more, but create efficiency with what we already have.
  • Raleigh’s population as of July 1, 2007 was 367,995.
  • The central district population has 20,664 people, the 3rd lowest district in Raleigh, after The Umstead and East districts.
  • We are hovering between 3.3% and 4.1% annual growth over the last 3 years.

Of course, the stats may not really show anything. The planning districts are not the same size and those in north Raleigh are significantly larger then the ones downtown and around NC State. But should that matter since a city’s downtown is generally the densest area?

What I’m really interested in is a map with job density and traffic patterns around the city. That could really help us see where the upgrades to our transit system should go.

by Leo Suarez

RPD Building Getting an Upgrade

I heard about this before but here is some official information on the Lightner Public Safety Center. I’m anxious to see how the designs turn out because a 15 story tower at this location will add to the skyline. It’s nothing major but you will be able to see it coming into town from South Saunders St. and even Morgan St. Looks aside, the building will greatly assist our the city’s safety needs, I support it.

The Raleigh City Council has approved the selection of Kling Stubbins/Cherry Huffman to provide design work and other professional services for construction of the Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex.

Stubbins/Cherry Huffman was cited by City of Raleigh staff for having extensive experience in public safety, call and command center and technology infrastructure design and construction of major 911 call centers and Federal government buildings. The company also has extensive experience building design and construction of energy efficient buildings. The City may also contract with public safety specialty consultants to assist with meeting the needs of the public safety departments through the design process

The Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center will be located on the corner of Hargett and McDowell streets, currently the site of the City of Raleigh Police Department headquarters.

The 15-story, 260,000-square-foot facility will enhance the City’s ability to consolidate public safety operations and other local government offices and functions at one location, including the City’s police and fire departments. The public safety center is named in honor of Clarence E. Lightner, who served as mayor of Raleigh from 1973-75.

by Leo Suarez

Rex Has Their Eye on Downtown

The News & Observer has an article on the possibility of Rex Healthcare opening up a wellness center in the downtown area. They suggest that with close ties to developer Craig Davis Properties, who are behind the currently planned Site 1 project, the wellness center may end up here. I like the condo numbers mentioned in the article.

Rex is exploring the possibility of opening a wellness center that would cater to the swelling legions of workers and residents in the city center.
……………
The number of condos in Raleigh’s core is expected to double within two years and could quadruple within four. Hundreds of apartments are planned. And, if all the planned offices are built and filled, downtown’s work force could grow by at least 40 percent within five years.

I was not exactly sure what Rex means by a Wellness Center but according to their website:

Rex Wellness Centers aren’t your typical health club. In addition to our advanced fitness equipment and customized programs, we offer a free health education series and access to a variety of rehabilitation programs. And if you’re looking for amenities, you’ve come to the right place. Our facilities offer:

– Heated indoor pool(s)
– Whirlpools
– Steam room
– Sauna
– Indoor track
– Treadmills
– Stairclimbers
– Rowing machines
– Upright and recumbent computerized bikes
– Cross-country skiing machines
– Strength training equipment
– Free weights
– Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation
– Aquatic therapy
– Child activity area
– Full-service locker rooms
– Towel service
– Pro-shop
And there’s more…

Rex Wellness Centers are unique from other fitness facilities. In addition to our state-of-the-art equipment and comprehensive health education programs, we offer a variety of rehabilitation services, specifically designed to help you return to all the activities you enjoy.

This would make a great addition to downtown. It is very difficult for downtown workers to exercise during or right after work. With its location in the core business district, it would be very convenient to walk to. Future residents could take full advantage of this as I’ve noticed that the gyms within buildings are too small. The only real option is peak fitness in the Glenwood South area. Let’s hope Rex makes a play for Site 1.

by Leo Suarez

Peace Street Streetscape Project

Here is a little project that is needed and will help extend the Glenwood South district further north along Peace Street. The area I’m talking about is along both sides of Peace Street between St. Mary’s Street and West Street. The Raleigh City Council has recently approved to extend the scope of the project that will improve the streetscape along this corridor. The contract with the city’s consultant has now increased to $184,900 to develop a plan along the lines of the Peace Street Streetscape Project.

In a nutshell, the area’s sidewalks will be re-done, pedestrian friendly furniture will be added, parking will be organized, and utility lines will be buried. The outdoor furniture includes things such as bike racks, benches, and trash cans. New lights will be added and hopefully they will match the lights that are currently on Glenwood. Certain aesthetic features will be encouraged on the businesses nearby such as awnings, facade materials, and signage. Trees will also be planted along the side of the streets.

A great project and I hope there are no bumps along the way to slow it down. If anyone has driven through that light at Glenwood and Peace, you may have seen some birds tangled up in that web of wires. No date for a proposed start of construction just yet.

Click here for an overhead map view of the target area.

Click here for a lot more links and details of the project on the city’s website.