227 — this is where from 227 This Is Where on Vimeo.
Here’s a promo video for 227 Fayetteville Street, a renovation job that will bring new office space to small startup businesses and entrepreneurs.
Minus all the advertising for the building itself, the video shows off some renderings of what the spaces will look like as well as a new facade for the building. The renovation has already started and should be completed by Winter 2014.
Want to see a rendering of the new Raleigh downtown building at Charter Square? http://t.co/KvfcjpdSkj @RaleighWake @DowntownRaleigh
— Raleigh4u (@Raleigh4u) April 11, 2013
There’s some high-level info at the N&O and the TBJ but I’m sure more details will come out soon if, according to the TBJ, the groundbreaking is in the next few months.
Long time readers may remember when I wrote up a walking tour on downtown Raleigh. I took that down last year because lack of maintenance and neglect basically made it fall apart. Well, I’ve freshened up the tour and am now ready to relaunch it.
The tour is simple and has ten stops up and down Fayetteville Street and between Moore and Nash Square. Visitors and new residents to Raleigh may enjoy the tour to “get their feet wet” with downtown as well as see some other spots for later visits.
The tour’s website is mobile ready so if you have a smartphone, there’s no need to print it out and no need to download an app. Just load the page and start walking.
Enjoy!
Related walking tours in Raleigh:
New signage and paint job at the Wilmington Street entrance to the Moore Square Bus Station. These are just a few of several aesthetic improvements that are being made to this part of the station in an effort to increase safety and raise the level of service.
This is not part of the future Moore Square Bus Station redesign which could see a complete overhaul of the station in the future.
My latest City Journal article has been posted over at the Raleigh Public Record. I took a look at other urban-style shopping and retail centers in Raleigh, mainly North Hills and Lafayette Village, and compared them to downtown Raleigh.
During the past few decades, Raleigh, like the rest of the country, is shopping differently. Yes, online spending continues to grow, but spending “in real life,” or in shopping centers, is changing, too. Urban in style with a mix of uses is the new trend in retail development, and in Raleigh, a few locations offer shoppers goods, services, and a place to socialize.
*Retail Becomes More Urban, Social
It’s interesting that there are some very similar qualities between these places and downtown. However, the dynamic is different in that downtown has hundreds of property owners while retailers work with just a single entity in the others.
A lot going on behind the scenes so here’s a lazy post. From a City of Raleigh press release,
The Raleigh City Council approved a contract today with Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. to provide professional services with the Downtown Bus Facilities Master Plan. The project involves two phases, one associated with the Union Station Multi-Modal Facility and the second for improvements to the Moore Square Transit.
The first phase of the project is to determine the feasibility of relocating existing Capital Area Transit service facilities located in Downtown Raleigh to improve service and to align planning initiatives around the Union Station site on the west side of downtown Raleigh. The planned Raleigh Union Station will house Amtrak, Greyhound, high speed, regional, and light rail as well as an undetermined amount of Capital Area Transit service from its current location at Moore Square.
The consultant will focus on an analysis of the needs of Capital Area Transit system’s operational needs for Downtown Raleigh, a site assessment of multiple alternatives to accommodate the goals and needs of the bus system, a schematic design of both the site and facility, and an implementation strategy and schedule.
The second phase will focus on the upgrades to the Moore Square Transit Station facility. Designers will be asked to reconfigure the entire facility and its adjacent landscape, pedestrian, and operational spaces. The goal is to improve the physical character of the station.
The Council made an amendment to the contract with Parsons Brinckerhoff that requires the firm to involve them throughout the process.
[This guest post comes from Joseph Havey who represents Travelhost Magazine of the Triangle, which seeks to “help visitors to the Triangle area make memories to cherish a lifetime.” Contact me to put your original content about downtown Raleigh on DTRaleigh.]
This past weekend, Drew Carey headlined at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in celebration of the club turning 30 last October. As you can imagine, every show sold out.
Aside from cheesy high school talent shows, Goodnight’s hosted my first experience with live comedy. I went with a couple of friends: They paid, and who was I to turn down a free laugh? We ate at the Old Bar downstairs (Goodnight’s is sandwiched between two restaurants) before heading up to enjoy the JJ Walker show. It was Dy-no-mite! At 20 years old, I waited a while to join the ranks of the club’s audience — a decision I’m kind of regretting. I left that night with stomach pains induced by my bellowing laughter.
JJ Walker and my friends at Goodnight’s
The atmosphere is what you’d expect in a comedy club—brick walls, dim lighting and free-flowing alcohol. The staff was more than accommodating and the food was delicious. Goodnight’s owners Brad and Shannon Reeder have done a great job ensuring that the experience is top notch.
The Reeders actually met at Goodnight’s (back when it was called Charlie Goodnight’s), in the middle of one of Brad’s comedy tours. They dated, and eventually married, while Brad was on the road, but decided they wanted to settle in Raleigh. The couple bought Goodnight’s several years ago and have been running it ever since.
This past weekend, I got to talk to Shannon about the club’s 30th birthday. She was happy to point out that Goodnight’s is one of the few independent comedy clubs still standing, which makes its age a pretty big deal. It’s also scored a spot on several “Top 10” lists, including that of The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
“One of the top comedy clubs in the country is in Raleigh’s own backyard,” Shannon told me.
Thinking back to my aching abdominal muscles, I undoubtedly agree.
Raleigh Skyline from the Boylan Bridge March 2013
The latest skyline shot from the Boylan Bridge. The soon to open Wake County Justice Center is adding some nice light with its fins along the upper crown of the building.
What do we need to do to get Two Hannover to turn on their lights during dusk these days?
Here are a few more slightly older photos from this angle.
Supermoon over Raleigh by dtraleigh, on Flickr taken March 2011.
For a quick refresher on the 2011 Supermoon, click here.
Dusk in Raleigh by dtraleigh, on Flickrtaken February 2009.
So the Justice Center doesn’t look like it’s adding much to the skyline from this angle. In the 2009 photo, the space looks already filled with the county courthouse. However, you can still see the Lawyer’s building that once stood on Salisbury Street and now the Justice Center occupies that space today.