by Leo Suarez

EnviroCon: A Home For Electric Cars In DT Raleigh

Did you know that Raleigh has a small fleet of cars that run on alternative fuels? Almost a year ago it was announced that the city bought a Toyota Prius and modified it to run on only electricity. It wasn’t until recently that I was told by a friend about where this famous Raleigh Prius re-charges. It has its own space and electrical plug right on the bottom floor of the municipal parking deck on Morgan St.

The Prius was not there while I was lurking around the deck but other city vehicles were parked around it. It was interesting to see a car using natural gas as a fuel source.

Eventually one of these vehicle technologies will be adopted if gasoline ever goes away. If electricity prevails, you can see here how easy it is to upgrade parking spaces with simple electrical outlets.

by Leo Suarez

[UPDATE] Bicycle Parking In Downtown Raleigh

As a new bicycle owner, I’m starting to think about how bike-friendly downtown is. It is rather easy riding around on the streets within the core of downtown because of the naturally slower traffic and short distances. The issue I see, however, is the extreme lack of bike racks in the area and you can see it as riders chain their bikes to different poles and trees. Bike racks are also hard to find because there are simply too few of them. This will have to change so that the culture of commuting by bicycle to downtown grows.


Bikes grouped together on Fayetteville St.

To maintain the quality and competitiveness of our downtown, I think that an alternative to driving should be offered. While mass transit is being figured out now, we can focus on ways to encourage people to get out of there cars and ride a bike, scooter, or other “one-person vehicle” to get in and out of downtown. Right now, I think that riding a bike to visit one day on the weekend and chaining it to a tree is kind of acceptable, because of the so few times that you actually do this. But to get the downtown employees to ride to work five days a week, we do not need more trees rather a bike “parking deck”. Just like anyone can drive downtown and leave their car in a deck, a bike should be parked in a small area that is specifically used for the purpose of storing your bike, scooter, hoverboard, whatever. Would you ride more if there were dedicated bike parking areas with:

  • Plenty of spaces; you can always count on an available slot to lock up at.
  • Lots of night lighting to make anyone feel safe.
  • Covered shelters so “vehicles” do not get soaked if it rains while you are at work.
  • Electricity for those with electric scooters, segways, or whatever may come in the future.

IDEA: Downtown Bike Pad

To incorporate the thoughts above, here is an idea that came about in a recent conversation with a friend on this topic. The picture above shows the M&F Bank parking lot on the corner of Hargett and Wilmington St. The lot is for employees only and has six spaces. I have nothing against the bank but I feel that this space should be given up and a deal cut for parking in the Alexander Square deck right behind them. This would be a perfect area for what I’m calling a Downtown Bike Pad.

The entire lot will be used for parking bikes, scooters, segways, and other “vehicles”. The pad will be flush with the street so the sidewalk “peninsula” will have to be flattened. This will make getting in and out by anyone pretty easy. The pad will also be a different color then the road, making it distinct and easy to find. Shelters can cover the area so that anyone’s “vehicle” is protected by any precipitation. Add an artistic touch to the whole thing and I think we’ll have something people will ride too. A LOT of people are already used to the idea of driving downtown, parking in a deck, then walking to their workplace. This is essentially the same thing but takes up less space, is more environmentally friendly, healthier for you, and a cheaper solution to building/expanding our parking deck arsenal.

My idea for the M&F Bank lot would be the ideal solution but until mass transit comes around 15-20 years from now, a modified version of this, perhaps on a smaller scale, could be used. If bike pads were strategically placed in a few spots downtown, I think we would see a rise in biking/alternative commuting and would be a great selling point for new residents and businesses looking at moving here.


Bicycles are not the only ones parking in downtown

[UPDATE 10-6-08]
An update almost a month later but it is still relevant to the conversation. There is a bike rack in the municipal deck, facing Dawson St. at Morgan St. It will cover your bike or scooter from the weather and it is easy to get too. We need much more of these around downtown.

by Leo Suarez

Ride The Trolley During First Friday

Did you know there was a downtown Raleigh trolley route on First Friday? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has a great map of the participating galleries and the trolley route.

Map in pdf format.

I also remember talk earlier this year of a possible trolley route on most days of the week with extended hours. There has been no talk of this anywhere and I am curious if it is coming soon. The convention center is now open, RBC Plaza is officially open today, and the Marriott has been open for over two months. Is a downtown circulator still not feasible?

Check out this post on the current state of trolleys in downtown Raleigh.

by Leo Suarez

The State of City Market

The recent news of Cobblestone Hall coming to City Market has created lots of discussion. Currently, the empty historic building really brings down the energy of the area. The only exception is during events and festivals that drive massive crowds here on select weekends but for most of the year, a few established businesses keep it somewhat alive. There is not a healthy amount of foot traffic considering how many retail spaces there are in this small area.

I’ve always thought that City Market is so random. The businesses here, while being in close proximity, do not mesh well with each other. At any given point on any day, almost half are closed because of the radically different hours between them. It is not their fault though it is just the nature of that business; I’m not sure I would ever want to look at segways at midnight after having a couple drinks at Woody’s or listen to piano cover songs at Rum Runners after having breakfast at Big Ed’s.

Now I’m not saying that this atmosphere and mix of retail is a bad thing; it’s just an observation. The real question is do we want City Market to stay the course of having destination places or should it be made into a district where people come for restaurants or bars or shopping or whatever?


Big Ed’s is great but the hours are horrible, adding to the emptiness.


Lots of retail spaces.


If turned into a district, sidewalks could be flush with the street; all pedestrians and no cars allowed. This is possible now with the new parking deck across Blount St.


Is the parking lot still needed? This could be a site for future development, perhaps a City Market “expansion”.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

On the 200 block of Fayetteville St. are some stairs leading below ground. If you went to see the art on display this past weekend during sparkCon, or you’ve got sweet, homeboy connections, you were able to see the great space deep in downtown Raleigh’s “foundation”. It doesn’t take a genius to see the framework of a bar being built down there; at least that’s what I’m putting my money on.

by Leo Suarez

Top 10 Empty Spaces To Fill Around Downtown

The discussion of retail space along sidewalks in downtown is not new. When designing a building, you could argue for or against including this in our current state of things. When the Wachovia and BB&T towers were built, only a single retail space was included. RBC Plaza is now open with three spaces on the ground floor. This increasing trend is great for downtown but rather then continuing to build new we should also focus on the empty spaces out there already that need a solid tenant. Here is a list of empty spaces around downtown that I think are critical spots for a shop or restaurant to set up in with #1 being the most important.

NOTE: These are places that are currently empty with no news of a potential tenant to the best of my knowledge.


#10 Progress Energy II

Iatria Spa closed down in the space on Davie St. and it does not look like anyone is jumping at the opportunity. Close proximity to Fayetteville St. and Moore Square are key selling points at this location.


#9 Wilmington and Martin St.

Honestly, I have no idea what has ever been in this building. RBC Plaza’s opening could help generate more foot traffic and make it more appealing.


#8 Music Hall

The music hall above Martin St. Pizza is empty. This is a large space and could have the potential for something unique like a bar/restaurant with live music.


#7 The Atrium

This space was under renovation all throughout 2007 but has now been sitting empty. The 100 block of Fayetteville St. may be the quietest one so something new here will help the overall street activity. The parking deck across the street is a big plus.


#6 The Raleigh Sandwich Shop

As the Hargett St. momentum continues to grow, led by Empire Properties, Wilmington St. will start getting some love. The Raleigh Sandwich shop just looks like a place that needs a smart developer to come in and renovate. Lots of potential here.


#5 Odd Fellows

The Waraji deal seemed to die out and now the large space sits empty. A successful restaurant here would extend the Hargett St. activity even more.


#4 Commerce Place

Moving out of the core downtown and into the warehouse district, we move to Commerce Place. The building is only partially filled but there is a key spot on Martin St. that could use some love. The warehouse district has so much potential and spaces like this can really hold something very original.


#3 Boylan Pearce Building

That white wall has been there for years and offers nothing to anyone that walks by. The 200 block of Fayetteville has a lot of activity compared to the rest of the street and this is a solid location that no one has jumped on yet.


#2 The Depot

While Jibarra is currently set to open up here, the rest of the building sits empty. This historic building has the luxury of having surface parking right in front. If traffic could flow through the warehouses a little better I think this place would be full in two seconds.


#1 City Market

The granddaddy of them all, City Market is one of downtown’s more significant, historical buildings. This huge space has been empty for years and really creates a hole in the middle of the city market block, making it feel desolate and slow. I think the building needs a huge landmark Raleigh restaurant or used as a seller’s venue, kind of like Market St. in Charleston.

What is interesting to note about this list is that nothing is mentioned in Glenwood South. Hats off Glenwood.

by Leo Suarez

Drink Cherry Bounce at Deep South

Deep South is serving up some Cherry Bounce. You may remember them from this BeerCon Post. If you are not familiar with the Raleigh history around the drink, read:

In the late 1700s, North Carolina legislators traveled to rotating capital cities to meet and conduct the state’s official business. So how did an oak-shaded area in Wake County become the permanent state capital?

The official story goes that the Constitutional Convention met in 1788 and decided the capital must be established within 10 miles of Isaac Hunter’s tavern and plantation in Wake County. After exploring the area, the commissioners agreed to purchase a parcel of land from Joel Lane, a local Revolutionary War colonel who had hosted General Assembly sessions at his home during the war. In 1792 Lane sold one thousand acres of his Wake County property for 1,378 pounds ($2,756) to provide a site for North
Carolina’s permanent capital, Raleigh.

But according to local legend, Lane, who–like Isaac Hunter–operated a tavern and inn out of his house, relied upon a potent fruit and alcohol drink called Cherry Bounce to sway the legislators in favor of buying property from him, rather than Hunter. Cherry Bounce is a concoction made up of mashed cherries, sugar and whiskey or brandy, aged for several weeks. Visitors today are not likely to find Cherry Bounce in Raleigh, but they will find that the tradition of Southern hospitality–inspired by the city’s “founding father”–continues.

– Via [Visit Raleigh]

Talk to your local bartenders and get them to serve Cherry Bounce too.