by Leo Suarez

Shimmer Wall Video

The shimmer wall was officially turned on last night and there was a party held on Cabarrus St. to see the lighting. I’m, for the most part, always pretty positive about things in downtown Raleigh but I was disappointed in what I saw.

I later found out that the shimmer wall looks great if you are close up. Walking down McDowell St. you can really see the lights pop. However, if you walk one block west, for example, the colors are faded and it also looks like there is a dead zone near the top.

We still love Cree for the donation but from talking to people out at the event last night, the consensus was disappointment.

Thanks to Proactive Busybody and The Kitch for contributing.

by Leo Suarez

Raleigh City Museum

In 1800, the city of Raleigh only had 669 people. 200 years after that, the city has changed just a little bit. This city’s expansive changes and growth can all be seen at the Raleigh City Museum located in the Briggs Hardware building on Fayetteville St. This small museum has many photos and maps showing the growth of the city over time. The area we call downtown now is larger then the entire city of Raleigh at one point in time.

Website: RaleighCityMuseum.org

220 Fayetteville St # 100
Raleigh, NC 27601
(go to map)
(919) 832-3775


Timeline with interesting facts and pictures of Raleigh


It started with one thousand acres……Click to read the whole thing

The [R]evolution of Media

The museum will be open during Raleigh Wide Open this weekend so make sure and put it on your to-do list if you have never been. As a bonus, the museum is opening up a new exhibit this Thursday called ‘The [R]evolution of Media’. This exhibit will explore the history of newspaper, television, and radio in the city.

Exhibit website

by Leo Suarez

Lots of RTN Video For Your Labor Day Staycation

For those of you leaving town this weekend, you are excused from this exercise. For the rest of the DT Raleigh staycationers that want more online Raleigh material, there are lots of videos on the Raleigh city website for your viewing pleasure. The video of the month contains lots of videos for the month of August. You can get some information about the convention center, Raleigh Wide Open, and the shimmer wall to name a few topics. This will prepare you for the week ahead. I’m sure you can guess what we will be talking about in the coming days right?

Video of the month page – RaleighNC.gov

Note: Videos work much better in Internet Explorer.

by Leo Suarez

Potential Parking Parcels For Prominent Progress

Renovation and new construction are all over downtown. A couple projects have hit some financing snags so the new construction buzz has become a little slow now that RBC Plaza and the Convention Center are so close to opening. While enjoying the present, it is always good to look toward the future. Since empty lots are hard to come by, parking lots will have to do. Here is a short list of parking lots with high potential for development in the near future in downtown.

Sites 2 and 3

The two parking lots in front of the Performing Arts Center are known as sites 2 and 3, with an “extended” Fayetteville St. bisecting the two lots. There are lots of factors to consider here if imagining what could be built. Should buildings be shorter to ‘step down’ to the Arts Center or should we build tall? Should Fayetteville St. continue to South St.?

Davie and McDowell

This parking lot is surrounded by good stuff so it is only a matter of time before something sprouts here. A hotel would make sense because of its close proximity to the convention center. The parcel is pretty large so a true mixed use project would seem likely.

Lenoir and Wilmington

As Charter Square goes up across the street, the increase traffic flow on Wilmington will make this area look very attractive to developers. The block is sort of transitional between downtown mid-rises and neighborhood houses so it will be interesting to see what is proposed here.

Blount St.

The parking lots between Jones and Edenton street occupy two entire city blocks (except for the Haywood House). The western block could be used for government expansion buildings while the eastern block could be used for low-rise townhouses and condos, creating a neighborhood feel that transitions into Oakwood. Plans for a city visitor center are out there but I have not heard of any new information on that topic.

Are there any other key lots out there ripe for development?

by Leo Suarez

The RBC Spire is a DT Raleigh Symbol

The lighting of the RBC Plaza is a symbol of the progress of the revitalization of downtown Raleigh

[Via MyNC]

I agree with Scott Custer’s statement. The RBC Bank CEO and others lit up the spire last night at a ceremony on Fayetteville St. You may have been lucky to see it lit up a couple of times in the past but it’s now official; the RBC crown is now lighting up the nighttime skyline. It is the symbol of the private sector’s investment in downtown Raleigh.

When the crown is lit up, it is impressive. I think it will be Raleigh’s version of Atlanta’s Bank of America Plaza. The crown stands out at night, from Fayetteville St. all the way out to the beltline and hidden views beyond that. Until something taller comes along, this will probably be the center of most of our national exposure photos; TV shots during sports games, the next billion top 10 lists Raleigh makes, promotion items, etc. Whether visitors like it or not, I think a majority of them will remember the RBC crown and if they see it again outside of the city, they will remember that it is in Raleigh.

The bar has been raised, when will it be topped?