by Leo Suarez

Marriott Hotel Opening in July

The Marriott hotel’s website says that it will be opening in July. This is approximately one month before the convention center is set to open during Raleigh Wide Open III. I think it is safe to assume that Fayetteville St. will be finished if they plan to open next month. Cars will need access to the round lobby driveway on the newer section of Fayetteville St. The parking deck underneath will also need to be finished and access to it is on Lenoir St. so construction there will have to be completed. This works out well because the hotel will have some time to get things up and running before the first convention even starts.

I am very much interested to see what will end up in the “coffee shop” and “restaurant” space on Fayetteville St. according to this floor plan.

The circle driveway

Wide Fayetteville St. sidewalks will look the same

Anxiously waiting for Salisbury St. to open up

by Leo Suarez

Shifting Houses To Blount Street

There is some activity on the Blount Street Commons Project at the block across the street from Peace College. The Jordan, Watson, and Merrimon Wynn houses are being prepped to move to Blount St. The Jordan House is planned to be placed at the southwest corner of Peace and Blount St. The small building there is currently being demolished. The Merrimon Wynn house will move down Blount St. and will be on the northeast corner of Polk and Blount St. This is all shown on the site plan which interestingly enough shows a splitting Wilmington St. continuing straight right at Peace. I’m curious if that is the plan and maybe the curve will be rid of?

Building demolition

The Merrimon Wynn house waits to be jacked up

Blount Street Commons

by Leo Suarez

Leisure Aquatic Features Coming to Downtown [UPDATE: 6-11-08]

It’s been a slow news week but RalCon strives to keep posting as much as possible. Pictures have massively been lacking but we can make it through the slump. Some travel plans over this summer have pushed back my purchase of a new camera. Once I get it, you’ll be begging for me to stop posting pictures. Until then we can still discuss other topics.

Summer is here and you can start to really feel the heat. This only means that it is time to relax from all of that stress at work by chilling next to a pool.(besides relaxing by reading a RalCon post while at work, right?) I hope most of you like to hang out by a pool as much as I do but this amenity is hard to come by when being in downtown. I decided to go through a running list of the aquatic features currently open or being built downtown.

RBC Plaza

Up high on the 23rd floor, this pool should be a very cool feature for people living in RBC Centura’s national HQ’s building. Tenants on the south side of the building will be able to look over their balconies at people getting or trying to get tan. High diving from your balcony is not recommended. Coming summer of 2008.

The Tucker

With the lower priced condos at this Glenwood South project, the pool will be covered with kids out of college, enjoying life out of school and less responsibility on the weekends. I may have too much fun if I lived here with a pool and Glenwood down the street. Coming summer of 2009.

West at North

Another Glenwood South project. This pool is 16 stories up above; you guessed it, West and North Street. Even though I vote this building to have the most unoriginal name in downtown, it earns pretty high marks and I’m excited about it being built. This may be the hardest pool to get to, if you do not know someone living there. Anyone? Coming late 2008

The Paramount
I have always had a hard time finding any information about the Paramount. The high prices just don’t work with me, I guess that is what it is. Anyway, I have to link it over to Raleighing for a tour of the building and pics of their pool.

The Lafayette Boutique Hotel

I have not found any concrete plans for this building or the rooftop bar/restaurant planned for this high-rise hotel. The pool is rumored to be a part of it and this rendering came out sometime last year. I think it will easily have the best view of Raleigh……if it ever gets built.

The Raleigh Municipal Fountain

This little oasis is probably the most accessible of them all and is downtown’s only hot tub. Some have criticized its small size but it is not the size of the pool that matters. It’s the rushing waterfall that massages out my arms from lifting too many pints at the flying saucer. Open daily.

[UPDATE: 10-18-07]
The Hue

This cozy little pool will be wrapped on three sides by 7 floors of condos. To finish it of is a nice parking deck. Oh well, better than nothing.

[UPDATE: 6-11-08]

222 Glenwood

This post is just plain fun to update. Here is a new image from the 222 Glenwood pool. It looks pretty slick and the squares on the parking deck wall are a nice touch.

Thanks, Ashton!

by Leo Suarez

Carolina Rollergirls Action

Even though the event is outside of downtown, they are in all the parades so The Carolina Rollergirls are worth mentioning here. All kidding aside, I went to the 2008 Golden Skate Championship Bout this past Saturday and had so much fun at the event. If you are looking for something a little different, mark your calendar and do not miss the next bout this year.

The rest of the 2008 season:
Saturday, Sep 13
Saturday Nov 22
Sunday Dec 7

Watch the video from the bout on Saturday.


Carolina Rollergirls from Leo on Vimeo.

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Gets A New Look

Sleek and simple is the new look I’m going for here. Those that have been reading the blog for awhile could have seen this coming and I’m really excited to get a new theme up and running. Hopefully there will be no major problems this week as the majority of the conversion has been done and I still have things to tweak. Report here if you see any problems with the website.