Look at all that room for more tracks. The recent release of the final report from the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) involves a train running through this corridor.
[UPDATE 6:58pm]222 Is A Key Player In Glenwood South
Walked down Glenwood South recently? 222 Glenwood is putting the finishing touches on and is only a couple months away from completion. I’m pretty eager to see this condo building up and running; as well as getting the sidewalk back. This building is a key part of expanding the entertainment factor for Glenwood South as well as helping to connect the district.
Parking options will increase with the addition of 222’s deck. All the residents will have their own spaces and the rest should be used by the public. However, it is yet to be determined whether spaces will be used for valet or for business purposes only. If available for the public, I would expect a small fee during peak nightlife hours. The deck has two entrances/exits but the traffic pattern is yet to be known either. See the picture below for possible ways in and out.
222 almost covers the entire length of the block and there is a good stretch of windows that give any pedestrian some eye candy as they stroll by. There appears to be retail/restaurant space on every stretch of the Glenwood sidewalk, besides the small space for the resident lobby. The “window shopping” effect will be attractive to people walking by and I expect this part of the street to get some good foot traffic.
Lastly, 222 will help bridge Powerhouse Square and the rest of Glenwood South. The zigzag walk down West and up Jones St. is lined with Blue Martini, Napper Tandy’s, 42nd St. Oyster Bar, Prime Only, 518 West, Mosaic, and Turkish Delights. This building will fill the gap up to Lane St., where Zely & Ritz, Sushi Blues, Hibernian, Cody’s, and The Rockford get things started again.
For Glenwood South to grow, we need to fill the gaps that it has with pedestrian oriented buildings and shops. 222 hits it dead on.
[UPDATE 6:58pm]
I noticed some commenters were not so happy with the look, especially the color. I just noticed this today and had to throw it up to get some opinions. Check out the paint job on the parking deck seen from the back, West St.
EnviroCon: Are You Participating In Earth Hour?
Earth hour was started last year in Sydney, Australia and the event is growing in popularity with more cities participating this year. Raleigh has not signed up and I wish I knew of this sooner to get us on there. You can still participate by shutting off your entire house for an hour at 8pm tomorrow, Saturday March 29th. Even in its second year, there are huge contributions to this planned event.
So on March 29th, whenever 8pm rolls around, over 350 cities in 35 countries, millions of individuals, the Sears Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and 2,100 corporations including HP, Coca Cola and McDonald’s, are all turning off their lights.
Via Ecogeek
Green Square Demolition Commences
Demolition is starting on the Green Square Project. These pics were taken on Thurs. at approx. 6:15 pm.
More destruction is on the way…..
DTR’s Pieces of Flare: The Shimmer Wall
News is slow but conversation never dies. With that, I wanted to dig up an old post that talks about the shimmer wall that is going to be put on the west side of the convention center. For all the juicy details, click here. The wall will cover about 9,000 sq. ft. which is quite large. Here are some renderings and recent pictures of the shimmer wall skeleton.
Right now there are no towers blocking the view when you are driving up South Saunders St. or looking from Dorothea Dix campus. The dancing lights will add some flare to the Raleigh skyline.
Pic of the Week
The wooden fence along Lenoir St. around the convention center construction site. This is an ultra wide pic so for easier viewing:
Slow Goings At The Atrium
The Atrium is still not complete. It is actually in standby mode and there has not been work here in months. I do not know of what will eventually happen here but it is not looking good so far. Could this be another dead project?
Anyway, I wanted to highlight the facade change. Here are two pictures; a before and after sort of speak. I think they went from plain/boring to dull/”red brick again?” I’m sure they were just trying to match the 112 property next door but instead failed miserably to create anything exciting.
Oct. 2006
Mar. 2008
How would you feel if 112/114 Fayetteville St. were torn down for something taller?
Untapped Resource: Halifax Mall
The government complex is a part of downtown whether we like it or not. The whole area becomes a ghost town at night and you can hear a pin drop on the weekends. However, within this black hole there is a true gem. Halifax Mall is the large grassy field in the middle of all the government buildings and it needs a little love on the weekends.
I took a walk around there this past Saturday and there is plenty of green space for some sports action. The weather was great for a game of football, soccer, or whatever sport you prefer. Maybe I just came at a bad time, but 2:00 pm seemed like an ideal time for people to show. The grass is certainly greener then your yard and the views are pretty cool. There are benches, water fountains, and plenty of parking. There is just no human presence.
Maybe I’ll organize a RalCon soccer game and we can play here. Who’s in?
