by Leo Suarez

Study on Retail Variety Downtown

WRAL had an article over the weekend about the need for a more diverse retail market downtown and how $32 million is lost to businesses outside the area. Here is the video ran during their broadcast.

I think the study is pretty legitimate and does show a slight problem in the downtown retail market. I have confidence in the Downtown Raleigh Alliance that they will address these issues and try to help drop this number. I think it will naturally take care of itself with the rise in office and big rise in residential numbers.

We really need to look at the big picture here; that there is a small urban seedling, slowly growing amongst a forest of sub-urban communities. This urban lifestyle is starting to get everyone’s attention and there is a significant amount of people that are either scared of it, too lazy to enjoy it, or simply just do not understand how to handle it. I’ve met numerous people that prefer to stay away from downtown because of the area’s supposed ‘problems’ but no area in Raleigh is perfect and we all live we some ‘problems’ in our area, just depends on who you ask I guess.

Let’s take Mr. Nesrallah, the owner of America’s Pita Grill, quoted right in the WRAL article. For the record, APG is a good place, I’ve eaten there before and the two guys working there are nice and pretty laid back. He is quoted as have racked up $365 in parking tickets. I’m sorry Mr. Nesrallah but I’m going to have to call you out. I see you every morning parking right in front of APG and your car is there all day. OF COURSE YOU ARE GOING TO GET PARKING TICKETS!!!! Please, take a look around and notice that your business is located in a parking deck. If you get a $12 parking ticket every weekday, that’s about $240 a month. The Alexander square deck has monthly parking spaces for $120, but if you wait until 9:00 pm, you can leave the deck for free. Too late for you? The Moore Square deck, one block away, has spots for as low as $45 a month or you can wait until 7:00 pm and leave without paying a penny to park downtown. Downtown does not owe you a VIP spot right in front of the shop when 5 and 7 story parking decks are practically on top of you.

I’ve met people that hate downtown, some for good reasons others for ignorant reasons, but if you are reading this post, I may be able to assume you support our downtown or are at least interested. I always hear the same complaints; 1) There is nowhere to park 2) Nothing is open 3) There are too many vagrants 4) There is too much crime. Downtown does not need to change, Raleigh residents need to grow up and learn that 1) there IS parking, just not right in front of the building 2) there ARE places open and as downtown grows there will be more options 3) there are just as many vagrants as any other city, we are not an exception, and if you have some street smarts you will know what to do 4) downtown, statistically, is one of the safest places in the city, believe it.

This is all occurring because Raleigh’s growth but I believe things will get better and people will eventually learn and support our downtown. If you think I’m crazy then fine, I respect everyone’s opinion. Just be proud of the city you live in and know that downtown is the area most looked at by visitors.

by Leo Suarez

Downtown Walking Tour (Part 4)

The walking tour starts to take us out of the core downtown district and past some of the more historic homes of Raleigh. The Blount Street Commons project will greatly affect this area of the tour with parking lots being ripped up and developed and houses renovated or even moved.

31. First Baptist Church (1859)

32. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (2000)

33. State Legislative Building (1963)

34. Executive Mansion (1891)

35. Andrews-London House (1918)

36. Heck-Andrews House (1870)

37. Henry Clay Oak (marker)

38. Andrews-Duncan House (1874)

39. Higgs-Coble-Helms House (1878)

40. Lewis-Smith House (1855)

by Leo Suarez

The Lofts NOT at Glenwood South

712 Tucker, discussed here, has now become ‘The Lofts at Glenwood South’. I had forgotten about this project so I went out last night to see the situation for myself. There is a reason this project has been quiet; nothing has been built. The old warehouse that stood in this spot, unused, has been demolished and cleared out, shown in the pic posted. My realtor mentioned that the developer here had some money problems and it has stalled The Lofts’ construction. Will it ever be built? Who knows. I thought it was a great idea to bring rental units to downtown, especially two blocks away from Glenwood South.

With the Peace Street Streetscape Project being done just down the street, this empty lot will slowly become more valuable. Perhaps someone will step in and build taller.

by Leo Suarez

East Coast High Speed Rail Conference

We’ll stick with the rail discussion carried over from last week but move from local to regional. Tonight at the Fletcher Opera house will be a conference discussing the possibility of a high-speed rail line for the east coast. The N&O highlights the event:

National rail industry and transportation leaders are coming to Raleigh for a daylong conference Monday to discuss prospects for fast passenger and freight train service that has been proposed for the East Coast.

Monday’s conference, titled “High Speed Rail for the East Coast — It’s Time,” runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fletcher Opera Theatre, 2 E. South St., Raleigh. A fee is charged. Registration details are online at www.wtsncevents.org.

……

“Our goal is to continue to build the support that is necessary for implementing high-speed rail as a relief measure for our over-capacity roads and air-quality challenges,” said Julie E. Hunt of the Women’s Transportation Seminar of North Carolina, organizer of the event.

This probably coincides with Virginia and North Carolina’s study of a high speed rail line between Richmond and Raleigh. You can see more about this proposal here. The southeast high speed rail line would be pretty influential. This would create alternative modes of travel to larger cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington DC. If this plan is implemented like the website says, it would make Raleigh a hub, with trains flowing north, south, and west.

by Leo Suarez

Rail Transit Soon To Launch………

….in Charlotte! Yeah this is a downtown RALEIGH blog but after seeing the tracks out there in the queen city and the videos below, I feel I need to give a shout out. The trains are currently being tested and will see commuters riding next month. I hope that this train line in Charlotte is successful and that the triangle can implement such a project to improve our worsening traffic. I’m a big fan of an efficient transit system that is convenient and widely supported; something this area lacks so much. This is probably the number one thing that frustrates me about the area. Anyway, watch the video and read up on Light Rail Transit. Do you think Raleigh is ready for a system like this?

by Leo Suarez

Blount Street Commons

For some background information on this project, this post is required reading. Some of the information is slightly old but the end result is the same nonetheless.

The picture below shows the area I’m referring to. Construction fencing surrounds almost the entire block, the parking lots have been cleared, and some have even been scrapped away. This picture I copy and pasted together, (yeah I’ve got skill) shows the google view of the block next to the planned view from the livable streets website.

I like what I see, less pavement and more green, plus more dense residential development. This may not be high-rise condo living but it is still urban living, being so close to downtown. The Blount Street Commons area should really turn into its own community as it gets closer to completion.



by Leo Suarez

Another Hillsborough St. Tower

Hillsborough St. is on fire! The N&O reports of another tower in the works at the corner of West and Hillsborough.

A group including former Raleigh Mayor Smedes York wants to build an eight- to 10-story building including shops topped with offices, residences or both on the block southwest of the intersection of Hillsborough and West streets in downtown Raleigh.

HBS Properties, which is represented by York Properties, has assembled all but two of the 10 tracts on the 1.15-acre block.

………….

Once that’s settled, the single-story storefronts dating to the 1930s could meet with the wrecking ball.

HBS is considering street-level shops with offices and residences — likely rentals — on top. Or just shops and offices.

York hopes to begin building within a year. The project would take 18 months to finish.

Kind of sad to see the old shops get torn down but that area always seems dead and the shops continue to remain empty. Along with all the other announcements that are coming to Hillsborough St., it will become the link between Fayetteville St. and the Glenwood South area.