by Leo Suarez

Waiting on the Blount and Person Street Phase I Makeover

Blount Street. September 2018.

Blount Street. September 2018. A bike lane is planned to be installed this Fall.

With planning going back to 2013, the first phase of the makeover for the Blount and Person Street duo should be starting soon. Design work for Phase 1 of the corridor has been completed and last I heard, the construction bids are out now.

The project can be summed up according to this excerpt from a City Manager’s Weekly Report:

The design of the Phase I Implementation of the Blount Street – Person Street Corridor Study is complete. The project will reconfigure pavement markings and install a continuous bike lane on both streets from Hoke Street to Old Louisburg Road. North of Edenton Street, the streets will be resurfaced and curb ramps will be upgraded. The design of the project will reconfigure Blount Street and Person Street to both have two consistent lanes of standard width. It will also reconfigure Wake Forest Road as a three-lane avenue, with one travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and bike lanes.

That’s a pretty nice and lengthy bike lane as Hoke to Old Louisburg is almost three miles. Bonus that both streets are getting a lane which offers long rides in each direction.

The project should wrap up by the end of the year and then start moving on towards more aspects of the Blount Street – Person Street Corridor Plan.

We’re tracking this and other bike lanes on the DTRaleigh community. Join the conversation.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

FNB Tower construction. August 2018.

The last time we checked in on FNB Tower, the crane had just showed up and things were getting started. Now, almost three months later it looks like the tower is making some real upward momentum with a floor being produced almost once per two weeks.

Next, we’ll have to take a look at how City Plaza looks and feels with all the properties around it being filled in. It’s exciting to see what will be Raleigh’s fourth tallest tower take shape.

For more frequent updates, the community is all over FNB Tower sharing photos from all different angles. Join us!

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Morgan Street Food Hall. August 2018.

The Morgan Street Food Hall is now open! There are plenty of dining options for lunch and dinner throughout with a little retail on the side as well.

Make sure to check out the vendors on their website ahead of time to avoid getting stuck in the crowds when it’s busy. Lunch and dinner have been packed from what I hear and with the cool weather about to show up, the food hall is sure to be pretty lively.

The place looks great and is a far cry from the club/bars that used to pack this warehouse years ago. Kudos to the team behind it and I look forward to many visits!

We’re chatting about Morgan Street Food Hall on the DTRaleigh Community. Join us.

by Leo Suarez

The PNC Spire Lights Up Downtown Raleigh for 10 Years


See tweet by @metroscenes of fireworks with the Raleigh skyline on Twitter.

Ten years ago today, there was a dedication ceremony held on the roof of our city’s tallest building. The spire of the PNC Plaza, then called RBC Plaza, was lit up for the first time. As I noted in this August 2008 post, then RBC Bank CEO Scott Custer said:

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

Ten years have gone by and the 33-story PNC Plaza is still the tallest building around. That could mean a number of things. Some of us may measure progress with height and flash while others with amenities and vibrancy.

A lot has happened over the last ten years in downtown Raleigh including a great recession that scrapped plenty of projects that may have joined PNC Plaza’s height. A wave of apartments has crashed in downtown Raleigh since then and PNC Plaza remains the only building with residential units at that height.

You could say PNC Plaza was the end of an era.

RBC Plaza under construction seen from the Boylan Bridge. May 2008.

RBC Plaza under construction seen from the Boylan Bridge. May 2008.

While height above 30 floors doesn’t seem to be something popping up in and around downtown Raleigh since the completion of PNC Plaza, downtown continues to deliver new buildings that are filling in around her. People keep moving here and new businesses continue to open up here.

I’d like to think that the PNC Plaza spire lighting up ten years ago wasn’t exactly a symbol of our revitalization but rather the homing beacon for future newcomers. It’s also a welcome home sign to long-term residents journeying back.

It may be hard to spot but you can see it with the right window seat when landing at RDU at night.

It’s become a part of our home.

Here’s hoping we never miss a night with that light off.

Come discuss this and other downtown Raleigh-related topics on the DTRaleigh community.

by Leo Suarez

The Cabarrus Street Train Station Has Now Been Demolished

Demolition of the train station on Cabarrus Street. August 2018.

All the attention, rightfully so, is going towards our new Union Station. That has left the former station on Cabarrus empty for only a short while. It has now been demolished and cleared away.

Some pieces, including the benches and some of the wood canopy, were saved. Now the lot sits empty waiting the next development to make way. You can revisit the former station here in this photo gallery I posted in January of 2018.

by Leo Suarez

The Saint Townhomes Take Shape and Elevate

The Saint townhomes. July 2018.

The Saint townhomes. July 2018.

It’s been almost a year since we checked in on the townhomes along St. Mary’s Street, The Saint, and these units are coming along nicely. The 17 units offer something truly unique to downtown, the city even, as they are high in quality and design. With a mix of floor plans and views, each unit offers something different.

The designer, a product of the NC State School of Design, has worked pretty diligently when considering quality and going above and beyond the standards. The units should be high in design when walking through but also solid underneath. (foam insulation, cast iron pipes, 2×6 studs, etc)

True, some of this may be expected due to the higher price but there’s something to be said for delivering units that are quiet in an urban area. Noise issues may not exist if downtown apartment and townhome buildings were designed to their environment, rather than at the minimum. (what’s on paper)

The Saint has 10 of 17 units sold as of recently and should have residents moving in early 2019 or so. Let’s hope high design makes a splash so that others work to incorporate those successul elements into future projects.