by Leo Suarez

Raleigh [ ] Space Brings Parklet, Endless Possibilities, to Salisbury Street

Concept for Salisbury Street parklet

Approved last year, Raleigh folks are now working to bring the first parklet to downtown this year. Raleigh [ ] Space is a new initiative consisting of downtown business owners and members of the NC State College of Design to bring the first parklet to the city. The project is still coming together so make sure to keep an eye on it as they work towards their Fall 2014 completion date.

An excerpt from the Raleigh [ ] Space site.

Our logo reflects our vision. This parklet is a space with endless possibilities. It used to be a parking space, and it will be even more than a space to be enjoyed by pedestrians, bike riders and motorists; we envision a space that will house an ever-changing array of design installations. At the same time, we envision functional components that are in high demand on this corner: a place to park/lock bicycles and strollers, a dog-watering station, and possibly amenities for alternative vehicles. Insofar as it is possible, the parklet will be self-sustaining (reclaimed water, solar power).

*Making Space – Ralegh [ ] Space

Follow them on Twitter and stay tuned for a kickstarter that will help the team get to their funding goal.

Also, make sure to walk down to Salisbury Street this week during First Friday for a teaser of the new parklet.

June First Friday @ Deco

Date/Time: Fri., June 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
19 West Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-828-5484

by Leo Suarez

Construction Starts on 200 Units at The Link Apartments in Glenwood South

Construction at The Link Apartments

There’s finally construction starting at the corner of West and Jones Street on the upcoming 200-unit apartment building called The Link Apartments. It’s not exciting to look at yet but what has been an empty lot since January 2009, should start to really fill in.

The demolition of small buildings here took place over five years ago for a much grander project called Powerhouse Plaza. The mixed-use office and hotel tower never happened and the lot sat empty for awhile.

During construction of the nearby Green Square project, consisting of the Nature Research Center and the newer Department of Environment and Natural Resources offices along Jones Street, this site was used for construction staging.

Today, it should be no surprise that the apartment boom is continuing and The Link Apartments will add more units to the downtown residential base.

by Leo Suarez

CityCamp North Carolina May 29-31

Coming up at the end of this month is the fourth annual CityCamp NC, a civic unconference that brings people and technology together to try and solve issues that our local governments are facing. I’m playing a role as an organizer this year and couldn’t be more excited to help make CityCamp great while downtown Raleigh hosts the event.

Any readers that are involved in civic organizations, non-profits, technology, and various community advocates should take a few minutes and look into what CityCamp is. The unconference format allows for attendants to create the schedule, taken straight from your ideas pitched during the event. After participants vote on the best ideas, teams will start to form to discuss and perhaps tackle these ideas head on.

What’s always fascinating to watch is seeing someone pitch an idea and having a prototype built by the end of the weekend. An example that I keep going back to is RGreenway, a greenway navigation smartphone app that was born from a CityCamp weekend.

There’s also the possibility to walk away with some prize money. The team that submits the best idea and pitch will win $3,000.

Register for your spot as seats are limited.

2014 CityCamp North Carolina

Date/Time: May 29-31
Register Here

by Leo Suarez

Construction Set to Start On The Lincoln

Construction fencing at the site of The Lincoln

Construction fencing is up at the future site of The Lincoln, a 224 unit apartment building going on an empty lot to the east of downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. With over a year of planning, equipment has rolled in and the entire block has been fenced off.

The lone house along Martin Street still stands however. I guess there’s plenty of room to start construction while the fate of the house is determined. The developer was making moves to buy a nearby plot of city-owned land in order to have it moved. If the city voted to sell the property to them, perhaps the house can be rolled off The Lincoln site rather than be demolished.

With Skyhouse apartments and very positive talks of funding for the Moore Square redesign recently, east-side downtown may be a growing hot spot.

by Leo Suarez

Leading Pedestrian Intervals on Fayetteville Street

Video link – Leading Pedestrian Interval in downtown Raleigh via YouTube.

Some may be noticing a slight change when walking along Fayetteville Street. Last week, I saw that some of the pedestrian walk signals were signaling the ‘Walk’ sign a few seconds before the vehicle traffic signal turned green. It’s not a lag in the system. It’s called Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) and it helps increase pedestrian awareness to nearby vehicles.

The quick video above shows one cycle at the intersection of Hargett and Fayetteville Streets. More are running up and down Fayetteville last I checked. There are plenty of intersections that could use this, especially along the busy McDowell and Dawson streets.

For a more in-depth look at LPI, here’s a video from Streetfilms showing them in operation in New York.

Leading Pedestrian Intervals (or LPIs) are a traffic signalization strategy that assigns pedestrians an exclusive 3 to 5 second signal (in some cases much longer) to begin crossing the street before cars get a green light. Consequently, they are also known by their sassier nickname, Pedestrian Head Start. But in my view the best variation on what LPI stands for comes from Christine Berthet of the Hells Kitchen Neighborhood Association who proposes: “Life Preserving Interval”. That’s what it is.

*LPI – Leading Pedestrian Interval

LPI – Leading Pedestrian Interval from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.

Video link – LPI – Leading Pedestrian Interval via Vimeo

by Leo Suarez

Weekend Reel: State of Downtown Raleigh 2014

State of Downtown Raleigh 2014 – video link

Note: I hope the video works for you as Granicus didn’t have a download option and their embedded video isn’t the greatest out there.

In the video above you can watch this year’s State of Downtown Raleigh. There’s a good panel discussion that includes O’Hara Macken from Ipreo, Andy Andrews from Dominion Realty Partners (Charter Square), James Sauls, Raleigh’s economic development manager, and Mitchell Silver, our former Chief Planning Officer.

There’s a lot to celebrate with regards to what has been accomplished over the last 15 or so years. One underlying point that I’m hearing in watching this video is that we still need to continue to grow, compete, and keep that quality of life factor high. Great spaces and places, the Dorothea Dix park, and creative energy are the big things being talked about in this video.

Enjoy.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Boylan Pearce Building on Fayetteville Street.

The Boylan Pearce building on Fayetteville Street is getting a makeover. Out front, the renovation includes a new awning and a good cleaning of the front facade. You’ll notice the white paint has been stripped off giving it a darker, bolder look.

The 200 block of Fayetteville Street continues to make the case for being the heart of downtown Raleigh. For a comparison, here is a photo from July, 2012.

Boylan Pearce Building on Fayetteville Street, July 2012.

Hopefully soon, news comes out about possible tenants for the Boylan Pearce Building.