Tag / Residence Inn

by Leo Suarez

Updated Renderings, Plans For New Convention Center Hotel

Rendering of the proposed Residence Inn on Salisbury Street

Last week, the Raleigh Appearance Commission got a look at some new renderings for a hotel planned for the parcel of land near 500 Salisbury Street next to the convention center between Lenoir and South Streets. Long-time readers might remember this site being called “Site 4” and it looks like the renderings are getting more mature now.

Some of the specs for the hotel, planned to be a Residence Inn, have slightly changed also. Comparing to a January 2014 post, we have:

  • 6,455 square feet of retail/restaurant space compared to 7,085 sq. ft. previously.
  • 9 stories instead of 11

Most is the same including the second floor and rooftop terrace.

As mentioned in past posts, this project will not add any more parking as a deal has been made between the developer and the city to lease spaces out of the Performing Arts Deck.

Rendering of the proposed Residence Inn on Salisbury Street

The project has a good human scale to it and expands downtown’s hotel offerings. I think this project is an easy one to support. While not architecturally significant, it’s more a functional addition rather than an iconic one. Looking forward to groundbreaking.

by Leo Suarez

Municipography, Capital Boulevard, New Convention Hotel, and The Comprehensive Plan Update

Municipography is a summary of current issues going through the Raleigh City Council and other municipal departments in the city. The point is to try to deliver any video, photos, and text associated with the discussions happening at City Hall or elsewhere. Since this is a downtown Raleigh blog, the focus is on the center of the city.

Email readers, this post contains embedded video which you may not see in your inbox. I recommend jumping to the blog to see all the content.

Last week at the Raleigh City Council meeting, a few projects we’ve discussed on the blog were presented and discussed. The council approved the sale of the city-owned lot on Salisbury Street, known as “Site 4”, to Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd who plans to build a hotel. The plans for the new Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street were also discussed as construction on that project is planned for Summer 2016. Finally, an update on the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was given by the planning department.

Residence Inn on Salisbury Street

See Raleigh City Council – 2-18-14 – City of Raleigh and Summit Hospitality Group on YouTube.

In short, the council approved the sale of Site 4 to Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd to build a Residence Inn hotel. This sale was recommended by the Budget and Economic Development Committee last month and now makes it final.

From the city’s press release:

Following a Feb. 18 Public Hearing, the Raleigh City Council approved the sale of .52 acres on South Salisbury Street, between South Street and Lenoir Street, to Raleigh-based Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd. Approval of the $1.73 million deal will result in the construction of an 11-story Marriott Residence Inn with 140 to 154 additional rooms within walking distance of the Raleigh Convention Center. The site is also known as Site 4 and is considered to be “one of the most important infill sites within the Convention and Cultural District” in the City’s South End Master Plan.

*Sale of Downtown Site Approved

For more details on this project, jump to a recent post with all the details.

Capital Boulevard Bridge

See Raleigh City Council – 2-18-14 – NCDOT Capital Boulevard Bridge Replacement Projects on YouTube.

The Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street is slated for replacement in the next few years and designs have been in the works for quite awhile. The latest on this topic is covered in good detail in the post linked below, including some excellent conversation by readers.

Between the “base” alternative (cheaper) and the “enhanced” alternative (costlier) this is where the city has to step up. There is strong public support for the enhanced alternative but the feds only have enough money for the base alternative.

According to the presentation, in May 2014 an alternative will be chosen with construction planned for Summer of 2016.

From the city’s press release:

Each bridge is proposed for replacement under the Federal Highway Administration’s bridge replacement program. City staff has coordinated the replacement of these bridges with NCDOT to be consistent with the City’s adopted Capital Boulevard Corridor Plan. In each case, NCDOT has developed base alternatives that rebuild each interchange following the existing configuration, and enhanced alternatives that more closely follow the City’s corridor plan recommendations. In order to pursue the enhanced alternatives at either location, the City would be required to pay for the difference in cost above each base alternative.

*Council Reviews Alternatives for Capital Boulevard Bridge Replacement Projects

2030 Comprehensive Plan Update

See Raleigh City Council – 2-28-14 – 2030 Comprehensive Plan – January 2014 Progress Report on YouTube.

The 2014 Progress Report was presented to council and can be found on the city’s website. Some highlights from the presentation:

  • Our city’s comprehensive plan continues to be a national model for city planning.
  • Updates are meant to keep the plan up-to-date with emerging trends and any city restructuring.
  • Of the total 465 action items since adoption, 61 have been completed and now removed, 275 are in progress and 50 have still not been started.

The newest emerging trends that city staff will be studying are:

  • Community Resiliency – planning for extreme weather and emergencies and how the city continues to be responsive and can recover.
  • Innovation Districts – how to foster new growth nodes around unique ideas and innovation.
  • Autonomous Vehicles – how to plan for the upcoming use of self-driving cars and taxis.
  • Sharing Economy – services like bike share, car share, self-rental properties are a future trend. Examples include Airbnb, ZipCar, and B-Cycle.

by Leo Suarez

Land Sold For New Convention Center Hotel

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

During Tuesday’s Budget and Economic Development Committee meeting, a deal was approved for the City of Raleigh and Summit Hospitality Group to move to the next step in bringing a new hotel to the convention center area. The current lot on Salisbury Street, just south of the convention center and facing the Performing Arts Deck, would be the future home of a Marriott Residence Inn.

As part of the deal, the city-owned land would be sold for $1.73 million plus other requirements. No new parking will be built to support this hotel as they plan to lease spaces out from the Performing Arts Deck. This means that the deck will get a more formal parking control system compared to its less structured operation today. Visitors will be able to enter and exit the hotel directly from it.

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

The hotel is planned, at this point, to have approximately 140-154 rooms and ground floor space for retail and/or restaurant. If you look at the floorplans above, the bottom floor is predominantly comprised of that retail/restaurant space in addition to the lobby. The second floor, also shown above, are guest services, the lounge, etc.

The hotel also plans for “A rooftop level consisting of heated space and a terrace with views of the City.”

Happy to see this project move forward as we haven’t heard a thing about it in about a year.

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

Rendering of the downtown Raleigh Marriott Residence Inn

by Leo Suarez

New Talks of Salisbury Street Hotel, Wants Inn On The Convention Center Action

Proposed Residence Inn on Salisbury Street, downtown Raleigh

Hotel space seems to be a lacking resource for downtown Raleigh but reading through the city’s Budget and Economic Development (BED) Committee agenda yesterday shows more rooms may be on the horizon. Longtime readers will remember The Lafayette project proposed for what is called “Site 4”, the parcel of land along Salisbury Street that butts up against the Performing Arts Deck. That project is officially out the door and the city is ready for new blood to come into town.

Looking through the agenda, City Manager Russell Allen sent a letter to the BED committee to suggest they consider Request For Proposals (RFP) of the site. He mentions multiple requests have come in from interested parties. He includes a copy of one such letter of interest, copied again by me and pasted below:

October 27, 2011

Mr. J Russell Allen
City Manager
City of Raleigh
P.O. Box 590
Raleigh, NC 27602

Dear Mr Allen:

Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd. would like to engage with the City of Raleigh in the appropriate process to acquire the three parcels of city property on South Salisbury Street at its intersection with Lenoir and South Streets. I believe this is generally referred to by the city as their “Site 4”.

The intent for the property would be the development of an upscale mixed use property, the largest tenant being a MArriott extended stay hotel. The hotel would be similar in scope and scale to a similar property located on Mint Street in Charlotte, NC. For purposes of illustration, I have enclosed photos simulating the hotel situation on the Raleigh site as well as photos of the Charlotte hotel.

We have a verbal approval for a Residence Inn by Marriott franchise and tentative financing from local conventional sources contingent on the strength of a market study by a nationally recognized form. As soon as we could enter into a Letter of Intent or Memorandum of Understanding with the city, we are poised to immediately contract for the market study and begin the design phase for the presentation to the city.

Regards,

R. Doyle Parrish
President

The attached pictures are shown in this blog post. Here’s a Google Streetview link to the hotel in Charlotte. I’ll emphasize that the pictures here are not final and no designs exist at all. This is just a model, made up for visualization.

Proposed Residence Inn on Salisbury Street, downtown Raleigh

The Raleigh Convention Center needs more of this in order to host some of the much larger conventions that it can handle but are not getting because of lack of hotel rooms. Skyline fans may be disappointed as a building of this scale is nothing to cheer about.

For me, it’s a great project really. The building should make a great compliment to the Performing Arts deck, helping make use of the extreme oversupply of parking that we have in downtown Raleigh. Also, while not unique in character, the urban form is a fine addition to the sidewalks of Salisbury Street. If you take our Marriott hotel on Fayetteville Street for example, the street trees, tables, and chairs are inviting. I see people sitting and relaxing there on many occasions.

The location of this hotel is also primo. It’s easy to get in and out of downtown by car and visitors can experience the Fayetteville Street/City Plaza area with much ease.

We’ll stay tuned for updates.

Proposed Residence Inn on Salisbury Street, downtown Raleigh