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[Disclaimer: I have been updating the list below every time something new comes up. Some of the things I say may not make sense, so please focus primarily on the list and ignore the rest of the content.]
Downtown Raleigh has surprised many of us during the last few years with several projects that promise to make downtown a livable and desirable place. Successful revitalization efforts have converted several areas of downtown into destinations, placing them at the top of our "areas to watch" list. There was a short period of time when announcements came out as if the sky was the limit (in terms of numbers, not height).
By far, the largest project was Two Progress Plaza's 19-story tower, which is currently hosting many of the company's employees; I am not sure whether the HQ were actually relocated into that building. The importance of this project can be easily demonstrated by the announcements of many more plans, some of which are nearing completion. The list of projects keeps growing, mainly thanks to residential infills that replace surface lots and underutilized space. So, allow me to provide a list of what's coming up:
RECENTLY COMPLETED:
All of the above projects justify the increasing excitement that Raleighites feel about their downtown. Even after the completion of these projects, however, DT Raleigh has a VERY long way to go before we can place it in pars with more established downtowns (e.g. Portland, Richmond, Austin). Our city does not play in the major league, where cities like NY, Atlanta and Seattle play; currently, we are a mid-size city, without a great vision and unable to see beyond 5-10 years. Raleigh is still searching for identity, beyond its status as the capital city of North Carolina, which makes things difficult.
Anyway, the purpose of this thread is not to make Raleigh look little and vision-less, but everyone needs to keep in mind that we don't shoot for the sky, something reflected on the numerous mid-rise projects listed above. Our skyline will get a boost when Quorum Center gets completed, along with the South End developments and the Reynolds Tower. If the latter gets delivered as DT Raleigh's new tallest tower, we may not see similar developments for a while, but we'll definitely see an increase in density, especially around the South End.
After looking at the above list (which is not necesarily complete), what are your thoughts about the future of DT Raleigh? Even though we have talked about this in the past, the list I posted should make it easier to follow the progress. Not included above are numerous mid-rises and low-rises that will emerge as the result of Small Area Plans becoming reality. I can easily see another 10-15 midrises being built, but to speculate on the height would be foolish. Let your imagination go wild and picture DT Raleigh for the next 5-10 years.
Downtown Raleigh has surprised many of us during the last few years with several projects that promise to make downtown a livable and desirable place. Successful revitalization efforts have converted several areas of downtown into destinations, placing them at the top of our "areas to watch" list. There was a short period of time when announcements came out as if the sky was the limit (in terms of numbers, not height).
By far, the largest project was Two Progress Plaza's 19-story tower, which is currently hosting many of the company's employees; I am not sure whether the HQ were actually relocated into that building. The importance of this project can be easily demonstrated by the announcements of many more plans, some of which are nearing completion. The list of projects keeps growing, mainly thanks to residential infills that replace surface lots and underutilized space. So, allow me to provide a list of what's coming up:
RECENTLY COMPLETED:
- Quorum Center - 15 stories (mixed-use); information on the web site is not up-to-date.
- Paramount - 10 stories (residential).
- The Hudson - 5 stories (residential w/ street-level retail/restaurant/TV station).
- Carlton Plaza - 3 stories (residential w/ street-level retail).
- Reopening of Fayetteville Street (Phase 1).
- RBC Plaza and RBC Plaza Condos- 32 stories/538ft (mixed-use).
- Convention Hotel - 16 stories (hospitality).
- West At North - 15 stories; 194 residential units and 17,000sf of retail space. Gregg Sandreuter is the developer.
- The Hue (former Nash) - 7 stories; 208 condo units (residential w/ retail/restaurants).
- 222 Glenwood - 117 units in 7 stories (residential w/ street-level retail/restaurant).
- Convention Center - 500,000 sf of space; something equivalent to 5-6 stories in height (convention).
- Bloomsbury Estates - Two 7-story mid-rises totalling 111 units (residential).
- Palladium Plaza - 5 stories (residential).
- 712 Tucker (former Raleigh Office Supply) - 175 residential units (condos and apartments) in 4 and 5 floors (residential).
- The Edison 1 (aka Block "B") - 38 floors (hotel, condos, retail).
- The Edison 2 (aka Block "B") - 24 floors (office, retail).
- Reynolds Tower I - 23 stories (residential/hotel/retail).
- Site 1 (North Tower) - 20 stories (mixed-use).
- Site 4/The Lafayette - 22 stories (boutique hotel, offices, condos, restaurant; at the surface lot enclosed by Lenoir/Salisbury/South streets).
- Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center - 15 stories of offices for the City of Raleigh's new headquarters facility for Police and Fire Departments.
- Site 1 (South Tower) - 14 stories (residential/retail).
- 630 North Street - 11 stories (residential/offices/retail). The top 7 floors will feature 48 residential condos. 2 floors of office condos, 2 floors of parking space, ground floor retail and 2 underground levels of parking.
- Boylan Flats - 5 stories (residential w/ street-level retail), totalling 9 units.
- The L-Building (Davie/McDowell Streets) - 7 stories (offices w/ street-level retail).
- Green Square - 5-6 stories (offices/museum).
- 111 Seaboard - 4 stories (residential w/ street-level retail/restaurants).
- The Glen on Peace - 4 stories (residential w/ retail).
- Franklin Street Plaza - 3 stories (residential w/ street-level retail/restaurants).
- Reopening of Fayetteville Street (Phase 2).
- Sheraton atrium/414 Fayetteville Str- 25-30 stories (mixed-use).
- Winston Hotels - 25 stories (hotels/residential).
- Reynolds Tower II - 15 stories (offices).
- Martin/Wilmington streets - 20+ stories (residential w/ street-level retail and top-floor restaurant).
- Hillsborough Str/Glenwood Ave (SW corner) - 15-20 stories (residential).
- N&O Offices - 10-15 stories of office space for News & Observer (offices).
- Courthouse extension - 9 stories, but equivalent to 15 regular floors. It could go higher (offices).
- Contemporary Art Museum (residential tower) - 8-12 stories; 32-50 condo units and possibly 7,000 or office/retail space (residential w/ retail).
- David Allen Buildings - Empire Properties' proposal for an urban complex; something up to 10 stories (mixed-use).
- Metropolitan - 124 units in ~8 floors (residential).
- Hillsborough & St Mary's - Currently, a Capitol Broadcasting property. 150-200 units; possibly something around 5-6 stories (residential).
- Hillsborough & Boylan (SE corner) - another mid-rise; I do not foresee anything above 5 stories (residential).
- South Wilmington & Fayetteville - A new proposal, by Empire Properties, for a 5-6 story residential building and renovation of an existing art deco low-rise. Not exactly downtown, but the area will be incorporated into the core once development flourishes in the South End (mixed-use).
- Jones & St Mary's - Two 4-story buildings, totaling 40-50 units (residential).
- Intermodal Center.
- Riverwalk.
- Moore Square/City Market.
- Blount Street Commons.
- South End.
- Warehouse District/TTA planned station area.
All of the above projects justify the increasing excitement that Raleighites feel about their downtown. Even after the completion of these projects, however, DT Raleigh has a VERY long way to go before we can place it in pars with more established downtowns (e.g. Portland, Richmond, Austin). Our city does not play in the major league, where cities like NY, Atlanta and Seattle play; currently, we are a mid-size city, without a great vision and unable to see beyond 5-10 years. Raleigh is still searching for identity, beyond its status as the capital city of North Carolina, which makes things difficult.
Anyway, the purpose of this thread is not to make Raleigh look little and vision-less, but everyone needs to keep in mind that we don't shoot for the sky, something reflected on the numerous mid-rise projects listed above. Our skyline will get a boost when Quorum Center gets completed, along with the South End developments and the Reynolds Tower. If the latter gets delivered as DT Raleigh's new tallest tower, we may not see similar developments for a while, but we'll definitely see an increase in density, especially around the South End.
After looking at the above list (which is not necesarily complete), what are your thoughts about the future of DT Raleigh? Even though we have talked about this in the past, the list I posted should make it easier to follow the progress. Not included above are numerous mid-rises and low-rises that will emerge as the result of Small Area Plans becoming reality. I can easily see another 10-15 midrises being built, but to speculate on the height would be foolish. Let your imagination go wild and picture DT Raleigh for the next 5-10 years.