Development News in Raleigh

The pulse of downtown has quickened and one can predict the positives of yesterday’s council approval of the design phase for four glass retail pavilions. These spaces are somewhat reminiscent of the NYC Apple cube as they rise from the ground within an open square. We look forward to seeing more as the plans develop.  The Simpson Organization is responsible for the space- owning the proximal Bank of America building.

Click the image above to see the whole scene.

There is a 5 million dollar gap in the money the city council has approved (16 million) and the budget (21 million) for this project.  The council has asked Russell Allen, City Manager, to find a way to meet that budgetary gap. One of the recommended solutions is cutting the extent of this plan, the first thing we would see removed would be the lighting, concert facilities, and water/fountain features.  Don’t let this happen, contact your council member and let them know you need the project fully financed. If this project gets partially funded it seems the first thing the city will loose are the portions that the public will enjoy most.

More Below the Fold

Community SCALE, a neighborhood development advocacy group, has submitted a proposal to City Council for a “downzoning” of 140 properties in the Fallon Park, Anderson Heights and Bloomsbury neighborhoods from R-6 to R-4 zones. The proposal suggests these lots be rezoned as R-4 residential which means a maximum of four units per acre and would additionally require new houses to sit 5 feet farther from their neighbors and 10 feet farther from the road than the current zoning mandates. R-4 zones may include units such as single-family dwellings, churches, shelter units, home occupations, public schools and libraries but do not include units such as multi-family dwellings, condominiums and group housing; which are allowed under R-6 zoning.

More on rezoning proposal…

Cameron Village was the first outdoor shopping mall built between DC and Atlanta.  One of the original decentralizing developments in Raleigh, it offered an alternative to shopping downtown.  Though envisioned as containing single family housing, apartments, retail and restaurants, the development fundamentally ignores traditional growth patterns and follows the engineered formulas of urban sprawl, separating uses by zone.

In other words, it’s not a village.  But why then, does the name suggest that it is a municipality, or even suggest that it functions as one?  What does that tell about its motives?

More on Decentralizing Raleigh: Cameron Village…

From Triangle Business Journal:

“RALEIGH - Empire Properties’ Greg Hatem intends to bring a taste of his hometown of Roanoke Rapids to downtown Raleigh as he adds to his collection of center city eateries.  Hatem, who has an ownership stake in four downtown restaurants, plans to open two more in the $60 million L Building he’s developing in partnership with Concord Eastridge of Arlington, Va.”

Highlights from the full article.

This morning one of the McMansions under construction in Sunset Hills caught fire around 4 AM. The house at 1419 Nottingham Rd, was still under construction by Preservation Homes, but looks to be burnt beyond repair. The neighboring house, also under construction, shows signs of significant fire damage. This area has been ground zero for tear downs recently, spearheaded by Preservation homes and other developers. The signs point toward arson, as the house had other signs of vandalism; the portable toilets the construction workers use had been overturned and burning embers were found in neighboring yards.  The construction has been moving at a rapid pace as small duplexes and single family homes been replaced by 6 and 7 thousand square foot houses that do not have yards and frequently use the park they border as overflow parking. 

These houses have highlighted the irresponsible approach that developers have taken in the neighborhood as they clear the lots of any trees and build the house within inches of the edges of their lots.  Many of the homes in the area shade the previously sunny gardens and yards of their neighbors and remove any feeling of privacy as they loom well above what would be perceived as an appropriate size.