News
Follow Up: Zoning Hearing
How many egoists does it take to prove they are unconcerned with the destruction of Raleigh’s aesthetic and environmental integrity? Just one… but three can really screw it in. Rallied by undeserved applause, unifying t-shirts and the very audible comment of “she’s a socialist,” the re-zoning opposition group banded together to show their true colors—a zoning opposition based solely on the individual property owners’ right to as large a fiscal return on their property as possible. This large fiscal return would come from selling or renting of a property (hopefully NOT zoned R-4 in their opinion) as multi-unit dwellings or to have another behemoth mansion playing king-of-the-hill. More below the fold…
Public Realm and Walkable Cities Lecture
Need answers to these questions? What does it mean to be pedestrian friendly? Why is pedestrian friendly important? What characterizes a pedestrian-friendly city? How do we create a pedestrian-friendly city? What is the connection between design, development, and sustainability? This week you may get them! As part of the Raleigh Department of City Planning’s Designing a 21st Century City Lecture Series, Adrienne Schmitz, Director, Residential Community Development, Urban Land Institute , and author of various books including Creating Walkable Places with Walter Kulash, P.E., Principal and Senior Traffic Engineer for Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, of Orlando, Fla. will speak about The Public Realm and How to Create Pedestrian-Friendly Cities this Thursday September 20, 2007 at Kennedy Theatre in The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. More Lecture Info Below the Fold
Lulu.com Relocating Headquarters to “Yellow Bulldozer” Building on Hillsborough Street
I received a tip this morning that Lulu.com may be relocating their headquarters to the “Yellow Bulldozer” site. Earlier this year the company’s founder, Bob Young, purchased the site. While Young’s original plans have continued to evolve, it looks at this point that he is considering moving the headquarters there, a scenario that was originally ruled out. If things go as planned the site would be redeveloped to meet Lulu.com’s needs and become the new North American headquarters for the company. That part of Hillsborough Street is very much a college area. Up until recently Google kept a Satellite office on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. This kind of strategic locating of offices allows company’s to build brand awareness and encourage local recruiting. It is assured that Lulu and NCSU graduates would benefit from this location. With Lulu acting as one of the few public facing, Web 2.0 style companies here in the Triangle, Raleigh’s downtown would benefit immensely from its presence. The number of startups in the area is only rivaled by silicon valley. Increasing the profile of the Web startups locally can only help enhance our image and encourage more of the “creative class” to move here rather than away.
Fallon Park, Five Points Rezoning Public Hearing
As the teardown issue continues to steamroll across the public eye via blogs, articles and community groups a critical juncture is forthcoming. The public hearing for the possible rezoning of the Fallon Park and Five Points area is tomorrow, the 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Avery Upchurch Municipal Building. More below the fold.
Follow Up: Raleigh Condo Market
From Housing Bust, Credit Crunch Hurt Jobs by Jeannine Aversa, AP [Monday September 10, 2007]“The first significant crack in the economy’s foundation appeared when a government report last week showed employers cut jobs for the first time in four years. But what’s going to happen next?... Q: What happened with housing? A: After a heady five-year boom, the housing market went bust more than a year ago. Sales cooled and so did home prices. The housing slump—the worst in roughly 16 years—has been the biggest weight on the national economy.” Since mid-2005, there has been much speculation of a nationwide real estate bubble, particularly in the residential housing market. Of course, each part of the country, and each city for that matter, has its own unique set of demographics, growth patterns and economic circumstances which factor differently into various financial ratios and economic indicators that help economists forecast numbers and trends in housing markets. For instance, median home sale prices in Raleigh rose a whopping 8.3% in the second quarter of this year, earning Raleigh the status of one of the Best US Housing Markets. More forecast and analysis below the fold.
Lecture on Creating a Pedestrian Friendly City
The next installment of the city’s Planning Department’s Designing a 21st Century City lecture series will take place next Wednesday, September 20st. Details on agenda and speakers are below the fold.
Insider Opinion: Raleigh Condo Market
Wake County is one of the ten fastest growing counties in the nation, according to CNN Money, but can the recent supply boom of condos in downtown Raleigh be sustained? Many of the condo projects in Raleigh still have several units left as buyers cannot differentiate the product. Granite counters? Check. Maple cabinetry? Check. Rooftop pool? Check. Let’s face it, people are not jumping at each others throats to live in Downtown Raleigh. But why would anyone chose to live somewhere else? More below the fold…
North Hills East & Kane: We Need Welfare
In grade school all of the developer’s kids were the ones with that extra sense of privilege- it seems so obvious now that they got it from their parents. Raleigh is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation; as it grows, you have to wonder how the developers who profit most from this growth, acquired their sense of privilege. It seems they are justified in this because much of the city and county commissioners agree developers should get what they want at the expense of citizen’s dollars. You may have been following our discussion of John Kane’s plan to get every tax paying citizen in Raleigh to pay for his parking decks. After all, it is the citizens that will be blessed with his forth coming onslaught of Starbucks (the existing North-Hills-mush includes 3) and pseudo urban pastiche. More Below the Fold
Meeker: No Public Funding for North Hills
Mayor Charles Meeker denied developer John Kane on thursday by sending a memo to city council opposing potential plans to provide the developer with $75 million in public financing for a planned project.
Over the Top / Inside the Beltline
The mysterious Over the Top / Inside the Beltline blog has been such a wonderful resource for tracking the irresponsible construction occurring inside of old Raleigh. The two authors seem to be writing under pseudonyms, Fallonia Parker and Irena Dorton, inspired by local landmarks. Regardless of their identity- they are pointing toward both thoughtful and ignorant commentary on the subject of McMansion-biggie-sized development that is occurring at certain Raleigh addresses. Recently they cited the share.triangle.com triangle ongoing ‘discussion’. Read the post below the fold
‘Retail Pavilions’ Approved for City Plaza
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 Submits Proposal for Neighborhood Rezoning
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…
Decentralizing Raleigh: Why Cameron Village Is Not a Village… Yet
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…
L Building: Update
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.
Preservation Homes: Built to Burn?
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.
Kane Realty Admits to Making Raleigh ‘Sprawl,’ Wants Your Money to Stop
John Kane is working to develop the 45 acres across Six Forks from the North Hills mall. In doing this he is asking for $80 million in bonds to be funded through tax revenue generated at the development. He says our $80 million will enable an $800 million dollar development as opposed to a $125 million dollar “strip mall.” In explaining the city’s options, John Kane offered: “We can do another typical sprawl development like we’ve seen across Wake County, or we can do something extraordinary. I do not want to build more of these obsolete strip centers. They are profitable, I can tell you that. But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.” From the N&O But build that obsolete strip center he will; unless the city gives up 75% of their estimated tax revenue from this project for the next 20 years, Kane can’t build the 800 million dollar shit-bread-sandwich with the other half of North Hills. Sure, the public gets a few parking decks for our dough, but we also get another three Starbucks, and as many national franchises as we can squeeze into the space. Why does Raleigh want to pump money into further developing this investment when in the downtown is much more sorely needed? If Kane can come up with the remaining $725 million to develop 45 acres of retail and pseudo-urban-residential, then the remaining $80 million in infrastructure to serve their customers shouldn’t be a problem. This follows the disturbing tradition of offsetting infrastructure costs on to the municipalities.
Brier Creek and Towne North Open to Buses
In a move inspired by pity and PR, two of four malls previously restricting bus access have reached an agreement with the City on allowing bus access. Brier Creek and Towne North (in Ye Olde Raleighe) have agreed to allow buses to make stops on their property. Towne North had previously closed their bus stop and Brier Creek is opening up for the first time. If you missed it we covered this injustice a few weeks ago. The other two malls will not be regaining bus access. Aparently Bent Tree doesn’t serve anyone interested in public transit and Brennan Station is going to let folk cross the street from the Towne North, knight costumes and all.
NC’s Realtors Passing the Bill to Longtime Residents
NC Realtors are viciously fighting proposed taxes on home purchases. Spending millions on lobbyists because they are worried about the effects on their business. What they don’t tell us as residents is that by avoiding this tax they are passing the bill on to property taxes. The result is that long time residents end up paying for newcomers streets, schools and other local services. It’s disgusting - and it allows developers and realtors to sell new homes but not give back to the greater community. STOP The NC Home Ticks is a robust blog all about this subject. What’s most interesting is the level at which the special interests in the new homes market are mucking with our government, from planting numerous lobbyists in our capital to delivering talking points to Brad Crone. More below the fold
Noted Developer Takes Green Tech to New Heights
This morning, the News and Observer’s Jack Hagel reported that Gregg Sandreuter of Cary (hold your boos and hisses) and Cherokee Investment Partners have pitched the idea of a 38-story business/hotel/residential in downtown Raleigh. What makes this note worthy is the that the proposed building will be designed based on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system. The stie of two tower project known as the Edison is tentatively planned for the block cornered by Wilmington, Blount, Martin and Davie Streets. You may have noticed a big pile of rubble there from recent demolision work. The block is currently owned by Progress Energy and in order to begin construction a deal will have to be reached purchasing the 3.6 acre plot. Hagel reports that some businesses will remain on that block, including Raleigh staple Clyde Cooper’s Barbeque. Construction of the new towers would begin in 2009 if approved by the city. Other notable projects of Sandreuter include the Dawson on Morgan (home to over 50 condos in the heart of downtown as well as the Borough) and West (in Glenwood South’s entertainment district).
Downtown Raleigh Wayfinding
Getting to and through downtown Raleigh is a nightmare, whether you live in the city or not. Even seasoned veterans are baffled by one way streets and informative signs on Raleigh’s I-440 Beltline. And it is not exactly inviting. Right now the gateways into downtown Raleigh look something like THIS. Cue Corbin Design, hired by the city to design a new wayfinding system for downtown. Their portfolio includes Atlanta, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Milwaukee; it is no surprise that they were chosen by the city following an invitation to interview. The majority of the information design for our new system is extremely well thought out and clearly stated. (Downtown findability will be accentuated if DOT takes Corbin’s recommendations for signs along the beltline—suggestions that are outside of the original scope of work.) The aesthetics of the project, however, are questionable…[MORE]
