News in Raleigh

In Downtown Raleigh at the corner of Salisbury and Martin Streets resides the remarkable structure formerly known as the First Federal Bank Building.  Renamed the Garland Jones Office Building, it houses Wake County’s Register of Deeds. The American Institute of Architects have identified it as one of the 88 most important 20th Century structures in Raleigh.  The building has also been identified as a contributing structure in a study to designate the Fayetteville Street District as a Federal Historic District.  Most remarkable is the fact that it is the last remaining example of High Modern Architecture in the downtown core.

A. To get to Poole’s diner for Saturday brunch.

I didn’t have a choice because there is no sidewalk access for pedestrians to get to Poole’s.  Surrounded by construction on all sides, with three lanes of traffic on McDowell Street zooming by the front door, customers are forced to take their lives into their own hands by walking/running/scampering across McDowell in the middle of the block if they want to try this great new restaurant.  Right now, the lack of pedestrian access doesn’t appear to be deterring folks from trying Chef Ashley Christensen’s newest creation – her superb reputation obviously precedes her.  But there are obvious reasons to be concerned.

More below the fold

The very savvy technologist Wayne Sutton runs a site called Local Conversations for our local NBC affiliate.  Among other things Wayne has been interviewing bloggers in the triangle. On Friday I will be a guest along with Jason Peck and Teri Saylor for a round table discussion with Wayne and some of the other NBC bloggers.  The video will be streamed from 12:15 - 1:00 pm here and then posted on Local Conversations. 

North Carolina State University is planning a facility on Centennial Campus that will be geared for research on Plug-In Electric Automobiles.  The new building will be located next to the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center (SPEC), and like many facilities on NCSU’s cutting-edge technopolis, this one will be a public/private venture.  Progress Energy and Duke Energy have already pledged support in funding for the project as well as the development and management of a system of charging stations.  (Want fries with that battery?)

Full article and location of the facility.

If you have ever been to an event in Downtown Durham, you may have noticed small ice cream carts rolling around with smiling lollipop logos and a funny name on it.  The name is Locopops and the company is more genius than loco.  News has been passed around and is being projected on their website that they will be moving into 1908 Hillsborough Street, the old Weatherman’s Jewelers location beside the newly opened Red, Hot and Blue BBQ.  If you’ve never had a Locopop, by summer you may be addicted.  Mexican popsicles and Latin American chocolates in downtown Raleigh this summer?  Culturally refreshing treats.