69 replies to this topic

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

Jones133, on Oct 1 2009, 04:47 PM, said:

^ True on all counts I would say, but with the caveat that you don't want to ruin the living environment of those folks who invested in downtown as a neighborhood. Without rehashing the whole debate, an arena *near* downtown as opposed to right smack in our downtown is preferable. The location down by Red Roof has the ability to extend downtown if the infrastructure is properly arranged....then our downtown would be home to neighborhoods of different character (quietish, more active etc. ) and be a place with monumental size playgrounds all at the same time. I think the term "play" meeds to be wheedled into types of "play" just like living options are (condo, townhouse, single family) and commercial is (restaurant, daily need and luxury). Play of course overlaps commercial, but the size of the crowds drawn and the frequency of those crowds are key in thinking this stuff through.

I really like your ideas...however....

My first concern is that building an arena that far away from other foot traffic places,(rest., hotel-besides Red Roof, shops), and even though it is closer to downtown and you could build a light rail link? Maybe we should design/build that area into an entertainment section of downtown? Then include the arena and other facilities?

[Jones133]

DwnTwnRaleighGuy, on Oct 2 2009, 09:33 AM, said:

I really like your ideas...however....

My first concern is that building an arena that far away from other foot traffic places,(rest., hotel-besides Red Roof, shops), and even though it is closer to downtown and you could build a light rail link? Maybe we should design/build that area into an entertainment section of downtown? Then include the arena and other facilities?

I don't consider a facility resembling the current RBC Center a foot traffic facility. I know there are arenas out there that fit into downtown areas fine...Verizon Center comes to mind. After enduring the Harley festival again this year, I remain concerned that our downtown's physical smallness will make it hard to simultaneously be a grand scale "play" area and be a residential downtown. Making downtown bigger functionally gives us a bigger shopping basket to work with (bad analogy)

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

Jones133, on Oct 2 2009, 09:05 AM, said:

I don't consider a facility resembling the current RBC Center a foot traffic facility. I know there are arenas out there that fit into downtown areas fine...Verizon Center comes to mind. After enduring the Harley festival again this year, I remain concerned that our downtown's physical smallness will make it hard to simultaneously be a grand scale "play" area and be a residential downtown. Making downtown bigger functionally gives us a bigger shopping basket to work with (bad analogy)

I agree!

IMHO we need to expand downtown southward, near the Red Roof Inn, and in doing so maybe the city can buy some of that land in that area and build the arena, Lake Meeker,(Ha! Ha!), condo's, townhomes with a (downtown) version of North Hills?  

My thoughts on our first downtown arena are that it shouldn't look or be like the arena's of old. If in 10 plus years we could get the much bigger by then,(Capital Bank) or Progress Energy, to help finance the building,with there name in lights of course, to foot the bill they could build my version of an arena....

One that includes a light rail stop/shopping mall like atmosphere/retail/attached parking....maybe something akin to the Mall Of America in MN?

IMHO! and very large imagination!

[Merboy]

DwnTwnRaleighGuy, on 02 October 2009 - 09:49 AM, said:

I agree!

IMHO we need to expand downtown southward, near the Red Roof Inn, and in doing so maybe the city can buy some of that land in that area and build the arena, Lake Meeker,(Ha! Ha!), condo's, townhomes with a (downtown) version of North Hills?

My thoughts on our first downtown arena are that it shouldn't look or be like the arena's of old. If in 10 plus years we could get the much bigger by then,(Capital Bank) or Progress Energy, to help finance the building,with there name in lights of course, to foot the bill they could build my version of an arena....

One that includes a light rail stop/shopping mall like atmosphere/retail/attached parking....maybe something akin to the Mall Of America in MN?

IMHO! and very large imagination!

There's a lot of old neighborhoods in that area. How would that affect the area if downtown expanded up that far? I actually live on Falls of Neuse not too far from that Red Roof.

[Jones133]

Caraleigh  already had its guts ripped out by South Saunders  being extended and widened past it. Other than that you have a handful of houses that overlook the Bain plant (cool little shacks....almost like a step back in time), plus Hertford Village off Wilmington. Carolina  Pines is sufficiently far away to not feel much impact if any. The area is 95% a cleared out vacant lot that sits adjacent to  the interstate and greenway. I live in Caraleigh and would be ok with it with some  improvements to go with it such as a Wilmington St interchange (if one can even be fit in that tiny space)

Edited by Jones133, 07 March 2010 - 12:43 PM.

[Jones133]

Here's a great reason not to have an arena right smack in the middle of a downtown....especially a downtown that you want people to live in.
Lakers riots

Edited by Jones133, 19 June 2010 - 02:33 PM.

[ChiefJoJo]

^ Except the Staples Center is kinda over to the side of DT LA proper, near the massive convention center.  They have been trying to reinvent that whole area with LA Live and such, but the downtown is in such bad shape, it's going to take much more than an arena, convention center and a few condos to make it lively.  Honestly, DT LA is one of the worst downtowns for a large city that I've seen.

[ctl]

RBC Center will probably last 40 years. Who knows what the politics will be then, but NCSU didn't want the new arena in downtown 25 years ago -- and I don't imagine that NCSU will want it in downtown 25 years from now. Nor do the Hurricanes have any reason to want it downtown; most of their season ticket holders live in north Raleigh or Cary/Apex/Morrisville, for whom the current location is ideal.

By the time a new arena is planned, the proportion of Wake County residents who live inside the City of Raleigh will be even smaller than it is now. (This percentage has been dropping slowly but steadily since the 1970s.)

In short, the Mayor is pushing a rope by trying to place a future replacement arena in downtown. And besides, with the Lightner Center and Raleigh Union Station on the plate already, plus some kind of solution to the mess at Crabtree, you'd think he has enough on his mind.

[kdub1]

A new downtown arena would need to have a different function primarily since the Pack would never move there (if the RBCC becomes obsolete in 2035, NC State would move back on campus into a spanking new facilty on Centennial Campus). I don't know that concerts and other big attractions would use the new building since the new Raleigh Amphitheater may have already negated the need for a downtown arena. Hence, Downtown Arena=a modern day Dorton Arena with little purpose.

Edited by kdub1, 25 March 2011 - 05:49 PM.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

@kdub1:Yes, I agree that a new downtown arena would have to have other functions, most likely a new home of a pro team?.... But yes, please, let NC State stay either in the RBC Center or move back to a newly renovated Dorton Arena? Or as you said,"into a spanking new facility on CC!" I would personally be fine with either choice.

As far as the new Raleigh Amphitheater is concerned, this location/facility was always meant to be temporary. The idea is to eventually expand the Raleigh Convention Center into that location and build an arena somewhere in the downtown area. A new well thought-out ,placed/designed/built arena downtown would serve many people/organizations and uses....in the future! IMHO!