RaleighRob

Good news: Rex is gonna open a Urgent/Primary Care center in the old St. Agnes hospital: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/19/2150017/southeast-raleigh-to-get-new-community.html

^Greenshields spot woud've been great. Is the space that Wild Ginger left big enough for them? I'm guessing not. Hmmmm.

The Rapid Fitness is open now...although they don't even have a sign on the building yet. And some type of art gallary-slash-gift shop has opened in the little retail space next to the Pharmacy. Dunno much about them but they had a First Friday flag out recently. The old Rosie's plate is still empty. Though in the neighborhood there's a rumor that folks in the neighborhood are trying to convince the owner of Baja Burrito to open a second location there. (Good idea I think.) But that's just a fleeting rumor.

Wake County is buying the old Coca-Cola plant on South Wilmington Street and turning it into a vocational/technical high school. http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/29/1968000/vocational-high-school-proposed.html

This summer, the city is re-doing the lanes on the current 5-lane stretch of Hillsborough Street between Oberlin and Ashe: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/20/1948118/raleigh-tries-to-appease-all-sides.html One lane in each direction, plus keeping the middle turn lane. Bike lanes, and street parking on the eastbound lane. I think it's a good compromise, and it should be relatively easy and low-budget for the city to do.

^Well I definitely like your optimism. Though I would be surprised if they wanted something that big here. First building that came to my mind is that 7 story office building on Fayetteville street that's been sitting empty between Exchange Plaza and Market Plaza. It could use some minor work but otherwise it's a good solid building. (Would be kinda convenient for them, too...they could entertain business clients next door at the Mint whenever they wanted to.)

Another report with a bit more detail on the Person Plaza development: http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/grocery-store-finally-coming-to-downtown-raleigh/Content?oid=2866792

Update for this thread.... Phydeaux Pet shop is open in the capital city grocery space and Tyler's taproom is open. Most of Seaboard Station is full now...yet the owner filed for bankruptcy this week. Wow.

Latest on the North Person area. This topic is due for updating. PieBird of course has been open a while and is probably the most popular spot in the neighborhood next to Krispy Kreme. A salon just recentlyo opened next to it too, and some of the other store fronts are trying to fill up. We still need something good in the old Rosie's Plate spot. (I think it'd be perfect for a burrito shop myself...Chubby's anyone? LOL) As many know the old Super 10 is becoming the latest version of Rapid Fitness. I kinda like the idea of more than one gym (O2 Seaboard, currently) being downtown, though this seems awfully close together. But competition is good regardless. Ok now to Person/Franklin Plaza. City Farm project is still in the works. But today I saw this article in New Raleigh and my jaw hit the ground: http://www.newraleigh.com/article/market-restaurant-and-escazu-moving/ Market and Escazu may be moving there. Also, a bakery called Yellow Dog. All I can say is if this info is correct and it happens, this would be heaven. (I live nearby.) Crossing my fingers. Also if anyone's interested, since much of this area is technically outside of the Downtown Alliance boundaries (which seems weird to me), the businesses have started their own minature version called the Person Street Partnership: http://www.mordecaicac.org/partnerships

The architecture style shown in the drawings does fit the area well. More residential will help keep the retail/dining options (and hours) better too.

Yeah, hard to re-create the current Sadlack's spot. I kinda wonder where else they could go....you'd have to go pretty far west (or east) to find another similar-sized opening.

^ Oh trust me I know! Last time I tried to move back downtown I searched about 3 1/2 weeks almost 24/7 to find what I got now (and I still consider it on the far upper end of my affordability range). And you know the Glenwood south area apartments are gonna be high...just look at the rates for Tucker and Hue. But like you said, more units available out there can only help the situation...even if by a slight amount. Love to see it get to a point of some competition.

Not strange, but genius if you ask me. With the opening of Green Square, the upcoming Nature Research Center next to it, the new SECU building going up and the state bar building a new HQ on Edenton Street, any apartments going up on that corner would surely fill up fast (presuming they don't cost a ridiculous price). With all the talk of new apartments going up on the west side at Glenwood South and West Morgan areas, I was worried that areas east of the capital were being ignored, so it's a great idea to put something at this spot!

The Hillsborough Street Partnership will be having a public workshop for future work on Hillsborough Street March 26: http://southwestraleigh.com/2011/02/hillsborough-street-workshop-on-march-26/

And now there's news of Chick-fil-A going in near the Rite Aid: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/business/plans-filed-for-cameron-village-chick-fil-a-in-raleigh Frankly though, I say, no thanks.

I just hope these apartments have some reasonable rents. Just about every apartment built in or around downtown in the past dozen years has been extraordinarily expensive....Oberlin Court...Tucker....Hue. Would be nice to finally find some nice urban apartments that cost less than a grand per month!

Looks like WakeMed is opening a doctor's office downtown: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/business/wakemed-to-open-downtown-raleigh-doctors-practice

^That was a pretty cool spread I think. Did anyone see last night's Cleveland Show? The character Donna's sister was visiting for Thanksgiving. I about choked when they said "So how is life in the big city of RaleighDurhamChapelHill??"

Hmmm. Those are new? Interesting.

I haven't seen these. Anyone can point to some pictures?

^I do seem to recall the project being three phases. Two would be Gardner to Dixie...then three would be from Dixie to Gorman/Faircloth. I think I saw once some preliminary concepts that were put out on Two...which would include a roundabout at Dixie maybe.

I'm gonna have to disagree with some of y'all here---other than Raleigh, no town in Wake County...not even Cary...will ever be called a "City" by me. OK, if you don't want to call it "town", maybe I'll call it "cancerous tumor on steroids". But a city? There is nothing about Cary that feels like a city. It's just a maze of sprawling subdivisions and strip malls. Heck...Chapel Hill and even Carrboro have more of an urban element about them, honestly. The difference between a town and a city goes far beyond just population numbers alone. If Cary wants folks to see it as a city instead of just a suburb of Raleigh, then stop with the never-ending suburbia and build up, creating an actual downtown that people actually know exists.

More good news for the street: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/04/466981/the-return-of-david-mao-act-iii.html Former head chef of Duck & Dumpling will open a Dumpling & Noodle Bar in the old Red Hot & Blue space. I think this is a great fit for this spot...definitely something unique and different. Sounds very very tasty too! Fortunately, this block of Hillsborough has better parking than most....this place (along with Locopops, Players Retreat and Sam & Bills) have a parking lot across Oberlin. It even has its own entrance in the new traffic circle. (And when BB&T is closed, some folks park in their lot too.) And making Oberlin one-way, has made crossing it a TON easier and safer, as well.

^Yeah, and I'd include Berkely Cafe as one of those pioneers, too. Yeah, and they expanded the patio some as well (including outdoor bar in summer). I'd say since the mid 90's, they've at least tripled the size of the place and there are plans for more, from what I've heard (prior to the recession). Well, they've added a smoking patio so that they can better comply with the new state nonsmoking law. (The only major bar in the area that's having difficulty with that is CC, which has nothing more than a sidewalk.) True. I think you can eat at the Borough as late as 2am (correct me if I'm wrong) and the Berkeley serves their menu till about 2:30. After that it would be up Glenwood to go to The Diner. (Though, wouldn't a late night diner like that be GREAT in the old Joe's Place spot?!?) As far as coffee shops, with Helios and Morning Times both reasonably close, I dunno if one will open anytime soon. Though, didn't I hear the Second Empire folks were gonna put one in the little storefront between them and The Clarion, to get some business from Campbell Law students?? Wonder whatever happened to that. Frankly, I would think with the new digs for White Rabbit, they should do like many other bookstores do and put in a coffee counter. I would bet they'd get some business increase from that.

^Quite true. Like I said, it is probably old news to most of us already familiar with the area. I guess the point of the article is that things have gotten a little more concentrated lately (White Rabbit's move, plus Dawson & Hue residential)--along with the new LGBT Center wisely choosing the district for their location---makes things a little more obvious. But obviously the Warehouse District as a whole isn't all that gay....those waitresses with the short skirts at Flying Saucer will testify to that.