The Hudson

[Justin6882]

2.> A New Orleans themed and styled resturant and jazz bar. (Sounds plush)

is this the same one that was announced earlier that was going in the old Hardee's space on Fayetteville street? (I believe it was to be called "The Big Easy") When did they decide to move...it looked like they were upfitting the Hardee's space a few weeks ago.

[Jones_]

is this the same one that was announced earlier that was going in the old Hardee's space on Fayetteville street?  (I believe it was to be called "The Big Easy")  When did they decide to move...it looked like they were upfitting the Hardee's space a few weeks ago.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think there are two. The other, I think I overheard, is called Absithe something or other.

[Justin6882]

haha thats kinda strange...two of the first new restaurants on Fayetteville street are "new orleans style"...are we gonna turn Fayetteville Street into "Bourbon Street North" ??

[paletexan]

This all sounds very promising. Let's hope these places can stay open past 5pm. It frustrates me to no end that La Joy Bubble Tea in the Progress building shuts down at 5pm. Those working in RTP may never get a chance to try it!

Regarding some of these businesses, what would be most impressive is when downtown can support a harris teeter, drug store, and other common services that require a nice population base to keep operational. That will be the mark of progress IMO. Seems like the folks in Charlotte have figured this out.

[Damien]

There is already a CVS on Fayetville St.

[Justin6882]

^ yeah but it has the same hours as everything else in that area...its only open till what, 2 on saturday? and closed on sunday and closes at 5 or 6 during the week.

[urbanesq]

does the HT at Cameron Village count?

Does anyone know if Harris Teeter is still building their "HT Express" concept? I thought I saw a while back that these were very successful for them in urban markets, but haven't heard anything about them lately.

[Justin6882]

So, the open house was today and I stopped by to check things out. Overall a nicely done project...a little more industrial than what I would have like to have seen, but nice overall. The floors are all polished concrete, however you do have an option for a bamboo flooring material I believe. Most units the cabinets are white and very sleek. Lots of large windows and glass block make the living room and the master bedroom in most units very bright. The walkways are kind of big and empty, very sparse...once again very industrial. Oh and the ceilings have got to be like 12-15 feet, they're awesome. Too bady I don't have 500k to plop down on one of those things, haha.

It was pretty cool looking out the windows and seeing the Fayetteville Street construction. They really seem to be coming along well with that too.

[dmccall]

Thanks for the update. Are they really that expensive? Wow!

I thought one of the neat things about this project was going to be their "preservation" of the old Hudson dept store. Am I wrong or did they pretty much strip it down to the bare bones steel and build back? To me it didn't seem worth the effort. (not that it is a bad project, it just doesn't really seem like it was worth all of that TLC when they could have just torn it down and built something not so forced.)

[Justin6882]

Yeah I definitely didn't see any of the department store in any of the units. Most of the units are configured different, so each one has a little thing about it that is unique. There are huge steel beams taht form a V in some of them on a wall in the living room, some have teh exterior brick on the inside as well.

They didn't seem to be talking up the fact that it used to be a department store that was integral to the retail of Raleigh for so many years. Personally, I think that is a neat selling point that they should accentuate.

[NCMike1981]

I heard somewhere that a 40 story tower was originally proposed on site where the Hudson is today but the city chose this project instead. While it is always good to add more residents to the core, why would the council want to keep a low rise on Fayetteville Street? Anyone have any more details on the proposed 40 story tower that never became reality?

The Hudson still sounds like an interesting project. Next time I'm in downtown I'll have to drive by it and check it out.

[waynehead]

I don't remember hearing anything about that, but the city of Raleigh isn't in the hands of the most pro-business mayor right now. Meeker's more interested in smart growth instead of development just for its own sake...and I think that's a good thing.

[Jones_]

I am not aware of any such 40-story proposal for the Hudson lot...the lot north of it of course is where the 30ish story first citizens tower was supposed to go around the time that Hudson Belk closed.

[NCMike1981]

Maybe I was just daydreaming or the person I heard it from was mistaken...

[urbanesq]

^^ there certainly were other plans for this lot swimming around ever since Belk's announced it was closing shop. I don't remember a tower on this spot, though. If there was talk of such it may not have gotten much further than gossip.

The First Citizens proposal was shorter, and next door, but that may have been the source of the rumor.

I liked the look of the plans the previous developer was building, but this one has turned out to be ok. non-descript and neutral, but maybe it'll be a good basis for other, more flashy things to come.

[ncwebguy]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the UPS Store in the Hudson (on the Wilmington St. side) has been open for a couple of weeks now. There is also a sign in the window next to it for the deli, but no signs of life/kitchen equipment/etc. yet.

I *really* like the WTVD space, but every time I bike by at night, there's a collection of people sitting out front watching tv, looking at me funny for biking through their living room! The nerve of some people!

I went in it when it was Hudson Belk in 92 I think... only the bottom two floors were being used as retail at the time, with other floors just sitting empty, but the escalator went all the way up. As for not having department store touches, it was gutted to the steel during construction, and everything that could be hauled off was sold at auction in the mid/late 90s.

I hope they do another open house soon... i was out of town so didn't get to check it out, and there's no way I can afford to even pretend I'm interested in buying one. I don't like the low rise on the backbone of the main street of downtown, but it fits in with the century post office diagonally across Fayetville St. It isn't well maintained, but it still holds up to this day.

[raleightransplant]

It looks like Bickett Gallery will now have 2 locations inside the beltline. This is GREAT news for DT...I think this is going to be a major spark near Fayetteville Street.

http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/news-detail.cfm?nid=27

[RaleighRob]

That's cool. I like their gallery/bar combo concept the time I visited it in Five Points. Very unique. I think this will be a good fit for downtown.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

I couldn't think of a more appropriate place for this than the Hudson! Congratulations!

[Jones_]

That will make two galleries and a museum right on Fayetteville....of course many galleries exist nearby too, Fish Market on Hargett for instance......

[ChiefJoJo]

So has anyone been in the Hudson's residential units? or live there? I do like the idea of the tall ceilings, historic bldg and central location. I wonder why so many are still on the market? It's a much better entry-level price point ($223k for 976sf) than say West@North ($229k for 723sf), and you don't have to wait 18 months to move in. I see this as a potentially strong opportunity for a buyer given what is set to happen on Fayetteville St in the coming years. I think the focal point of activity will start to move towards central DT and away from Glenwood South.

[CliffyB]

So has anyone been in the Hudson's residential units? or live there? I do like the idea of the tall ceilings, historic bldg and central location. I wonder why so many are still on the market? It's a much better entry-level price point ($223k for 976sf) than say West@North ($229k for 723sf), and you don't have to wait 18 months to move in. I see this as a potentially strong opportunity for a buyer given what is set to happen on Fayetteville St in the coming years. I think the focal point of activity will start to move towards central DT and away from Glenwood South.

[ncwebguy]

Walking downtown yesterday to avoid stomach-virus induced dehydration, I ended up in the mini-mart across fromt the Hudson. I thought about the headaches Hudson residents must be enduring. The F Street construction was a mess, and as soon as that finished, RBC Plaza broke ground directly to the north. Once major construction wraps up there, work will start on the PE III block to the east.

RBC Plaza's condos could be holding back sales of units at the Hudson as well. It depends on personal taste -- to be above it all or to be close/connected to the city.

I went thorugh on the art of downtown living tour last year too. My fiancee pointed out the concrete floors are ok for younger people, but for empty nesters it could cause hip/leg problems just walking to their unit, let alone falling. And the hallway lighting was less than flattering, and the location of the elevator bank leaves a long walk to and from units on the north side. On the inside, units were a blank slate that would cost more money to upfit.

The Bickett Gallery addition is nice, but only a few pieces of art in the elevator lobby. The lobby furniture choice -- low, foam lounge chairs -- is weird to say the least, or at least was last year.

[DPK]

I just spent the better part of an hour diving into the Hudson's unit website. Needless to say, I'm not really attracted to it. Too much concrete and glass block everywhere. It doesn't really scream "home" at me. It doesn't make me feel relaxed, instead it's sorta tensive. Too minimalistic. You'd think for the cost of the unit they would have spent more on the amenities in the units.

[Jones_]

The price is for bare bones.....the upgrades add alot to the price, 30-50k or so, but make the units feel like a home and not so cold. I like the feel of the spaces alot, but feel that most people, like myself, do not really want to live in the ground zero CBD. Its just too active and loud. Glenso and City Market are decidedly less overrun with the activities of having corporate offices next door to you but are still nice urban environments with density, convenience and urban landscape.