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Progress Energy III (aka "Block B")


ChiefJoJo

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More info!

I found a rough site plan for the parking deck on the RBC Plaza website which shows retail fronting the parking deck on Martin St and leaves three fairly large parcels for urban development: one along the middle of Wilmington St across from RBC Plaza (let's call it "A"), another facing Blount St and Moore Square ("B"), and the largest in the SE corner of Davie/Blount near Paladium Plaza ("C"). If you include the air rights over the deck ("D") that would be 4 sites in total on the block. Note that the building on the NW (Progress doesn't own) and SW (Cooper's BBQ) corners appear to be preserved in this plan.

To me, sites A (W side) and D (over the central parking deck) are best used for very tall structures, as they are closest to Wilmington St and RBC Plaza and they don't front the historic City Market/Moore Square area. Perhaps D could be preserved until market demand warrants another tall office/condo tower--I doubt the market is there now. Site B (NE corner) is probably best used as a low-rise (4-8 stories) retail/residential development over looking Moore Square. Site C (SE corner, buy far the largest area) could be tall on the western end and stepped down to a mid-rise height to meet Blount St--perhaps a hotel/retail regime.

Anyway, at least we can now see the general layout of the area. :)

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I found a rough site plan for the parking deck on the RBC Plaza website which shows retail fronting the parking deck on Martin St and leaves three fairly large parcels for urban development: one along the middle of Wilmington St across from RBC Plaza (let's call it "A"), another facing Blount St and Moore Square ("B"), and the largest in the SE corner of Davie/Blount near Paladium Plaza ("C"). If you include the air rights over the deck ("D") that would be 4 sites in total on the block. Note that the building on the NW (Progress doesn't own) and SW (Cooper's BBQ) corners appear to be preserved in this plan.

Good work! I'd kind of like to see that NE corner stay compatible with the 5 story apt building to the east (above that italian place). That will be a cool corner.

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If RBC builds a useless deck without the potential for something on top of it, I don't really care that they built a tower, they wasted space and that is ALWAYS bad in my book.

btw guys, this morning (before reading this) i was walking around DT after the autism ribbon run, and I looked at that spot and I thought "this would be a perfect spot for a 30+ story tower!

Also, if they left that buffer of grass(by the parking lot thats there now with the weird windmill things) inbetween the tower and city market, I think its effect would be drastically reduced. and maybe they could turn that lawn into an open fountain type area. (its fenced off now)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I should hope that Progress Energy's plans for this block would involve purchasing the air rights for the two-story buildings they do not own. Preserve the historic buildings, preserve the open feel of the area, and also preserve condo owners' and office occupants' views.

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  • 1 month later...

I can understand Progress Energy's desire for an office tower on the block. But I hope they recognize the benefit of the ground floor retail and restaurants, with apartments, hotel, and/or condos above. The block is big enough to accomodate all these uses and preserve the storefronts on the southeast Martin/Wilmington corner.

I walked by there on Saturday and saw part of the parking lot on Martin closest to Wilmigton/behind the existing buildings and raised parking was fenced off. It appears to only be a staging area for RBC Plaza construction though, and has nothing to do with the planned parking deck.

Also, RBC Plaza's construction company now has an office on the ground floor on the Martin Street side of 234 F Street, behind Port City Java.

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Thoughts on the timing of this project and the current Triangle real estate scene? I keep seeing articles of late with developers saying that they aren't taking up offers for land that they had options on, (of course this project seems to have gotten several bids). Sale off what we have before we build more attitude? Thoughts on how this is going to impact this particular project? Make it smaller, shorter, less than if it where to wait for a better real-estate scene? Maybe Progress Energy is trying to get it off its books ASAP and will take almost anything? :huh:

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Just saw that the city approved a development agreement (probably a formality) for the parking deck to be built on the PE III block facing Martin St (midblock), with ground floor retail. I guess we already knew this, but it's at least good that the deck will be internal to the lot, and probably seals the deal that we'll likely have ground floor retail all around the block.

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GoDowntownRaleigh.com's RBC Plaza article says there will be 560 spaces in eight stories within RBC Plaza, with another 500 spaces as part of the PE3 deck. At 1050 spaces, I'd guess it will be close to the same eight story height, twice as wide, behind/over the Martin Street retail. The entrance/exit will probably be across from the Moore Square bus depot entrance.

If only 500 spaces are going to be available in this deck for the rest of the PE 3 block, another parking deck may be necessary for a hotel, apartments, condos, office tower, etc. on the block closer to the Wilmington/Davie corner. Out of the three other streets (not counting Martin) I would like this other deck's entrance to face Wilmington (at the existing raised lot), Davie (mid block across from PE II), and least like toward Blount, since it would be across from City Market.

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I don't know if it's just me, but I think that developers are thinking MUCH too small for this property. I would at least expect to see something along the lines of 20 stories right here. This is PRIME real-estate for high rise development. We could get some really unique buildings here, and maybe if they thought in the bigger picture, a kind of cohesive complex where all the elements work together. Would they ever consider putting in some real interesting two story to three story retail developments? I think that would add a lot of character seeing as i dont think raleigh has any of those downtown. Maybe some kind of clothes stores/ boutiques. Whatever is done with this property it better be OUTSTANDING

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It would be nice if the grassy/whirlygig corner was preserved. If not, a raised patio for dining and/or coffee shop with public outdoor art would be nice. Anything to maintain a good pedestrain scale and connectivity to Moore Square.

Between this corner and the Martin Street entrance to the parking deck could be a good retail, or retail/office/hotel/condo/apartments tower. Maybe something like the H&M discussed earlier.

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