Green Square & NCSECU HQ

[Jones_]

More on the site plan for Green Square via State government internal memos and such....it will be two buildings actually (I originally thought it would be one).....the office component will sit at the corner of Jones and Salisbury with the Credit Union, Nature Research Center and DENR employees housed in what looks to be 4 or 5 stories with the previously mentioned pedestrian bridge over Salisbury at about the third story. A parking structure with ground floor retail will (about 4 stories total) sit at Jones and McDowell. Both buildings will incorporate "Green" building design and fancy architectural elements....it will look alot like a modern art museum imo.

Little more on this...the project will actually occupy 3/4 of the block, everything except the old Education building. Everything public to date sounded like it would be 1/2 of the block. Still two buildings with the office building on the north side of the block and the parking/retail building in the SW quadrant. One of Raleigh scourges, parking lots, will be reduced in number yet again.

[pdxheel]

Sources familiar with the project indicated to me that it may be delayed (not sure how long) for two reasons. First, there is some concern over the schematic lay out of the new building(s) and parking. Also, Fed funds were initially going to help finance this project. As I understand it the project will no longer receive Fed funds so the gap must be closed using other sources.

[urbanesq]

Sources familiar with the project indicated to me that it may be delayed (not sure how long) for two reasons. First, there is some concern over the schematic lay out of the new building(s) and parking. Also, Fed funds were initially going to help finance this project. As I understand it the project will no longer receive Fed funds so the gap must be closed using other sources.

that's too bad-- it's a really cool project. Hope it can get legs and get going again.

I'll make another pitch for the previous design with the more classical, traditional architecture. The new design looks like it will be dated and tired-looking within a couple of years of opening.

[Jones_]

Sources familiar with the project indicated to me that it may be delayed (not sure how long) for two reasons. First, there is some concern over the schematic lay out of the new building(s) and parking. Also, Fed funds were initially going to help finance this project. As I understand it the project will no longer receive Fed funds so the gap must be closed using other sources.

I was always under the impression the Credit Union was building the whole thing and renting the space back to the State. I would not expect that extra planning time will delay the project significantly, on the order of months perhaps.

I checked out the architect's portfolio because I was unsure of the design as well...I believe it will look more like a modern art museum....like the stuff proposed out at the NCMoA, and ended up feeling pretty good about it.

[urbanesq]

I was always under the impression the Credit Union was building the whole thing and renting the space back to the State. I would not expect that extra planning time will delay the project significantly, on the order of months perhaps.

I checked out the architect's portfolio because I was unsure of the design as well...I believe it will look more like a modern art museum....like the stuff proposed out at the NCMoA, and ended up feeling pretty good about it.

I thought it was the other way around-- that SECU was a tenant in an otherwise state-owned and occupied building?

[Jones_]

I thought it was the other way around-- that SECU was a tenant in an otherwise state-owned and occupied building?

The Credit Union, Museum and NCDENR are all occupants. I know for sure the credit union was financing some substantial portion of the building and had presumed it was 100%.

[DanRNC]

Yea, I didn't think any federal money was being used for this project. I had also heard all monies had been secured.

[avery]

I thought the credit union was moving into the new Quorum.

[Justin6882]

The Local Government Federal CU is moving into the Quorum. The State Employees CU will be in Green Square. However, both CU's operate out of SECU branches and are serviced by SECU employees for the most part.

[DanRNC]

Here is an article about the project. Looks like work should begin this summer.

Story

[pdxheel]

I just had a quick look at the Governor's budget which was released to the public today. It looks as thought there is a DENR office building schedule to be built on Blue Ridge Road. Not sure how this affects the Green Square project considering a major component of the project was the DENR office building. Also in the Gov's budget was funding for a parking deck for part of that site. Looks as though Green Square as we know it will not happen.

[DanRNC]

Also in the Gov's budget was funding for a parking deck for part of that site. Looks as though Green Square as we know it will not happen.

This is for the underground parking deck. Not all DENR employees were slated to be in this location. It was mainly for SECU. I don't believe this affects the project.

[jlblaes]

I just had a quick look at the Governor's budget which was released to the public today. It looks as thought there is a DENR office building schedule to be built on Blue Ridge Road. Not sure how this affects the Green Square project considering a major component of the project was the DENR office building. Also in the Gov's budget was funding for a parking deck for part of that site. Looks as though Green Square as we know it will not happen.

I'm not sure how to interpret this, but it may not be as dire as first thought...

On page 212 at Budget link in PDF

9. DENR - Nature Resource Center

Funding is recommended for the construction of a 79,400 square foot annex of the

Museum of Natural Sciences. An appropriation of $10,000,000 would be combined with

$40,000,000 of non-appropriated funds raised by the Friends of the Museum. The Nature

Resource Center will engage teachers, students, and the general public in scientific

research in an interactive environment.

Requirements - Nonrecurring $50,000,000

Receipts - Nonrecurring $40,000,000

Appropriation - Nonrecurring $10,000,000

10. DENR - Office Building

Capital funding is recommended for the acquisition, planning, design, and construction of

a 250,000 square foot office building for DENR employees on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh.

Currently, approximately 636 DENR employees are in leased space (including the Parker

Lincoln Building). Leases will expire in three years, and this facility will provide space to

relocate these employees and DENR employees now in the downtown complex.

Appropriation - Nonrecurring $50,005,300

JB

[DanRNC]

I guess DENR is out of the project which may be good. This will allow for future expansion of the nature resource center.

[DanRNC]

It was also good to see that NCMoA got its $40 million. NCSU also got $60 million for its new engineering complex on Centennial Campus.

[pdxheel]

This is for the underground parking deck. Not all DENR employees were slated to be in this location. It was mainly for SECU. I don't believe this affects the project.

From a friend in the know...the parking deck is two levels below ground and he thinks 4 or 5 above ground.

[jlblaes]

It was also good to see that NCMoA got its $40 million. NCSU also got $60 million for its new engineering complex on Centennial Campus.

On PDF page 202 there is $20M for a McDowell street parking deck.

Link

1. Department of Administration - McDowell Street Parking Deck

Funds are recommended to construct a 1,200 space parking deck across from the

Administration Building in Raleigh. The parking deck is needed to relieve overcrowding in

existing parking decks in the downtown government complex and to replace parking lost by

the Blount Street redevelopment project. It is recommended that revenue bonds be used to

Recommended Budget Adjustments, 2006-07 Capital Improvements

General Fund

202

fund this project. Debt service will be paid from parking fees generated by the deck and

other downtown parking.

Requirements - Nonrecurring $20,000,000

Receipts - Nonrecurring $20,000,000

[DanRNC]

So this parking deck is not at the Green Square site? That plot of land is too small to have an above ground lot.

[pdxheel]

So this parking deck is not at the Green Square site? That plot of land is too small to have an above ground lot.

The section that was to be the DENR building is now a parking deck.

[ChiefJoJo]

So they scaled the project down and excluded DENR? That really sucks. I guess it may be due to construction cost inflation in the current market.

BTW, the state has to tear down a small office bldg on McDowell to build Green Square. This bldg houses some of NCDOT's traffic engineering staff, and I heard yesterday that the state is constructing a new bldg off US 70/I 40 in Garner for them. I think it's just too expensive for the state to build in DT these days.

[Jones_]

Based on internal updates I continue to get (I work for Division of Water Quality in DENR) I interpret all that stuff like so: The blue ridge road building is likely either an extension of the Reedy Creek Road Lab or Division of Air Quality folks (also part of DENR). Green Square will not show up in the State budget because the Credit Union is financing it. However it is probable that the parking deck will be built by the State as part of Green Square....it is supposed to have ground floor retail and stand apart from the Museum extension, [different] Lab and DENR space. DENR has someting on the order of 4000 (around 2500 located in or near Raleigh)employees and I would not expect for a second that the Archdale Building and Green Square could hold them all. I would not worry about Green Square one bit.

[avery]

Update on DENR and Easley's plan. Doesn't look as favorable for downtown thanks to Easley.

West Raleigh DENR

[sax184]

Relocating the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources to a very auto-dependent location with $20 million spent on parking?

What a great idea!

Next, how about we move the Department of Health to Superfund site?

[Jones_]

Whatever they are doing, they need to hurry....talk around the Parker Lincoln Building (now 2728 Capital Blvd. ) is that it is being demolished within two years. Several DENR groups work out here and the planning for Green Square is much farther along, seemingly, than Blue Ridge Rd. DENR has even gone so far as to tell the various sections and divisions (within DENR) wether or not they will even end up in Green Square (I would actually end up in the Archdale Bldg.) I am still not convinced all is lost....Easley budgets often reflect political pressure from some some heavily biased angle (htink the lottery)....it is possbile some powers that be are pushing hard for Blue Ridge Road (like with the RBC center and other projects) over Green Square. The whole idea behind DENR getting some people in Green Square is that the Credit Union was financing it and the State could rent it (cheap) versus eating up a huge chunk of the budget building its own building. I am much more curious to see what Legislative proposals come forward.

[dmccall]

I get this crazy feeling the State Government hasn't noticed what we are all trying to do downtown. They build this monstrosity chiller tank think on Salisbury, and they're moving jobs out of downtown to the outskirts as fast as they can. Think about the jobs with DEHNR, The N. Blount St area, The Harrington St area, and Dorothea Dix. Not that any of the jobs were efficiently placed in those areas, but there is a significant group of people who will say they "used" to work downtown. Maybe the private sector will replace those jobs with more at a denser scale.