Moore Square East apartment project

[ncwebguy]

Several of the houses ended up on Bloodworth between Davie and Cabarrus. One was squeezed in on Cabarrus between Bloodworth and Person. The one they moved from the Martin Street frontage to Swain between Martin and Davie has a for rent sign (phone # 873-9380), and has been worked on a fair amount in the last few months. The one on Hargett gets worked on occasionally, but no for rent or sale signs yet. The LLCs for the moved houses have a 118 South Person contact address, which appears to be behind the Gordon Smith-owned Longview Center.

As far as I know, there are *no* market rate apartments just east of downtown, old or new, until you get near Raleigh Blvd. There are RHA owned complexes/buildings -- Eastwood court (on Davie east of Chavis Greenway) and the units along Camden from Hargett to Davie (Birchwood?), apartments along Cabarrus -- Carlton Place, new Chavis Heights, city owned houses, and privately owned rental houses, but no apartments other than the two buildings near the Edenton/Blount corner.

The only "pure" apartments (i.e. not rented condos) built anywhere downtown in the last 20 years I know of are in the Creamery and they are above market rate.

I think the apartments could be attractive to upper class/graduate college students who want to live downtown. After a short walk to Moore Square, they can ride TTA for free to and from NC State, Meredieth, and Campbell Law campuses. Shaw, Peace, and St. Augs would be a short bike ride away.

[JTsaysToYou]

The N&O reports It would be ideal for younger teachers at the Moore Square Magnet Middle and Exploris Middle Schools, if there are units in their price range.

[Francesca]

Just to add a little to this from someone who was at the CAC meeting for the big vote...for those who didn't attend, it was ginormous mess. Gordon and his lawyer made a presentation, all the postives about the project of course, and then the CAC chair got up to make some comments - all the negative things that the planning department had to say about the initial pass (school and parks overcrowding, pedestrian, traffic, and additional pollution concerns, etc.) - really set up the tone for dissent - and then opened the floor up to residents.

One after another, residents got up and spoke about how they were against it, affordability, gentrification, how people are being displaced (even though no one was displaced for this project - people kept mentioning this, even though that was point was clarified several times), all the bad things that's been done to them, how this project is just for the rich and not the little people, and then there's always the ones who go so far as to call out white people, etc. Probably a dozen got up to speak, and it just got progressively worse. I felt sick to my stomach, and Gordon looked as white as a sheet. Then, towards the end, Mr Haywood, whose family has owned property in the east Raleigh for 70 years, and a very eloquent gentleman who lives in the Walnut Terrace area, got up to speak in favor of the project and the potential for new investment and revitalization - YES!

When it came time to vote, I would have bet my shirt that it would have been a no, based on what everyone had said and the choruses of "That's right", and was stunned when 30 people raised their hands in favor of it and just two against (one resident abstained). I mean, WTF?!?!?!? I just don't get the mentality in the neighborhood and I have surely tried to figure it out - I have thought and thought about it since then, and still can't seem to understand what to make of it.

Back to the project - Gordon DOES still own all those houses - even the solitary one that hasn't been moved from the site yet. The houses will be rentals when he's finished rehabbing them (have no idea of the price), but at some point down the road (I'd say at least 6-10 years), they'll be sold for home-ownership - another YEA! The houses look great and definitely add a lot of character to the neighborhood rather than having to look at depressing empty lots littered with various alcohol containers.

I don't think the apartments will be cheap - maybe around $1,000-ish for a 750sf unit. There goes the concept of "LIVEABLE" affordable housing - not the Section 8 mess of which there's too much in SE already, but places where those on a modest salary can live (teachers, police officers, etc.) - I look forward to seeing this issue tackled in the future.

Gordon is also talking about pursuing LEED certification for green building - which would be AWESOME - but we'll have to see if the numbers work. Apparently there's only one other green apartment building in the state (Charlotte), and this could lend some great POSITIVE attention and interest in this side of town. Don't know if he dangled that carrot to garner support or is really serious about going for it. Also, Gordon is talking about selling these units as condos somewhere down the road - again, in the 6-10 year range.

You all really missed a real firecracker meeting!

[ChiefJoJo]

Francesca, thanks for the info, and a belated welcome to the forum... That sure is a curious story. One that the newspaper or TV news story did not capture at all. I have been to one of the Central CAC meetings last year (for Reynolds Tower, L-bldg, and one other project) and the community was very suspicious of these new developments in their district. I imagine this was about the same kind of atmosphere, expect it's even closer to 'my backyard'. I guess Mr Haywood's comments must have swayed the crowd somehow. I think this is a good project. The only thing I would change is adding affordable units.

Does anyone know the official name?

[ncwebguy]

Every Central CAC meeting is interesing; any approval for a new project elevates it to "firecracker" status.

I am glad Mr. Haywood stood up in favor of redevlment in the community. I don't know how people could be so adamantly against something and then vote for it, but stranger things have happened. I appreciate that Francesca's post covered the mood of the meeting, and is a sign that "community journalism" does a better job on "smaller" stories than the major media outlets. This impact of this project could be felt for years, if not decades, on the area east of downtown, yet it got little mention other than the approving vote. As editor of NC State's newspaper, I know column inches are scarce, but that is not an issue online.

Streaming video of the council meeting is avaialbe online, and you can jump right to the case you want to see. They did not vote on changing the zoning, but just took public comments. City Manager Russel Allen said the SW corner of the property (NE corner of Martin and Bloodworth) will remain neighborhood business to allow for retail there. Gordon Smith said he was talking with the Central CAC for about six months, and made a commitment stay at four stories, even though the federal building is eight stories to the northwest. Also, the parking deck will be hidden on all four sides, as proposed by the new interm downtown plan, i.e. no deck above residential like in Palladium Plaza. And there will be 20 more spots for retail visitors in addition to residents. Moore Square businesses, led by Tir Na Nog's owner, signed a petition in approval of the project. Ms. Williams gave the CAC recap and a nearby resident gave a brief comment in favor of the project. No one spoke against the rezoning.

The project still does not have an official name yet.

[Transplant]

Great recaps. Hopefully this will get built, because it could prove to be the biggest catalyst for East Raleigh in years.

[ChiefJoJo]

This project (rezoning) is on the city council agenda tomorrow for approval.