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News & Observer mixed-use project


GARNET&BLACK

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i thought those renderings were just massing models rather than the real thing. I also think they are discussing putting the parking underground as well. Remember this will take longer than other projects because of so much that will move into the building. The N&O building's design has yet to be released, expect a massing model first then some design aspects.

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all i have to say is a parking deck on nash square would be a huge mistake. you would think the city would have learned when they tore down the park hotel to build the police department. there are only two of the original 4 parks left and we should be making the most of them.

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I don't think the problem is with the parking lot as much as it is with the block. When you take up 3/4 of a block with a jail and courthouse, that last 1/4 of the block really isn't that desirable for residential, retail or office projects. A parking deck isn't bad, just as long as A) it looks better than the existing deck there now and B) its human scale and doesn't feel awkward to walk by.

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I don't think the problem is with the parking lot as much as it is with the block. When you take up 3/4 of a block with a jail and courthouse, that last 1/4 of the block really isn't that desirable for residential, retail or office projects. A parking deck isn't bad, just as long as A) it looks better than the existing deck there now and B) its human scale and doesn't feel awkward to walk by.

I dunno. You're point is well taken, but I can think of tons of office tenants who would benefit from immediate proximity to the courthouse and register of deeds, and maybe residential isn't a good fit, but it sure would be nice to figure out how to work more housing onto Nash Sq.

As for parking decks facing the street, there are just way too many good examples of well-designed parking decks hidden behind attractive wrap-around buildings and street level retail for this city to follow the 1980's model.

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One fact that can't be ignored is that a courthouse has to be secured from attack to keep society stabile. An underground parking deck makes any facility extremely vulnerable to bombing.

I don't think that an underground deck is any more vulnerable than one thats above ground.

As far as Nash Square Park, I think the comment meant (and I agree) that more housing is needed Around it. The park is perfectly located. We need more parks like it.

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I think that Dana's point is that when you have an underground parking deck, you usually build on top of it. The building above the deck is vulnerable to an attack in the parking deck (a la WTC in 93). A parking deck next to a building is a little more secure than one underneath.

In regards to the Nash Square comment: When we are talking about Nash square, most of us are talking about the 8 blocks around the square itself. There are three keys to real estate location, location and location. Although Nash square has some negatives, there are many positives.

Cons: Wake County Prison in the Vicinity

Traffic on Mcdowell and Dawson

Pros: Adjacent to the new Fayetteville Street

A couple of blocks away from Glenwood South

A couple of blocks away from the convention district

The park itself is 2 blocks from the RBC HQ site and 2 blocks from the prospective Reynolds tower: Prospectively downtown Raleigh's future 1 and 2 in height and probably value as well.

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Well, Oklahoma City showed pretty clearly that a truck filled with explosives causes severe damage regardless of where it detonates. The State operates two secured underground parking decks so its not problematic to limit access if it must be that way. Assuming it would be a publicly accessible deck, adding one more set of guards to search car trunks at a county owned underground parking facility would not cost very much, just an addition to the staff already at the entrances.

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I think they should've buried McDowell and Dawson while they were doing this convention project. Those two streets carry to high of volumes that are driving through downtown to get somewhere else. It would be cool to have a tunnel too.

As for the bomb comment...this is Raleigh, not too many concerns for that. Not enough not to build underground decks.

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I think they should've buried McDowell and Dawson while they were doing this convention project. Those two streets carry to high of volumes that are driving through downtown to get somewhere else. It would be cool to have a tunnel too.

As for the bomb comment...this is Raleigh, not too many concerns for that. Not enough not to build underground decks.

You never know. What if an incredibly polarizing figure were accused of murdering someone while he/she was staying here? What if a national security official were doing a tour of national jails (these are not prisons downtown) and how a single nationality of people were being treated in these facilities?

Important and influential people don't just stay in Washington and NYC. In fact, they are most vulnerable when they travel to cricketville because nobody suspects a terrorist to be hanging out there.

Since the '93 WTC bombing there has been a little more of a concerted effort to safeguard buildings like government meeting houses, prisons, power facilities, and communications facilities by bunkering them and not integrating easy truck access. (You've all seen the ugly concrete bunkers at BellSouth at Atlantic and New Hope Church Rd, er Rock & Roll Blvd, right?)

Sure, any building can be destroyed with an adjacent blast, but bunkering and disintegration of parking are big steps toward minimizing the effect of a blast.

THAT SAID!!!, I would love to see them stack the parking on top of retail at that key corner to the park. I think one of the keys to the area working is to make the streets between the convention center and the warehouse district all walkable, not just lined with concrete parking deck walls. For goodness sakes make the four corners across from one of the two cool parks really charming!!

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Parking should be buried. the only reason not to is money.

If terrorism is an issue, where does it stop? Should all buildings be uniformally high? of course not.

And if parking garages are dangerous, we should bury the garages under parks. Imagine 2k lots under Moore & Nash Squares.

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THAT SAID!!!, I would love to see them stack the parking on top of retail at that key corner to the park. I think one of the keys to the area working is to make the streets between the convention center and the warehouse district all walkable, not just lined with concrete parking deck walls. For goodness sakes make the four corners across from one of the two cool parks really charming!!

I agree, Nash Square has great potential, perhaps a little more than Moore Sq. I like the Dawson, Park Deveraeux as the residential (the new one supposedly on the corner too). The stretch along Martin could use a little fixing up. Add some new retail and commercial and you've got a great link between Fayetteville Street and the Warehouse district. People will actually walk from place to place.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not so sure. McClatchey already said that they will close the Headquarters of Knight Ridder. My concern is that they are going to cut accross the board reduction/change. :huh: But I feel that this is the reason that the N&O has waited to announce more on there building. They, I believe, knew about this potential purchase of there parent company and wanted to wait. Now maybe it won't be to long before they release some little bit of news on there downtown building?

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I'm not so sure. McClatchey already said that they will close the Headquarters of Knight Ridder. My concern is that they are going to cut accross the board reduction/change. :huh: But I feel that this is the reason that the N&O has waited to announce more on there building. They, I believe, knew about this potential purchase of there parent company and wanted to wait. Now maybe it won't be to long before they release some little bit of news on there downtown building?

I think the reason they will close the KR HQ is that it is based out of San Jose and McClatchy is based in Sacramento. I don

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How sweet it is!!!! Go N&O go! Go DwntwnRaleigh go! :yahoo:

Yea, but reality hits real fast when you take on $2B in debt. :w00t: The idea that the mothership will not want to skim more from the moneymakers....I find that hard to believe.

Plus, I would not think anyone knows what is really going to happen. I hope it does not affect the building but I have never seen a company merge and not look for cost reductions in every corner, especially a troubled public company, even if family stock setup has guards against investor meddling.

Maybe they have a plan.

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