Boylan/Hillsborough/Glenwood area project rumors

[wfdude]

Hello all, I was surprised to see that nobody has discussed this article that was in the N&O yesterday. Towards the middle of the article it mentions two more development possibilites for a few shabby lots on Hillsborough St coming into downtown. Here's the link: From Basement to Bar.

It's great to see some movement on the old Tao Auto spot. That lot is especially an eyesore when making your way into downtown from the west. It is bittersweet to see another organization moving out (The American Cancer Society) to the suburbs, so hopefully this development plan will pan out.

I'm not completely familiar with the other Hillsborough St. site -- it must not be as bad as the Tao Auto site because it doesn't stick out in my memory. Does anyone know what is there?

The new bar should hopefully help connect the Bloomsbury project once its built and the rest of the warehouse district, and hopefully it willl make it until the TTA finally opens up its light rail station just down the street. This apparently is in the bottom of the building that sits beside the Boylan Street bridge and its semi-famous view of downtown.

Anyway, what does everyone think about these new developments?

[Damien]

I used to live in the house right across from that building at the corner of Boylan and Hargett. It was kinda unsightly, but there used to be an interior design and home furnishings store there called Talk of the Town. It has been empty for some time now, and its nice to see some life coming into that space. I think it will fare well there. It's only a block away from the warehouse district and with the condos further up on Hargett and Bloomsbury Estates they should have a steady customer base. There are a couple other buildings in Boylan Heights that I think have potential to be redeveloped. If that happens then Boylan Heights could be quite a vibrant neighborhood. Many of the homes there have been refurbished the only thing missing is some kind of business like maybe a grocery store in the building behind Oceola Recording Studios.

[ChiefJoJo]

The old Tao site and 615 Hillsborough (a 2-3 story office bldg) are right across the street from my place. I wonder what's going in there? Hmm... hopefully mixed use with retail on street level. It's likely residential will be a part of it, as the TTA DT station, if it's ever built, is only 2 blocks away!

[wfdude]

Ah, you live just down the street from me. I live right behind Pullen Baptist Church. That area of Hillsborough St has a lot of potential! I can't wait 3 or more years to see what becomes of it!

[ChiefJoJo]

This article talks about the redevelopment potential of this area bounded by Hillsborough St, Glenwood St, St Mary's St and the railroad/future TTA tracks. this area would connect Glenwood South to the Warehouse District.

[Justin6882]

I do think this area has a ton of potential. Its close to Glenwood South (especially since it keeps inching closer to Hillsborough) and the Warehouse District. It has great views, and a built in residential compnent with Boylan Heights, plus a flurry of Condo development planned. This is truly an exciting time for Downtown Raleigh - and today was a great suprise to open up the paper and see all the articles about downtown.

[Jones_]

I do think this area has a ton of potential. Its close to Glenwood South (especially since it keeps inching closer to Hillsborough) and the Warehouse District. It has great views, and a built in residential compnent with Boylan Heights, plus a flurry of Condo development planned. This is truly an exciting time for Downtown Raleigh - and today was a great suprise to open up the paper and see all the articles about downtown.

Something about this area...especially the Hillsborough St view, has always been my favorite part of town.

[orulz]

I definitely agree that this area could become quite the hot spot... but I really hope they fix the awkward offset intersection at Boylan and Hillsborough before it happens.

West of there I've always thought the Morgan/Hillsborough area has a lot of potential, too.

[pack-man]

I definitely agree that this area could become quite the hot spot... but I really hope they fix the awkward offset intersection at Boylan and Hillsborough before it happens.

West of there I've always thought the Morgan/Hillsborough area has a lot of potential, too.

I hate that intersection, but I don't think there are any plans to correct it. You would think they would try with the latest streetscape project they are doing right now to it. But this is Raleigh, that would make too much sense.

[rjg]

Actually, there is a plan to make the Hillsborough/Morgan intersection into a roundabout. At least, I think that's still the plan. But to find out, there's a meeting Saturday morning, 8:15-noon, at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church, hosted by the Hillsborough Street Partnership--the group formed after the '99 charette that hatched the original (and largely ignored since) Hillsborough Street improvement plans. The '05 bond issue has $3 million for Hillsborough. Question now is how to get started.

[Jones_]

Can't find the thread for this but....I have never been too sure the roundabouts are the way to go.....my idea for Hillsborough was to eliminate ingress between Enterprise (Sadlacks) and Pogue (Wachovia) and maintain everything as egress streets only. At those streets have raised brick crosswalks, diagonal parking on the business side all along the stretch and a planted median too (like on Clark and Glenwood). There would not be actual bus stops along this stretch but one at each end for TTA and CAT (Wolfline stays on campus along here). Configurations would be such that there is a free travel lane in each direction...bus stops and parking maneuvers would not impede the 25 mph traffic flow. Plus the typical new plantings, trash cans and street lighting will improve the image too.

Morgan/Hillsborough would be fine as a T signaled intersection with Morgan being extended to Ashe behind Goodnights to expand the grid a bit.

[pack-man]

The plan was to add roundabouts at all signaled intersections. This is a major project that has been talked about for years. It will be interesting when they finally get started. A lot of traffic will shift to Western which isn't capable of handling anymore traffic. Wade Ave. would see an influx of traffic as well which would be bad too.

Like I said, it will be very interesting.

[orulz]

Yes, the more I think about it, the more I get cold feet about having a billion roundabouts up and down Hillsborough Street.

The idea is to make the street more pedestrian friendly by calming traffic, but crossing the street at a heavily traveled roundabout during a period of heavy traffic isn't fun; additionally, having a continuous stream of people crossing the street can be a serious impediment to traffic flow, like the pedestrian crossings on Dan Allen Drive, only multiplied by ten. I'm not sure if I'm ready for Hillsobrough Street's carrying capacity to be reduced to that of Dan Allen.

[Jones_]

The plan was to add roundabouts at all signaled intersections. This is a major project that has been talked about for years. It will be interesting when they finally get started. A lot of traffic will shift to Western which isn't capable of handling anymore traffic. Wade Ave. would see an influx of traffic as well which would be bad too.

Like I said, it will be very interesting.

The study I read had numbers that showed Hillsboroughs capacity would increase with the roundabouts. I still think, that while innovative, its not the way to go for a secondary arterial.

[Raleighsfinest]

Yes, the more I think about it, the more I get cold feet about having a billion roundabouts up and down Hillsborough Street.

The idea is to make the street more pedestrian friendly by calming traffic, but crossing the street at a heavily traveled roundabout during a period of heavy traffic isn't fun; additionally, having a continuous stream of people crossing the street can be a serious impediment to traffic flow, like the pedestrian crossings on Dan Allen Drive, only multiplied by ten. I'm not sure if I'm ready for Hillsobrough Street's carrying capacity to be reduced to that of Dan Allen.

I feel the same way as well. I think the idea of putting roundabouts on hillsborough st is counter productive. I thought they were joking when the idea was presented and taken seriously. That area is too dense and urban for an idea like that to help with growth and productiveness.

[pack-man]

Its a good idea if the traffic could be shifted somewhere else that could handle that load. But there are no good roads for that. So in order for this project to ever work they will need to turn Western into a freeway with no signals whatsoever. Also, something would have to be done to Wade Ave. as well.

[ncwebguy]

If they got rid of the garage on the southwest corner of Boylan and Hillsborough, they could angle Boylan from Hillsborough (making that a plus intersection) to Morgan (keeping the existing plus there). Make the remainding space west of the new street a green space, and offer the east side as a plaza or to the people putting condos there. Or something similar could be done with the gas station north of Hillsborough at the same intersection.

With Boyland Heights, Bloomsbury, the "Joel Lane" townhouses, St. Marys school, the Raleigh apartments, and that mid rise north of Hillsborough (carrige house?) all nearby, how many more residences are needed for a grocery store better than a convience store to open somewhere in this Boylan-Hillsborough area?

[RaleighLover]

There was just a story about this on the Channel 11 6 O'Clock news. It was about how the area is a "gold mine" and some guy said it was the "next big thing." They also showed a guy who's opening his own pub in the area and the roof top of the pub, which will be converted into a patio with places for people to sit, has an awesome view from 60 ft. up.

[Damien]

Wow, I didn't realize there was going to be rooftop patio seating. I used to go sit on that rooftop to get away sometimes when I lived across the street.

[ChiefJoJo]

I live in this area, and i hope some of these properties are developed soon. Sidetrack Brewpub, is the one you spoke of, I believe. I can practically see it from my window right now.

[Damien]

^Yeah. It was Talk of the Town Home Interiors then. The guys that owned that business were always so friendly, and had the most beautiful great dane. It didnt add a lot of foot traffic to the corner, but I kinda miss it.

[bdp]

that is a great location for a bar... i will kind of miss the quiet place it is now, but I knew it would not be that way forever. Really, I am surprised it has been empty this long.

[ChiefJoJo]

One thing I didn't add last night is that area has a great view of the skyline--I think Sidetrack will be a hit, and the Bloomsbury will sell well due to it's prominent location (and attractive design IMO) over looking the city.

[Jones_]

If they got rid of the garage on the southwest corner of Boylan and Hillsborough, they could angle Boylan from Hillsborough (making that a plus intersection) to Morgan (keeping the existing plus there). Make the remainding space west of the new street a green space, and offer the east side as a plaza or to the people putting condos there. Or something similar could be done with the gas station north of Hillsborough at the same intersection.

With Boyland Heights, Bloomsbury, the "Joel Lane" townhouses, St. Marys school, the Raleigh apartments, and that mid rise north of Hillsborough (carrige house?) all nearby, how many more residences are needed for a grocery store better than a convience store to open somewhere in this Boylan-Hillsborough area?

I have wondered that myself...the population walking distance to that intesection must be several thousand.

[Oakdale]

I walked by this future pub last night with my dad and we were both commenting on the skyline view from Bloomsbury and the future pub - good stuff. I thought the building was too small, but then got a view from the back and all the space on the lower level. I wonder if the sign "we make stuff" will change to "we make beer" anytime soon.