West Raleigh developments

[Tayfromcarolina]

A 300 million dollar mixed use development is in the works. Presented by Preston Development Co. of Cary. The site of Edwards Mill Rd. has the potential to mushroom into a mini city. up to 700 residential units, 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space and a 300 room hotel.

Could this be the beginning of big changes for that area, which was supposed to boom when the Sports Arena opened in 1999?

I would love to see some nice eateries thrown in the mix also. I'm sure that's also part of the plan. Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, type things, as well as unique dining.

[RaleighHeelsfan]

A 300 million dollar mixed use development is in the works.  Presented by Preston Development Co. of Cary.  The site of Edwards Mill Rd.  has the potential to mushroom into a mini city. up to 700 residential units, 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space and a 300 room hotel.

Could this be the beginning of big changes for that area, which was supposed to boom when the Sports Arena opened in 1999? 

I would love to see some nice eateries thrown in the mix also. I'm sure that's also part of the plan.  Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, type things, as well as unique dining.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Man Raleigh sucks,

the arena should have been downtown to start with! Sprawl, sprawl, and more sprawl=Raleigh

[Eastwestrob]

Man Raleigh sucks,

the arena should have been downtown to start with! Sprawl, sprawl, and more  sprawl=Raleigh 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with the downtown part. 10 years from now Raleigh will want to build another first class arena and you will have all this developement already established in that area and it will be the same thing ...do we build downtown or rebuild in an area that is already established. Oh well, maybe 200 years from now that part of town will be part of the CBD and it won't matter.

The convention center is one thing to attract people downtown, but to have that arena downtown would have really kicked off the DT redevelopment

[NCMike1981]

yeah I'm not really too excited with more fields and forests being turned over to sprawl-like developments, but oh well, at least it's in an area where one would expect development to occur....

[avery]

I agree, development is going to happen here eventually. It is actually in an area that is prime for development IMO. I still do hate to see the arena where it is at because if the RBC was located downtown, all of this development would have occured down there. Oh well...

[c_harmons]

I actually heard it is just apartments and office. Not all that grand to me.

For a mini city you need integrated retail and innovative residential and office.

[Subway Scoundrel]

The original plan for this property was a very compact development with the possibility of a TTA spur running through it. When the Alabama company that won the bid did not build, it was handed over to this Preston development and one of the guys is Bubba Rawls) who is famous for building standard, boring strip center mentality/big box development. Guarantee there will be a Lowes, Home Depot and huge surface parking lot. What a shame. I think there will be a new arena built but in 20-25 years (if the Hurricanes stay ---GO CANES !!!) Not sure where DT that would go as the arena location DT was where the CC is going. I think the area near the fairgrounds needs to kept compact and don't let the development communities run the same ole crap by the city planning and council. I sometimes think those guys will vote on anything just to keep building happening.

[NCpride]

Well this is my first post. I've been following this discussion board for a few months now and I must say how very impressed I am with all of the knowledgable people and thoughtful discussion. I would hope city leaders check this forum out periodically!

My question is about the farmland across Wade Ave. from the RBC center. I've always thought this would be a unique place for some high density development (maybe even a couple of mid-rises) given its proximity to RDU, RBC, RTP, REX, Crabtree Valley, I-440, etc. Does anybody know if there is anything is in the works, who owns it?

[orulz]

I wonder what's going to happen there. Something tells me the city will be reluctant to allow curb cuts and traffic lights on Edwards Mill so that will limit what can be done. A significant portion of that land is owned by NCSU and is home to some of their livestock. I don't think they have plans to move any time soon (being close to campus is useful, after all.) I know there's a subdivision in the works down Reedy Creek right next to Umstead.

I'd almost rather this area stay undeveloped for now. If it were zoned for high density, development, it would end up as a high-density suburban area with townhomes, apartments, office parks, and strip malls - exactly like Blue Ridge, Duraleigh, and the northern half of Edwards Mill. Those are attractive areas as far as suburban thoroughfares go, but that's not a desirable outcome in my mind since there's too much stuff like that in Raleigh already.

[Jones_]

There was some museum or research center of some sort named after and pushed by some former governor (sorry former gov!) planned at one point for the area north of Wade...someone help me out here, what the heck was that place...

[Raleighmark]

There was some museum or research center of some sort named after and pushed by some former governor (sorry former gov!) planned at one point for the area north of Wade...someone help me out here, what the heck was that place...

Terry Sanford was the Governor you

[pack-man]

I was driving into town the other day and I was taking the Wade Ave. extension. I passed by the RBC center and looked around and thought to myself "why is nothing developed here yet" I don't understand what happened to this area.

With all this hype going into downtown, the city can't forget one of its biggest investments ever. That area needs some commercial out there. This use to be a priority, now it just seems to have been forgotten about. There is just so much land out (I know some belongs to NCSU for research) but there is a lot in other spots. Why hasn't a North Hills like place been built there.

Does anyone share the same feelings that I have on this? I think it looks bad for our city when guests come to the stadium/arena for events/games and there is nothing to do at all around the complex. What happened here?

This looks so bad when Wade Ave. is the main gateway into town for out-of-towners staying in Raleigh.

[pdxheel]

Its actually owned by NCSU. Its part of their agriculture/vet programs. NCSU gets a lot of grants, federal money, etc. for the ag/vet programs because they have this undeveloped land available where they can conduct research. Developing the area would certainly be a big hit to these programs. I guess this is the problem of having a land-grant university in an urban environment. I don't see any chance of this area being significantly developed in the near future.

[pack-man]

I know the area north of Wade Ave. is NCSU, but what about on the south side adjacent to Cardinal Gibbons. There is a ton of land back in there. At one time I heard that someone was going to go in there and do dense condos and retail. That would be great.

[ncwebguy]

I think some of the land west of RBC and south of Wade was a toxic chemical "brownfields" dumping place for NC State. I think Jim Goodnight of SAS wanted to buy some of this land, but the people that owned it didn't want to sell. Cardinal Gibbons got their land as part of a land swap with NC State and Centennial Campus. Damons opend in hopes of getting RBC traffic, but barely survived the lockout season. I don't know how well it does now, but its woes might have dampered any interest in devloping that area.

[orulz]

The area out around RBC is definitely floundering from a retail standpoint, but yet, it's a booming suburban office market, out along Trinity Rd west of Edwards Mill and along Corporate Center Drive.

[Subway Scoundrel]

I know the area north of Wade Ave. is NCSU, but what about on the south side adjacent to Cardinal Gibbons. There is a ton of land back in there. At one time I heard that someone was going to go in there and do dense condos and retail. That would be great.

Yes, the area around Cardinal Gibbons to Wade and I-40 was set for dense urban development by an Alabama company (Colonial) but the economy would not allow the company to start or even get off the ground. It was during the downturn around 2000. They have since sold the rights to Bubba Rawls and gang.

I would like to see more out there, but scared it is going to be parceled out to something worse than Cary/Glorified Strip Centers/Big Box. I would rather wait for something dense and something the market can bear in that mold than get a bunch of surface parking lots.

I also think the city has noted that they can not support both both...successful DT and dense development at that size outside the city core, unless a private developer comes in and makes it happen on their own like Kane did at North Hills. I believe this land is up to 5-10 times the size of the current North Hills. Plus North Hills was already a mall. Not to mention, Kane is not a normal developer and few people would bet the farm on something like North Hills. They would rather do what has worked in the past (large parking lots) and has a better bottom line.

I think the market can only bear so much and that is why nothing has been built. And the last thing that is needed there are big box or large surface lots.

[pack-man]

I'm extremely worried that someone is going to come in there and just throw up some wood structure condos, much like what is already around there. It just seems like something wasn't done right with the whole RBC center area. They never got the 5 star hotel that was planned, all the restaurants and retail that were talked about. I just don't understand how this has outright died.

The RBC center might as well had been built in the country. It is surely doomed like the Charlotte coliseum.

[Jones_]

I'm extremely worried that someone is going to come in there and just throw up some wood structure condos, much like what is already around there. It just seems like something wasn't done right with the whole RBC center area. They never got the 5 star hotel that was planned, all the restaurants and retail that were talked about. I just don't understand how this has outright died.

The RBC center might as well had been built in the country. It is surely doomed like the Charlotte coliseum.

Thats what I always expected, wood structure apartments like the stuff out 70 and 54 heading towards the Park from Raleigh....the buildings might be pretty pastel greens and blues but basicly schlock. Maybe some facadism ala Brier Creek and some office buildings ala Weston Parkway.

[Subway Scoundrel]

The RBC center might as well had been built in the country. It is surely doomed like the Charlotte coliseum.

I am not sure it is doomed. It just will be a long time before it is an urban paradise. The Charlotte Coliseum was doomed for many other reasons. No boxes, way far out when compared to RBC, etc.

It is not what it could be if built DT, but it is not doomed.

[DanRNC]

The Charlotte Coliseum was doomed because it had no luxury boxes-the only reason. Location had absolutely nothing to do with it. Most people I know think its in a good location considering it serves Chapel Hill and Durham as well. It is the easiest coliseum to get in and out of I have ever been to. It took us no more than 10 minutes to get from our parking spot to I-40 after a sold out Hurricanes game. People need to give this a rest.

[MR-2]

It is close to the TTA corridor, so in the future, it could be connected to downtown via rail transit. If it had been in North Raleigh, THEN we'd have much worse problems on our hands.

[orulz]

It is close to the TTA corridor, so in the future, it could be connected to downtown via rail transit. If it had been in North Raleigh, THEN we'd have much worse problems on our hands.

It's kind of close to the TTA corridor. The actual arena itself is 1 mile from where the TTA platforms will be. I'm sure that some fans (students especially) would be willing to make the mile walk in decent weather, but it's still not a very strong connection. I believe that shuttle buses are planned. Shuttle buses can work well for things like the airport where there's a steady trickle of people throughout the day, but how well can they function when there are thousands of people leaving the arena for the first 15 minutes after the game?

[pack-man]

The Charlotte Coliseum was doomed because it had no luxury boxes-the only reason. Location had absolutely nothing to do with it. Most people I know think its in a good location considering it serves Chapel Hill and Durham as well. It is the easiest coliseum to get in and out of I have ever been to. It took us no more than 10 minutes to get from our parking spot to I-40 after a sold out Hurricanes game. People need to give this a rest.

The location is great for all three cities...My point of it being doomed is in the future downtown will be the place to be(assuming everything goes as planned) Lets remember why the new arena in Charlotte(bobcat center or whatever it is called) was built...To complete the downtown revitalization. I feel that this will be the trend here as well. Nothing is better for a downtown then a nice sports arena. If there is no other reason to go the RBC Center, it will eventually just become a building like the Charlotte Coliseum did and people will eventually grow tiresome. Lets just hope that the Hurricanes in 10 years decide that the building sucks and is poorly located and threatens to leave unless the city builds a new one downtown. This helps the team image as well to have a nice venue in the downtown core.

Downtown Charlotte arena is cleaning up right now because of where it is located and its proximity to hotels, restaurant, and what not. They have also figured out how to deal with all the traffic. I commend Charlotte on their success. Also, Charlotte Coliseum could've been renovated and luxury sweets added (MSG did this countless times) but the city decided to go another direction. Good decision I think....

[romec]

When did they figure out how to deal with the traffic again? Last time I was at a sporting event in Charlotte, I remember it taking a good while just ot make it back to the interstate. Then another hour or two of bumper to bumper traffic.

The location is great, but traffic after large events leaves much to be desired.