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Urban Design Center


dand65

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Wow! I never knew so many folks were talking every day about the work we do downtown. I am very impressed with your knowledge and passion about our fair city. I can't spend a ton of time noodling around on this forum - but if you have questions that you want answered - I'll do my best over the next couple of days to get to them.

Dan Douglas - Director Raleigh Urban Design Center

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There are 3 sites under consideration as far as I know. All on Fayetteville Street.

The old first citizens site - next to the Hudson

The city's site 1 - the east side of the existing convention center

The lot next to the old Progress Energy headquarters on Davie Street

RBC is taking proposals from more than one local/regional development company and is projected to decide on a team and site within the next 45 days or so.

Thanks for the compliment - its not just me but our whole team here at the UDC.

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The Raleigh Urban Design Center is the home of planning and design for downtown in our city. We wrote the Downtown Livable Streets Plan and are charged with its implementation.

We focus our work program in 4 areas.

1. Design - completing plans, sitting on slection committees for consultants and development partners etc and reviewing development proposals for downtown

2. Partnerships - bringing interested stakeholders and groups into the planning process, including professional organizations like the AIA, ASLA, APA, ULI and local universities

3. Program administration - we are in charge of the facade grant program, the wayfinding program and act as senior staff to the Appearance Commission

4. Education and Outreach - We keep the Livable Streets web page, a downtown tv show on community access channel and give the downtown update ppt presentaion to over 3000 people in the last year. We try to keep people informed about what is happening in the downtown.

In the simplest terms ...what we really are is advocates for good design, sound planning and particpation of folks in the future of the downtown.

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Awesome, I am so glad to see what you guys are doing there. I posted a thread called Raleigh Retail which I show some pics I took of Old Town Alexandria. It would be awesome if downtown Raleigh could have housing, retail and restaurants - as in multiple mixed use projects.

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Well I have a lot of questions I'd love for you to answer, but one thing we haven't really discussed around here lately is the Convention Center/Marriott.

Is the design we've seen for the Marriott going to be the final design (I believe its 16 stories total?) or are they still tweaking it some? (I hope, haha)

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Yes they are still tweaking it some. We met with their design team yesterday and they will be submitting a revised plan in about 2 or 3 weeks. They will likely continue to revise it in response to staff, Planning Commission and Council commments up until the day it is approved. That is how the process works.

You will be able to give your opinion on the record if you choose when it is scheduled to go before the Planning Commission and the the Council.

http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/.../Cat-Index.html

Here is where you can see when it will be before the Planning Commission.

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Hey Dan great to have you!! What about the real height of the RBC Tower?? Is it projected to be around 15 stories or could we see more than that?

Also the Reynolds Tower that we always wish to hear everyday that all the tenants have been found and will begin constructing. Is there any news on this building?

Also on Fayetteville Street has there been any developers that are interested in building condos? What kind of retail, restaurants are we looking at there too??

Any information would be great! I think you and the urban design center are doing a great job for realizing that Raleigh can be more vibrant city that what it is presently. In the next 5 years I truly think Raleigh will turn around dramtically.

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Welcome to the forum Dan.

You all are really doing a great job: The city has come a long way from when I first moved here and the next 3 years and beyond are going to be really exciting!

Random downtown/Raleigh questions

Are the hopes of a flagship DT library still in talks, or are they stalled with the Lichtin proposal?

I know the contempory art museum is getting new space downtown, but have there been any more talks of the NC art museum setting up a satellite museum downtown?

Any talks of free wireless access for Downtown Raleigh (at least the CBD). I think it'd be nice to have it at least on the new Fayetteville Street, Glenwood, Hillsborough street and the public squares (at least to start with).

What are the plans for the 64 East corridor now that the bypass is open. I know that there are a a few vacant stripmalls, it'd be awesome to see some dense/urban development along New Bern (between 440 and New Hope in particular).

P.S. please do everything in your power to prevent the powers that be from approving anything less than 30 stories going up on the lot on the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets (40 would be very nice ;-)

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Dan,

I was wondering if there are any plans to clean up the area at the north end of Saunders Street. To me this area is the key to the entire west side of downtown. If people felt comfortable walking thru this area, the Dorothea Dix property and the area about which I'm speaking would be extremely popular with people who want to ride the TTA train to work. Here is a link to the area:

http://tinyurl.com/cswxu

Thanks for swinging by the board! We're all very excited with the energy downtown now has!

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Hey Dan great to have you!! What about the real height of the RBC Tower?? Is it projected to be around 15 stories or could we see more than that?

Yes i think it could be taller than 15 stories easily

Also the Reynolds Tower that we always wish to hear everyday that all the tenants have been found and will begin constructing. Is there any news on this building?

Not heard much from Ted and David - they have till feb of next year

Also on Fayetteville Street has there been any developers that are interested in building condos? What kind of retail, restaurants are we looking at there too??

Yes part of the proposals for the site on the east side of the existing cc (on Fayetteville) contain around 150 condos. Also don't forget we still have two site the city owns along Fayetteville just in front of the performing arts center that we won't develop until early 2008 or so - there are all sorts of opportunities there.

I think we will see a real glut of new bars and restaurants on Fayetteville Street once it opens. Don't be surprised if it takes alittle while for that activity to ramp up. the Reatail is always the last to develop - it needs rooftops and/or visitors to make it work and most of that happens big in 2008.

Any information would be great! I think you and the urban design center are doing a great job for realizing that Raleigh can be more vibrant city that what it is presently. In the next 5 years I truly think Raleigh will turn around dramtically.

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Hi Dan, welcome to the foum, and I'm glad you made it out here. I wrote you initially with the forum link, and your response included a site where people could join organized discussions about downtown:

http://www.urbanraleigh.com/

When can we expect the next calendar event to be posted? I bet you could get a couple dozen people to attend future brainstorming events just off this forum alone.

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Hi Dan, welcome to the forum.

I know I have a bunch of questions somewhere in my head but they just aren't coming out right now. I've come up with one, though...

Streetscapes in downtown Raleigh and the surrounding neighborhoods need work. Glenwood is already nice, and of course Fayetteville Street is under construction right now. We're also all aware of the Blount Street project (which may or may not include Wilmington and Person, I don't know). There are also projects on tap for Peace Street as well as Hillsborough Street. Are there any other streetscape projects in the works? What streets?

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Dan,

  I was wondering if there are any plans to clean up the area at the north end of Saunders Street. To me this area is the key to the entire west side of downtown. If people felt comfortable walking thru this area, the Dorothea Dix property and the area about which I'm speaking would be extremely popular with people who want to ride the TTA train to work.  Here is a link to the area:

http://tinyurl.com/cswxu

Thanks for swinging by the board! We're all very excited with the energy downtown now has!

The Gateway West and Sauders North Redevelopment Plans specifically address your concerns for this area.

http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/..._North_Area.pdf

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Hi Dan, welcome to the forum.

I know I have a bunch of questions somewhere in my head but they just aren't coming out right now. I've come up with one, though...

Streetscapes in downtown Raleigh and the surrounding neighborhoods need work. Glenwood is already nice, and of course Fayetteville Street is under construction right now. We're also all aware of the Blount Street project (which may or may not include Wilmington and Person, I don't know). There are also projects on tap for Peace Street as well as Hillsborough Street. Are there any other streetscape projects in the works? What streets?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We will begin a study of Hargett and Martin Streets in January of next year, after that I think it will be Lenior and South Streets. As apart of the reopening of Fayetteville Street we ill also be converting one lane on both Salisbury and Wilmington from travel to parking - adding about 150 new free parking spaces.

Also on October 1st we will be hosting - with the local AIA chapter - a 6 hour charrette to take a look at how we might make improvements to the buildings in the 200 block of Wilmington Street - its open to the public if you'd like to attend. Starts at noon runs till six here at the UDC

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Hi Dan, welcome to the foum, and I'm glad you made it out here.  I wrote you initially with the forum link, and your response included a site where people could join organized discussions about downtown:

http://www.urbanraleigh.com/

When can we expect the next calendar event to be posted?  I bet you could get a couple dozen people to attend future brainstorming events just off this forum alone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not sure when the next event will be held - I helped to start the group but i don't manage it.

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Dan, welcome to UP-Triangle!

I remember seeing your presentation last year at the Cardinal Club about DT Raleigh projects and was very impressed. Thanks for coming aboard and answering a few questions.

One piece of the Liveable Streets Plan was developing the pedestrian environment DT. I happen to LIVE, WORK and PLAY in DT, and I have concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly crossing the busy McDowell and Dawson streets. When will the city address this need in a broad-based plan?

Thanks.

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We will begin a study of Hargett and Martin Streets in January of next year, after that I think it will be Lenior and South Streets. As apart of the reopening of Fayetteville Street we ill also be converting one lane on both Salisbury and Wilmington from travel to parking  - adding about 150 new free parking spaces.

Also on October 1st we will be hosting - with the local AIA chapter - a 6 hour charrette to take a look at how we might make improvements to the buildings in the 200 block of Wilmington Street - its open to the public if you'd like to attend. Starts at noon runs till six here at the UDC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its about time for both of these. I have long said, part of the reason the mall failed is that Wilmington and Salisbury have almost no parking spaces so you were talking about a good hike to patronize businesses like Briggs.

It looks like in April someone bought 211 S. Wilmington and is hiding behind the name Upscale LLC. It is the lone 3 story building on the east side of the street and should look nice when the aluminum comes off the front of it. I wish Capetanos would do something with 213 and 215...he already fixed up 225 with a new brick facade. Horwitz needs tear down 207/209 and spend some $$ on 201/205. I have neighbors who have tried to get him to sell but say he wont budge. I am quite sick of building owners like these who let their cool old buildings turn to blight. Wake County property search is a great tool for this sort of info to anyone interested Link

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Hey Dan great to have you!!  What about the real height of the RBC Tower??  Is it projected to be around 15 stories or could we see more than that?

Yes i think it could be taller than 15 stories easily

Gotta love the word easily. Who knows how tall this building may end up! :thumbsup:

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