Warehouse district question

[dombalis]

I lived in Glenwood South when it blew up, and have lived in Mordecai since then. I was thinking about how the Warehouse District was the first section of downtown Raleigh that really became a "hotspot." Having basically been a downtown guy my whole life, i thought that was really cool, and, when you think about it, this district really got the whole ball rolling. Anyway, is the Warehouse District still considered as much of a hotspot as it was a few years ago? Has GW South stolen some of the WD's thunder, or added to its positive influence downtown. To be honest, I never go down there.

[avery]

I think that Glenwood South is more of a hotspot that the warehouse district is right now, but that is not to say that the warehouse district has lost its sizzle. Glenwood South is just more accessible and easier to walk/drive since it is all along one drag. I think the potential loss of the TTA has taken some of the potential from the warehouse district. If the CAM comes through and some of the other projects mentioned in the press, I think the warehouse district will bloom even more.

[Justin6882]

I agree with Avery. Overall, Glenwood South is much more "happening" than the Warehouse District, but some of my favorite places downtown are in the Warehouse District (White Collar, Nana's, Five Star). I think once CAM is built, and the Depot fills in, and we find out for sure what is going to happen with the TTA, then we'll have a better plan as to what the Warehouse District will become.

[dombalis]

haha, i used to live in an apartment on top of the Roast Grill (i go to church w/ the owners) w/ 2 of my best friends, within walking distance of GS and WHD. Ahhhhhhhhh.............bachelerhood.

[ncwebguy]

The Warehouse district has done well *despite* Dillon Supply not wanting to move and TTA's condemnation of everything but Five Star.

The Fallout Shelter, Wicked Smile, West End, CCs and Legends were "downtown" before anything happened on Glenwood other than Sunflowers, Milk and More cafe, and the Rockford. When Jillians opened (just the bar, pool hall, and arcade), it was dead for a few weeks until word of mouth spread. Then it was wall to wall people and difficult to get a pool table. Humble Pie opened around that time as well. The Button South tried to anchor the south end of the warehouse district, but failed. The Warehouse restaurant/club was a little more successful, but it closed too.

Fallout Shelter, WS, and WE gave way to Flex, Five Star, and Club Oxygen, with The Office and Flying Saucer as part of a "second wave" of places that opened just as Glenwood started showing signs of life.

The Warehouse district is starting to move south again with Nana's, White Collar Crime, and Ess, and Aries has made it a year across from Flying Saucer.

Glenwood south has more places to do things in a tight corridor vs. spread out over several blocks. Hibernian, Mellow Mushroom, Helios, 510 building, Creamery (Vin, Hard Times, Stool Pigeons), Bistro 607, etc. all form an easily walkable line with a lot of foot and vehicle traffic that make people feel safe.

It would be cool to keep a timeline of when places opened/closed/moved/whatever, but that sounds like a lot more trouble than it is worth...

[dombalis]

So what can be done to make the WD a little more "pedestrian friendly?" I think that outdoor seating (like at Armadillo) restaurants would go great down here, and some dense residential development. Are there any plans for that?

[ncwebguy]

What the warehouse district has depends on where you draw its borders....

In my boundaries (Dawson to Boyland east/west and Hillsborough to Cabarrus north/south), there is:

- outdoor eating at Humble Pie, Nana's Chophouse and Moonlight Pizza, with the Borough coming soon.

- "outdoor visible" drinking at Flying Saucer, Jillians, White Collar Crime, and Ess, with mosquito and sidecar opening soon.

Is this enough? Probably not considering the amount of land it covers. Another problem is there is too much space between these "dots". When you are walking around on foot and don't know the area, looking south down West or Harrington from Morgan looks like a lost cause past Hargett.

Land owners want to maximize the value of their land, so they play the waiting game. With only parking lots and warehouses, nothing will happen. It is kind of a game of chicken -- new buildings increase the value of empty land, so there is a "reward" for doing nothing. It is sad that Empire properties has to do just about everything in this area, but no one else seems to see the value there.

[ChiefJoJo]

The warehouse District needs people more than anything. The only residences are Martin Place, Park Deveraux, and I suppose you could include The Dawson as well. CAM and the proposed "Bradshaw Realty" site facing city hall next to Dawson St should help if/when they are built.

TTA's condemnation of everything but Five Star.

I believe TTA bought them all out, but leased the space back to Five Star while they figure out what to do with the FFGA.

TTA owns a ton of land down there (~8 acres?), and If they got the rail project going again and developed the land with TOD, it would instantly take off. I'm sure a lot of property owners are playing a game of wait and see.