Hillsborough Street - NCSU Area developments

[Jones_]

This is odd for Fraziers. Could be the chef thing was hurting the food quality which for this place was what drew you to Hillsborough in the first place. It had a dedicated and loyal following. I like the space contrary to the author. It was like what I call a Manhattan "hallway" restaurant. Comfy. Cozy. Tasty. I wonder if Porters created problems. Admittedly after Porters opened, I only went to Fraziers once more. For much less, I more or less got the same experience. Maybe the Jennings realized they cannibalized their own restaurant.

As a matter of business sense, I think all landlords should be adjusting rents as no property is worth what people thought it was at the real estate peak.

[RaleighRob]

Frazier's transition is an adjustment to the new economic picture. In a similar fashion, Fins closed and reopened (Buku?) with more affordable menu options. It has less to do with the street and more to do with how much dough folks around here have to spend on dinner.

[architect77]

I happen to be a fan of the "raw" look for two reasons. One I just like it better. Two, if the material can withstand deterioration without paint, painting something just adds another thing to keep up with maintenance wise. There are plenty of black lamposts all over the rest of downtown and I am glad to see something different. Also here a handful of pics...first couple are were on foot before my battery went dead. The others are from behind the wheel, which I understand while foolish, is not against the law.

Oh, and I apologize for these pictures sucking. I didn't take the time adjust the camera for the low light or to try to get any decent angles. WIll try to do better soon.

Thanks so much for posting these pics. I also like the unfinished mast arms. If it were up to me, I'd replace every signal drooping from wires with these citywide (and statewide).

No other state can match the elegance of California's mast arms, however these aren't too far off. My favorite is the oversized one. I don't particularly care for the cutesy smaller ones found downtown.

[orulz]

I still think that the oversized mast arms look goofy on Hillsborough street. The photos IMO don't really do their hugeness justice. A big part of this project was to bury the power lines that were cluttering up the sky along hillsborough street. But what's the point of uncluttering the sky of power lines if you're just going to re-clutter it up with huge mast arms? Oversized mast arms definitely in order for 4-lane median-divided 45 mph roads. For a two-lane urban road with wide sidewalks like Hillsborough? Way overkill.

Also, this is a very minor issue, but the contrast between the stainless LED light poles, and the galvanized mast arms is a bit annoying. I would be 100% happy if they were either all galvanized or all stainless, but the mish-mash looks a little odd. Like I said, this is a nit-picky minor issue.

[Jones_]

fwiw I definitely had the same sense when I first saw them go up regarding the size. For me that was offset by the surprise LED lights and the best overall looking section imo, the area in front of Sadlaks.

[JeffC]

FWIW, Red Hot and Blue is no great loss. Blaming the traffic is somewhat of a red herring. The food was mediocre and way overpriced, given some of the culinary competition in the area. I go to the church right across the street, so it was a popular lunch spot on Sundays. When I began noticing that folks from our church made up 75%+ of the Sunday afternoon lunch crowd, even during football season, I sort of suspected the place was doomed. The plus is that there is now a nicely refurbished spot for a cool local place to go into.

[Jones_]

Orulz, after having been through the big roundabout about 50 times I think traffic going through it will not be a big problem for pedestrians on the outside edge. While I can take it with twists of the steering wheel, most people creep along. I was pleased to see a group of 6 or 7 people with locopops in hand walking on the roundabout sidewalk towards Sadlacks. Also, much to my surprise after knowing Hillsborough Street for 20 years, I feel like Sadlack belongs in front of the Belltower near the roundabout. The red siding and outdoor seating gives it a student charm in the new context.

[ChiefJoJo]

I don't think anyone has posted this here yet. I was driving by The Wilmont the other day and noticed a sign about renovations. Here is the link.

Looks like the renovation is complete. Glad to see some investors stepped in and are improving the property. There are so few true historic urban residential options in the city, it would be a shame to lose another one. They are petitioning for local historic landmark status as well.

Come to think of it, does anyone know exactly what local historic landmark status provides in the way of incentives or protections for historic preservation?

[Jones_]

Looks like the renovation is complete. Glad to see some investors stepped in and are improving the property. There are so few true historic urban residential options in the city, it would be a shame to lose another one. They are petitioning for local historic landmark status as well.

Come to think of it, does anyone know exactly what local historic landmark status provides in the way of incentives or protections for historic preservation?

I toured it today. The guy I spoke with is really young...he must have some money laying around or some good connections at the banks. I like it, though the people who used to live in it are unhappy with the new rents ($845 one bedroom, 1045 for two or thereabouts). It has central air now, all new bathrooms and kitchens, (new plumbing and electric of course) refinished original floors but it still largely feels like the Wilmont always did. It's about the same level of rehab the Boylan Apartments recently went through but with much nicer counters, faucets etc. The guy I talked with said they are getting State and Federal tax credits for it which means it must be listed on the Federal Register. The local designation doesn't get you anything except a plaque and some extra attention in the case of a pending tear down. I estimate it took 40-50k per unit to do all this, so with the price he paid (I guess its "they", with 4 investors total) there is 2.5 million sunk in it for a little over 100k per unit. Fully leased, they are not doing much better than breaking even without the tax credits.

I promised him I'd talk the place up, so here I am doing it.....I would live there if I did not own my place....go check it out. The ribbon cutting thing with the mayor is invite only on Thursday, so if you take a tour you might be able to swing an invite too....

Edited April 3, 2010 by Jones133

[architect77]

I came home for a visit last week (Louisburg and Raleigh), and I love what they're doing to Hillsborough St. ESPECIALLY the mast-arm traffic light poles. For me, they are hot, hot, hot.

I also was in Atlanta for a week, a city plagued with the sloppiest execution of city streets in the nation, in my opinion. Finally, they are doing something about that, and here is the result of a one-mile makeover in Buckhead which is quite an improvement. The Hyatt hotel in the picture (formerly the Hotel Nikko) used to be sitting alone on a huge empty lot. This area now is accommodating to pedestrian activity.

[RaleighRob]

More good news for the street: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/04/466981/the-return-of-david-mao-act-iii.html

Former head chef of Duck & Dumpling will open a Dumpling & Noodle Bar in the old Red Hot & Blue space. I think this is a great fit for this spot...definitely something unique and different. Sounds very very tasty too!

Fortunately, this block of Hillsborough has better parking than most....this place (along with Locopops, Players Retreat and Sam & Bills) have a parking lot across Oberlin. It even has its own entrance in the new traffic circle. (And when BB&T is closed, some folks park in their lot too.) And making Oberlin one-way, has made crossing it a TON easier and safer, as well.

[miamiblue]

Hillsborough Street and the proposed bike lanes were mentioned in this CNN article about motorists and cyclists sharing the road: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/11/bicycle.wars/index.html?hpt=C2

[Jones_]

Some of us Upers know Mr. Steve Waters too! (quoted in the story)

[architect77]

I shot this video on my cheap camera on March 31, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spxh1iBotl0

[architect77]

Could someone post some pics of the completed streetscape? I'm anxious to see it.

[DPK]

Anyone know if there's a supposed "phase 2" to cover the stretch from Gardner to some location down toward Gorman/Faircloth or Orberlin toward the Morgan roundabout?

[RaleighRob]

^I do seem to recall the project being three phases. Two would be Gardner to Dixie...then three would be from Dixie to Gorman/Faircloth.

I think I saw once some preliminary concepts that were put out on Two...which would include a roundabout at Dixie maybe.

[Euphorius]

The newly refurbished color wall will be lit tonight at 8p.m. and will be lit every day from sunset to sunrise. You can check out the full story about it here

[orulz]

There have been a couple of articles (from the N&O and TBJ) that mention how NCSU has plans to redevelop the area along Hillsborough Street near the Belltower.

The university owns the parking lot next to Locopops facing the roundabout. Not sure what they plan there but they have a building shown in that lot on the campus master plan maps.

Also on the master plan map is what appears to be a parking deck and some sort of building in the North Hall parking lot facing Hillsborough.

NCSU has also recently acquired the parcels along Hillsborough between Maiden and Enterprise (containing Sadlack's and Bell Tower Mart). They are expected to issue an RFP soon. Hopefully they will recognize that Sadlack's is an institution and should not be touched.

[Justin6882]

yay!!! Chiptole is coming to Hillsborough Street. We(I) needed an ITB location badly...I'm glad it's going to Hillsborough Street if it wasn't going to be downtown.

gogoraleigh blog entry

[RALNATIVE]

yay!!! Chiptole is coming to Hillsborough Street. We(I) needed an ITB location badly...I'm glad it's going to Hillsborough Street if it wasn't going to be downtown.

gogoraleigh blog entry

How great would it have been if they would have taken over the space vacated by Krispy Creme on Fayetteville Street? Just another lost opportunity...

[RaleighRob]

The Hillsborough Street Partnership will be having a public workshop for future work on Hillsborough Street March 26: http://southwestraleigh.com/2011/02/hillsborough-street-workshop-on-march-26/

[orulz]

NCSU has also recently acquired the parcels along Hillsborough between Maiden and Enterprise (containing Sadlack's and Bell Tower Mart). They are expected to issue an RFP soon. Hopefully they will recognize that Sadlack's is an institution and should not be touched.

The TBJ reports that NCSU had 10 developers submit responses to their RFQ. They will have until June 10th to submit specific proposals for the RFP.

The land is currently zoned NB which only allows 10 units per acre as of right so it seems this would probably require rezoning. Not sure if/how the UDO would impact this.

[orulz]

There is a rezoning up for public hearing before council on 7/19 that is for a 5-story 75 foot tall mixed use retail/office building on the SW corner of Hillsborough and Friendly. This the block where Farmhouse, Katmandu, The Brewery, and Cantina are.

My question is, why are 5-story mixed use buildings not already allowed by right along Hillsborough Street, both here and elsewhere? A 75' building on a 60-75' right-of-way seems quite appropriate.

Some of you might not be too keen on seeing these old houses-turned-retail get torn down but I really have no problem with it, provided they aren't torn down until funding for the new building is in place. Really, with few exceptions, almost all of Hillsborough Street west of Pogue is just old strip malls, drive throughs, and at best dilapidated single story street-oriented retail structures. Between Pogue Street and Gorman, I can about count on one hand the number of buildings that are really worth keeping.

In other news, foundation work on the Capstone student housing development seems mostly done and it's about to start coming out of the ground. This is a BIG project.

[orulz]

Just noticed that Capstone has a web page for Stanhope Center, though it says nothing more than "Coming Soon. 928 Beds, Opening Fall 2012."

Capstone seems to develop nothing but student housing, both on- and off-campus.