Jump to content

Raleigh Union Station


Recommended Posts

  • 4 months later...

In March 2007, a consultant will start work on a plan and development strategy for the future multimodal center in DT Raleigh. The plan should be done near the end of 2007. Like I said in the transit topic, there is a lot going in right now and in the next few years. :) FYI, here is the RFP for consultant interest with some more info:

RFP_RaleighMulti_modalTransportationCenter.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the link Chief!

A big factor delaying this project was the uncertainty surrounding the TTA line. And considering that it's still uncertain, I don't know how they plan to proceed.

Buried in the RFP is a link to the current working plan for the MTC, the 2002 conceptual study, a document which I haven't seen before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A big factor delaying this project was the uncertainty surrounding the TTA line. And considering that it's still uncertain, I don't know how they plan to proceed.

The consultant must address and accomodate the currently planned TTA Phase I line and it's staions, platforms, etc., as well be able to "propose alternative means for bringing regional rail to this location." They also must consider potential SEHSR corridors and platforms, and potential EASTRANS service, Cherokee Pertners development plans, a new CAT/TTA bus station (from Moore Sq), parking, pedestrian connections, and roadway improvements all in this relatively small disconnected study area!!!

It seems like a tremendous challenge to handle of those plans while coordianting with NCDOT Rail/Transit, TTA, city, Cherokee, and neighborhood and other stakeholders. On the positive side, DT development and the economy as a whole is growing at a breakneck pace, and the market is and probably will continue to be ripe for private investment partnerships.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

wow. that seems like a tall order...

Looking at the RFP, I think what they mean is that assuming commuter rail trains made it into Downtown Raleigh, however they got there, say, within 1/2-mile of the wye and the potential Multimodal Station areas, how would you integrate those services, arriving on whichever tracks they use, into a big facility?

Essentially, the consultants are not being asked to solve the deployment of a full line or lines, just how to tie them together. Eastrans, TTA Regional Rail, and High-Speed rail are the most likely implementations, and they all come from different directions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Nothing new here... study area with TTA, CAT, Amtrak, Greyhound, and future high-speed sites (yellow):

2003389330098570895S600x600Q85.jpg

& rendering from the phase 2 study, showing a possible layout of the MTC:

2994855060098570895S600x600Q85.jpg

Note that the TTA design now has the tracks entering the Wye are below grade--not elevated. Also notice the access from Glenwood Ave from the north *and* West St (I emphasize this because I can recall posts wondering about future connectivity in this area) from the east directly into the facility. I think the blue areas are potential redevelopment sites.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was one of the people wondering about connectivity.....there is no easy way into the place from the south....Harrington or West, or a Glenwood viaduct even, needs to connect accross the tracks somehow....I am surprised Boylan Heights is not pushing for this because alot of traffic would be diverted out of their neighborhood if such a connection was made....getting the tracks below grade was top priority for them I suppose....

Edit: wouldn't this also take over the not-yet-open Sidetrack Pub as well? Five Star (eventually) and Sidetrack both casualitys ....... I never like to see homegrown cool spots kicked out (assuming Sidetrack opens and is cool like I think it will be)

Edited by Jones133
Link to comment
Share on other sites

TTA owns the Five Star and Men at Work blocks south and north of Hargett St. I believe given the state of the rail plans, they are simply leasing out the properties in those areas, maybe on a yearly basis. Sidetrack was supposed to open in less than 2 weeks, but there is nothing going on there, so maybe they have yet to achieve investors, or maybe it's due to the MTC plans. But either way, it looks like that building and anything else with the wye area S of Morgan St, W of West St and E of Boylan will be gone in the future.

Is there a real timeline for bringing this project to fruition?

The impetus behind this new plan is to refine all the previous plans, and work with TTA and the other stakeholders... the outcome will be an implementation plan or blueprint that can be followed such that the project can be funded probably using some federal funds and also selling air and other development rights for sites (in blue) within the wye that aren't being used by rail or transit. The trick is probably going to be in accounting for all of the possible uses for high-speed rail, Amtrak, TTA, EASTRANS, etc and still be able to find sites for development. I'd guess the MTC would likely move forward in conjunction with whatever happens with transit in the wye. So if TTA Phase I moves forward in a few years, the MTC would have a great chance of proceeding as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

From the council agenda:

22.5 Planning

It is recommended that the following transfer be authorized:

Transferred From:

505-9443-79001-975 Downtown West Gateway $80,000.00

Transferred To:

505-7493-79201-975 Multi-modal Planning Grant $80,000.00

Purpose:

To provide additional funds for a contract with HDR, Architecture, Inc. to prepare the Downtown Multi-Modal Transportation Center Plan and Development Strategy.

I certainly hope the MTC development strategy will move forward soon now the consultant is on board, and I'm hoping we'll see some potential layouts and development strategies by years end. Development of the MTC would likely mean selling air rights over parking garages or other facilities to finance construction. I am assuming that somewhere in the new 2035 Triangle Transit Plan, there will be a transit corridor utilizing the NCRR corridor and that a new station will need to go in the "wye" area.

If you look at the map 5 posts above, I think ultimately, we might need to maintain both bus stations and connect them with a streetcar or some other minimal people-mover system that might go along Hargett St and tie everything together, sort of the way Charlotte is planning with their current transit center and future Gateway Center.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking back at the map, the Morgan/West/Hargett block is currently for sale *and* is shown as a potential site for the high speed rail platform. Is TTA and/or Cherokee looking at buying the property, which would be diagonally across from the site of the two hotels. If the area felt connected, walking from the stop to Hillsborough would seem a lot easier.

A Hargett/Martin connector loop with a stop on the east side of Wilmington would make the pedestrian connector to the Moore Square bus terminal more useful and could easily move passengers between transit systems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking back at the map, the Morgan/West/Hargett block is currently for sale *and* is shown as a potential site for the high speed rail platform. Is TTA and/or Cherokee looking at buying the property, which would be diagonally across from the site of the two hotels. If the area felt connected, walking from the stop to Hillsborough would seem a lot easier.

A Hargett/Martin connector loop with a stop on the east side of Wilmington would make the pedestrian connector to the Moore Square bus terminal more useful and could easily move passengers between transit systems.

When you say that block is for sale, do you mean the old Marsh Woodwinds block? or the Jillians block?

I think the best site for the HS Rail platform is on the west side of the tracks on a sliver of property located E of Glenwood and N of Morgan St. Due to site constraints, it has little development potential (at least right now), and could be connected to the main MTC complex via a track level walkway or stairs/elevator from Glenwood Ave. I think the wye area could look like a totally transformed place in 5-10 years... a hub of activity for the entire city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dead end of Glenwood into Morgan is an OBVIOUS location for a connector into the Multimodal Center, particularly since it aligns perfectly with the existing street grid (if you look at a map, "Saunders Street" (as Glenwood was originally called) lines up with South Saunders on the other side of the Amtrak Station. Unfortunately, the stub end of S. Saunders is a very narrow street lined with somewhat run-down early 20th century houses, so not a good choice for a southern entry into the Wye area...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you say that block is for sale, do you mean the old Marsh Woodwinds block? or the Jillians block?

I think the best site for the HS Rail platform is on the west side of the tracks on a sliver of property located E of Glenwood and N of Morgan St. Due to site constraints, it has little development potential (at least right now), and could be connected to the main MTC complex via a track level walkway or stairs/elevator from Glenwood Ave. I think the wye area could look like a totally transformed place in 5-10 years... a hub of activity for the entire city.

The platform will have to be quite a great deal longer than that. For example, the mainline platform at the new Greensboro station is about 1300 feet long. If the platform at the Raleigh station were that long it would stretch from Hillsborough Street to about where Martin would be if it didn't end at the tracks.

Things are pretty tight down there. When the Hillsborough Street bridge was rebuilt 5 or 6 years ago, they should have lengthened it to leave room for four tracks to pass below, but they didn't. There's only enough room for 3 (TTA was planning to narrow to a single track under that bridge) and even at that it's a tight fit.

Long term, the entire area between Boylan, Morgan, West, and NCRR would be useful for a station complex, particularly if we need platforms on all 3 legs of the wye. It will be difficult to do that without a lot of land. So Raleigh or TTA or NCDOT should acquire any property that becomes available in that area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rrrr I meant Morgan/West/*Hillsborough*, the Marsh Woodwinds and mower/chain saw sales/repair place block NW of Mogran/West. TTA already owns Morgan/West/Hargett, and Empire Properties owns the parking lot on the other side of the tracks between Hargett and Morgan. The sign shop on the SE corner of Hillsborough and Glenwood is probably not historically relevant and can go. If TTA acquires that property, then they would have a lot more space to play with and anchor the south end of Glenwood South.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rrrr I meant Morgan/West/*Hillsborough*, the Marsh Woodwinds and mower/chain saw sales/repair place block NW of Mogran/West. TTA already owns Morgan/West/Hargett, and Empire Properties owns the parking lot on the other side of the tracks between Hargett and Morgan. The sign shop on the SE corner of Hillsborough and Glenwood is probably not historically relevant and can go. If TTA acquires that property, then they would have a lot more space to play with and anchor the south end of Glenwood South.

I think concrete block was an invention due to scarce resources during WWII so buildings like the sign shop, made of concrete block, generally mean absolutely nothing historically.......have at it TTA...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Your link is broken :)

Found the right link: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1608722/

The contract is for more than $263,000, according to the city. The plan and drawings are scheduled to be presented to the council by early summer of 2008.

Looks like this topic is going to be fairly dormant for about a year then. I'm glad there's definite progress on this though. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm sure there will be some sort of public involvemenet effort on the city's part, at the very least for the property owners in the study area (which I am one). I hope this isn't just another study that gets thrown on the shelf, but actually has a detailed blueprint for implementation (short of actual construction plans), including recommended Amtrak, HSR, Greyhound, CAT/TTA locations, parking decks, and car and ped access and with cost estimates. They should also assess potential development sites for utilizing air rights above the station and parking areas to help finance the project (as is being planned in Charlotte).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm sure there will be some sort of public involvemenet effort on the city's part, at the very least for the property owners in the study area (which I am one). I hope this isn't just another study that gets thrown on the shelf, but actually has a detailed blueprint for implementation (short of actual construction plans), including recommended Amtrak, HSR, Greyhound, CAT/TTA locations, parking decks, and car and ped access and with cost estimates. They should also assess potential development sites for utilizing air rights above the station and parking areas to help finance the project (as is being planned in Charlotte).

I was wondering what your thoughts were about Cherokee Partners? How much should they be involved at this point? This study is being done by the city of Raleigh and TTA? Does or should Cherokee have any part in that decision? Aren't they the company responsible for buying up that land and deciding what to do with it?

Thanks in advance! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering what your thoughts were about Cherokee Partners? How much should they be involved at this point? This study is being done by the city of Raleigh and TTA? Does or should Cherokee have any part in that decision? Aren't they the company responsible for buying up that land and deciding what to do with it?

Thanks in advance! :)

TTA owns the two big parcels (Dillon Supply warehouses) to the east of the tracks in the wye area, so Cherokee would potentially be invloved in the redevelopment of that area. If you look at this post, you can see the MTC study area and below, a sketch plan of how the MTC could be laid out. So, in answer to your question, yes, I would imagine since TTA and Cherokee have an agreement, they would be very involved in any proposals for the MTC. The timing of this study may coincide nicely with rapid transit plans for the area since the Triangle Regional Transit visioning effort is supposed to be complete by the end of the year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also a bus facility over south of MLK...south Person maybe....not sure who the carrier is or if there is actual passenger loading but anyway....my main thought is that freeing up the Greyhound and CAT areas opens up space for development that may be in demand a few years out. Moore Square and anything closee to Glenwood are potential sites going forward....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.