Parking Lot Redevelopment

[citiboi27610]

I know that Downtown Raleigh has lots of surface lots. Have some kind of development plans been made for these pieces of land like for the lots near the convention center. I don't really have an understanding how Site 4,6 etc came about but I would imagine that if these lots were for sale, worthwhile developments could be built there.

These are the lots I'm specifically talking about:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...mp;t=h&om=1

If a developer were to replace the parking with a parking deck, I don't see why some development there wouldn't be possible.

Please enlighten me.

[Jones_]

I know that Downtown Raleigh has lots of surface lots. Have some kind of development plans been made for these pieces of land like for the lots near the convention center. I don't really have an understanding how Site 4,6 etc came about but I would imagine that if these lots were for sale, worthwhile developments could be built there.

These are the lots I'm specifically talking about:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...mp;t=h&om=1

If a developer were to replace the parking with a parking deck, I don't see why some development there wouldn't be possible.

Please enlighten me.

[drewpiece]

Yeah, there are way too many lots downtown. It's one of the biggest problems IMO. Parking needs to be in decks or on the street.

[orulz]

We may end up seeing the state sell off these lots, and building offices elsewhere (Blue Ridge Road!) That seems to be happening for a number of institutions and agencies now.

[BoylanHghts]

The lot on the left closest to the Capital Building will eventaully have the Capital Area Visitors Center located on it. This has been and on-again off-again project for over a decade now, going through several different designs of varying size and scope.

The project was picked back up again this summer and should be in the early stages of pre-design. I know the architects that are working on the project. I don't have any additional info as of now, but I'll post anything else that I hear.

[rooster8]

I think it's ironic with all the hoopla about downtown Raleigh's revival that the state has had very little to do with it (excepting the nearby Blount St. project).

I guess it is better for the city to have buildings downtown that are actually taxable, but it hurts businesses when the state moves hordes of employees out of the area.

[orulz]

I think it's ironic with all the hoopla about downtown Raleigh's revival that the state has had very little to do with it (excepting the nearby Blount St. project).

I guess it is better for the city to have buildings downtown that are actually taxable, but it hurts businesses when the state moves hordes of employees out of the area.

[ChiefJoJo]

I can tell you that the state's priorities are keeping the annual budget balanced and of course trying to fulfill political promises... and if that means they need to move DENR out to Blue Ridge Rd, that's what they'll do. Constituents in say, Tyrell County, don't care whether state employees work in downtown Raleigh or anywhere else, they care about the bottom line and keeping money flowing to projects in their region.

I think that if politicians took a longer term view of the benefits of consolidation of state agencies into larger core buildings, they might find some more economic benefits to doing that versus shipping people out to Clayton or Blue Ridge Road.

[ncwebguy]

Are state government employees that work downtown patronizing the shops, restaurants, banks, etc. in the CBD? I haven't worked downtown for over five years, but other than the high school aged pages, I rarely saw anyone that looked like they worked for the state south of Morgan Street. There is a cafeteria in the basement of the General Assembly building that was packed the one time I went in.

The North Blount redevlopment would depend on these employees, so moving them to Blue Ridge would put a damper on buisnesses looking to move to that area. Capitol City Grocery, almost in the shadow of the Archdale building, isn't doing too well, but it is hard to attribute that to state government workers not shopping there or other factors.

[carynative]

Are state government employees that work downtown patronizing the shops, restaurants, banks, etc. in the CBD? I haven't worked downtown for over five years, but other than the high school aged pages, I rarely saw anyone that looked like they worked for the state south of Morgan Street. There is a cafeteria in the basement of the General Assembly building that was packed the one time I went in.

The North Blount redevlopment would depend on these employees, so moving them to Blue Ridge would put a damper on buisnesses looking to move to that area. Capitol City Grocery, almost in the shadow of the Archdale building, isn't doing too well, but it is hard to attribute that to state government workers not shopping there or other factors.

[Subway Scoundrel]

I haven't worked downtown for over five years, but other than the high school aged pages, I rarely saw anyone that looked like they worked for the state south of Morgan Street.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

Are state government employees that work downtown patronizing the shops, restaurants, banks, etc. in the CBD? I haven't worked downtown for over five years, but other than the high school aged pages, I rarely saw anyone that looked like they worked for the state south of Morgan Street. There is a cafeteria in the basement of the General Assembly building that was packed the one time I went in.

The North Blount redevlopment would depend on these employees, so moving them to Blue Ridge would put a damper on buisnesses looking to move to that area. Capitol City Grocery, almost in the shadow of the Archdale building, isn't doing too well, but it is hard to attribute that to state government workers not shopping there or other factors.

[serapis]

What do State workers look like ????

[MR-2]

They have a few skeletons of state workers in the Museum of Natural Sciences. One of them even has its heart chambers preserved by fossilization. Incredible stuff.

[ChiefJoJo]

What do State workers look like ????

[ncwebguy]

State workers often have a security badge that says they should be in some office -- DOT, Education, whatever. The pages had their temporary tags for all to see.

Other types include:

- bowtie wearing "southern" laywers

- Shaw students - younger, having a good time, not in a hurry to get anywhere

- Sir Walter residents - older, not in a hurry to get anywhere

- homeless - disheveled, asking for money, not in a hurry to get anywhere

- N&O employees seemed "badge happy" too. Some were in a hurry to get somewhere, some weren't.

I think one of the skeletons in the Natural Science museum works in the gift shop. She'll even smile if you say hi to her!

Has the wave of lunch places that opened at the northern end of the state govt complex -- Quiznos, Jersey Mikes and Sunflowers -- done well? They seem to be open, but only Jersey Mikes opens for dinner. Hardees on Peace and several diners next to the Days Inn didn't benefit make a go of it from government employees nearby.

Did anyone ever eat at the lunch counter at Peace and Halifax? I never could get over there and heard they routinely got B and C sanitation grades. Peace College bought it, leveled it, and recently put their welcome sign on the corner.

[citiboi27610]

I'm confused, if the state government owns so much land downtown, why move away from downtown when there's prime construction land centrally located that they already own? What are the extra cost of building downtown. I think the NC government is shortchanging all the citizens of NC, not just Raleigh and its efforts to revitalize downtown. Raleigh was meant to be the capital so that the government offices would be located all together. Building else where goes against that principle. As far as I'm concerned, state legislators need to find a way.

[orulz]

The problem would most likely be there is pressure from legislators outside of Raleigh and the Triangle to build space in the cheapest manner possible that gets the job done regardless of its effect on the city. Many legislators view it as their sacred duty to do so - the reasoning being that an extra dollar saved by building in the burbs rather than downtown is an extra dollar that can be spent on or returned to Currituck or Polk county or wherever.

If it can be shown that building downtown tangibly improves the efficiency of the department (DENR, etc), providing benefit to taxpayers state-wide equal to or greater than the incremental cost for building downtown compared to the burbs, PLUS the opportunity cost for not selling the land, then these rural legislators would be easily persuaded.

On another note, I think the idea of a Capitol welcome center is a good one, but building a one- or two- story building with lots of surface parking that takes up a whole city block is stupid, a monumental waste of a valuable plot of land. I'd much rather the state sell the property for redevelopment than do something like that. A mid-rise office building with underground parking and the welcome center on the ground floor? Now we're talking.

[ChiefJoJo]

if the state government owns so much land downtown, why move away from downtown when there's prime construction land centrally located that they already own? What are the extra cost of building downtown?

[ncwebguy]

Given the cost managment agenda of both houses of NC legislature, how did anything get built downtown? The mall north of the general assembly building seemed like a good idea at some point in time. The NC History museum and upgrades to the Natural Sciences museums were approved, but nothing has happened in the area since.

I think the "do your business or get off the toilet" mentality that led to selling the Blount Street land is good, and hopefully will lead to something happening with the other state government parking lots. If the state could get a "free" two floor visitors' center and parking deck as part of a larger mixed use building on the northern half (or full) Person/Jones/Blount/Edenton block, would they do it?

The two year election cycle for state representatives and senators is good in that it keeps politicians listening to their constituents, but is bad in that there is little to no long term planning for the state.

[orulz]

Given the cost managment agenda of both houses of NC legislature, how did anything get built downtown? The mall north of the general assembly building seemed like a good idea at some point in time. The NC History museum and upgrades to the Natural Sciences museums were approved, but nothing has happened in the area since.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

As for the museums, this quite clearly benefits taxpayers statewide. It makes it possible for school groups to hit the state's major museum attractions readily and easily, and throw in a trip to the legislature as well. This is why I'm somewhat surprised that no consideration was given to moving the art musem downtown, but oh well.

[Jones_]

What do State workers look like ????

[JTsaysToYou]

Okay, excuse my outburst of anger, but

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Raleigh is the F***ing CAPITAL OF NORTH CAROLINA

ALL government takes place in a city/downtown setting.

THEREFORE

THE STATE HAS TO BUILD DOWNTOWN AND BE GOOD CONSTITUENTS OF WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED.

If our state governement is just going to build freakin' "campuses" in the suburbs; then send them to charlotte, they are doing more harm than good and charlotte would sure be happy to have them. If state offices moving out of downtown becomes a trend in Raleigh, then we should kick them out (even though i don't think we can but whatever)

Raleigh's downtown is undergoing possibly the biggest boom it has ever had, and if the state isn't going to be part of that just so they can save a couple bucks, then they need to leave. I'm SURE that developers would KILL for those parking lots the state just sits on. BUILD A DAMN PARKING DECK, ITS NOT THAT HARD.

[drewpiece]

BUILD A DAMN PARKING DECK, ITS NOT THAT HARD.