American Tobacco Historic District

[heart]

Yea it is beautiful, but the area won't fully be alive until phase III finishes and there are around 400 apartments up in addition to the people living in the Old Bull building. I hope those get built sooner rather than later. That area will be something. It needs some retail too the way Brightleaf does.

[DanRNC]

The Raleigh Chronicle has a nice little photo montage of the DBAP and ATHD via camera phone on their site.

Raleigh Chronicle

[BullDurhamer]

The Raleigh Chronicle has a nice little photo montage of the DBAP and ATHD via camera phone on their site.

Raleigh Chronicle

I wonder if permission was obtained before those photos were taken.

[DanRNC]

^Doubtful. They were most likely snapped on a phone camera.

[JDC]

I agree with the one caveat that it shuns the street.

I'm with you on that one, though at least there are a few entrances along Blackwell Street. Once phase II is complete it looks like there will be a rather grand entrance up near the northern edge of campus on Blackwell.

The thing about ATHD that I'm most disappointed about is that so much of it - even on the ground floors - is office space.

[BullDurhamer]

I'm with you on that one, though at least there are a few entrances along Blackwell Street. Once phase II is complete it looks like there will be a rather grand entrance up near the northern edge of campus on Blackwell.

The thing about ATHD that I'm most disappointed about is that so much of it - even on the ground floors - is office space.

I agree completely. Most of the ground level locations are off limits to the general public. It is all very pretty, but honestly, there's not much reason to head down that direction save a couple of restaurants. It feels kind of like a businessey downtown kind of district that is there for just that. I live very close to that location and very rarely find myself in that area. But it sure is pretty!

[DanRNC]

I believe this project was built with the intention of stressing business recruitment during Phase I, residential during Phase II, and more residential/retail in Phase III. Without the business component anchoring this project you would have nothing.

[bullcity76]

I believe this project was built with the intention of stressing business recruitment during Phase I, residential during Phase II, and more residential/retail in Phase III. Without the business component anchoring this project you would have nothing.

Phase III is supposed to have ground-floor retail with residential above. There will be wide pedestrian paths and plazas between the Northern entrance and the Performing Arts Center. In between there is supposed to ample restaurants and residences with ground-floor retail.

[Jones_]

I guess given the fact that the ATC was a campus as originally built beginning in the 1870's, it could do little in restoration but re-emerge as a campus again......I am not unhappy with it all really, and yes, its probably the highest quality historic renovation I've ever laid eyes on.....campus settings are inherently destinations though and as Dan points out, the anchoring function of the varoius tenants will drive the other urban components to sucessful completion, and hopefully assist teh rest of downtown proper with a successful turnaround.

[BullDurhamer]

I believe this project was built with the intention of stressing business recruitment during Phase I, residential during Phase II, and more residential/retail in Phase III. Without the business component anchoring this project you would have nothing.

There was no suggestion that the business component shouldn't exist. The suggestion is that prime walkable space is occupied by these businesses preventing potential visitors from visiting.

[ChiefJoJo]

Good news for Durham, as Square 1 Bank is expanding it's space in American Tobacco. Apparently they are connected to venture capital of local tech firms, a business is booming:

The company, which has about 80 employees in 16,000 square feet at the American Tobacco Historic District, agreed on Tuesday to expand its lease to 42,000 square feet -- space that could house 120 more employees, said Rob Orr, Square 1's senior vice president of strategic development.

"We need the bodies to process all of the business," he said.

...

"It's huge for the economy of Durham," said Rich Harris, the GVA Advantis broker who represented Square 1. "It's a major venture bank that could be in any city. They could be in Boston, They could be Chicago. They could be in New York. They could be in California. But here they are in Durham and they're choosing to grow here. It's a major win."

Square 1 has offices in many of those areas, Orr said.

"But we love being here in North Carolina," he said. "There's a lot of great talent here."

[urbanvb]

Triangle companies received $347 million in venture capital during the first half of 2007 -- up 68 percent from the same period last year, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

This from the same article is great news too.

[ChiefJoJo]

Snapped on Sat night:

[pack-man]

where is everyone?

[ChiefJoJo]

where is everyone?

It was pretty late on Sat, about midnight. There were some folks left at Tylers, which is where I was... in the 2nd pic, all the way down the sidewalk to the left (behind the deck) there were ppl sitting outside. Everything else was closed unfortunately. Maybe once more residential takes hold that will change. ATHD is truly a wonder, the only weakness is a lack of late night crowd and ped activity is a bit interally focused from it's surrounds.

[orulz]

ATHD is truly a wonder, the only weakness is a lack of late night crowd and ped activity is a bit interally focused from it's surrounds.

It's not really a late-night "crowd" but activity is there.

The latter of the two weaknesses that you mention, however, is a huge problem. The streetscape along Blackwell is almost entirely blank. Nice wide sidewalks, but no entrances to the buildings whatsoever - except (as I recall) a single entrance to the corridor immediately adjacent to the ballpark. Even that entrance is so insignificant that if you didn't know it was there you'd likely miss it. Plus, it's closed at night.

I wish ATHD could take some of the ground-level space away from the commercial tenants, and reconfigure them to for street-level retail.

[pack-man]

not the most accessible place if you ask me. But once you are on the inside, it is pretty nice.

[ChiefJoJo]

New article on continuing Downtown Durham revitaization centering on the area surrounding ATHD: Diamond View II, DPAC, Old Bull rehab, etc.

Also, a nice photo gallery of the old and new at ATHD.

[DanRNC]

The Art Institute most likely will be moving into ATHD but Motricity looks like it is moving its HQ to the Seattle area.

[ChiefJoJo]

Burt's Bees may relocate to American Tobacco. That would be good news, after Motricity pulled out.

[DanRNC]

Diamond View III looks like it will be started soon.

http://wraltechwire.com/business/tech_wire/news/blogpost/10646336/

http://diamondview3.com/

Oh yea, the DPAC thread should probably be incorporated with this topic since they are practically intertwined now.

[Nindec]

Looks like Diamond View III could have a decent chunk of retail opening onto Blackwell, though I can't really tell what's happening from the renderings. This could be a much-needed step in the right direction for opening some the campus's energy onto the street grid.

I'm curious what the "future development" plans are for the lawn fronting this space and DPAC. That's a big footprint right in the middle of the campus.

[DanRNC]

Looks like Diamond View III has its anchor tenant.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/20/2013672/nonprofit-fhi-moving-to-american.html

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Wow. I would expect even more office space to built at the site with such a low vacancy rate.

[Jones_]

Natural fit I'd say.