213 South Harrington / SE Corner of Hargett-Harrington / Former Goodwill building

Make what you will of this but it’s something happening on this block. Soil samples? Looks like a drilling contraption of some sort.

10 Likes

So are they really building this? I forgot about it. It’s cool looking for sure.

1 Like

Of any proposed building to be built, this is the last I thought would happen. IF it is build, like proposed, I will be amazed and impressed.

5 Likes

I love this proposal. One of the very coolest things on the board in the city. I didn’t think it would get built, and would be very pleasantly surprised if it moves forward and is anything similar to what is shown in the render.

Smaller footprint buildings like this that still have height are IMO the best way to get density in a city. They help the skyline but also are great at the pedestrian level. Much nicer for walkking than the monolithic buildings that take up an entire block.

6 Likes

There has been no submission for a building permit that I can see on the city’s website. So, this may early soil analysis for foundation design.

2 Likes

I’ve looked around and can’t find anything new on this project. The links in the planning doc PDF don’t work either. There’s just this shot that Leo posted at the beginning of this thread. Can’t wait to see this one move forward…

5 Likes

@dtraleigh
Alright Leo…lol is this a “real” project? :woozy_face::wink::blush:

1 Like

¯_(ツ)_/¯

5 Likes

I don’t know if these two developments (no pun intended) are related at all, but I had gotten a tip that the GCF store in the northern half of this block would be closing at the end of the month. In an email (the contents of which were relayed to me), a GCF official initially said that the store “would be not closing,” but then sent a follow-up email saying that the store “would not be closing at the end of the month.” That’s a heck of a clarification, and perhaps buttresses our initial reports that the store is likely to close in the near future.

2 Likes

I also heard it was closing from an employee last time I was there.

As a Hargett GCF shopper, I wish it could fill a retail space in one of the new developments nearby, but I think the Warehouse District may be becoming too shiny for gritty retail to afford. Too bad.

2 Likes

It maybe getting to shiny, but the money they can make from selling that property will go a long way in helping alot of people

2 Likes

The challenge will be where to put it that provides an accessible location to those who need it most.

1 Like

Well since no one poor can afford to live downtown, maybe they should put it wherever the poor people live.

1 Like

I enjoy shopping at thrift stores, and I like being able to walk to one. My downtown living goal is to walk to all the things I do!

Plus all the people who buy things at full price, wear once, and then donate will now have to drive to discard their stuff.

Most big cities I’ve been to have thrift shops. They’re part of what makes cities interesting.

4 Likes

The trouble is that Raleigh’s core is getting expensive in every direction. Hopefully they can find a home downtown somewhere.

3 Likes

Walked by just now and it’s definitely a soil sample drilled holes right at this location. Hopefully they really are moving forward with this project.

2 Likes

Goodwill has owned that building since 1981 and bought the adjacent old Our Place porn shop in 2013, which then shut down (Goodwill shut it down I imagine). They coexisted for so long I doubt it was to clean up the area or anything…it seems like it was a strategic investment. The 321/323 building alone is valued at 2.3 million dollars. They appear to have even overpaid for 327 by a smidge(Our Place…valued at 963k, paid 1M in 2013) so perhaps they intend/intended to market the whole stretch as a single development opportunity and take the cash to build stores elsewhere. If you’re mission is to assist people on low income it does make sense to get within those areas, though I do enjoy shopping there myself some. I personally think down by State Surplus would be a great location for a new store. Or maybe the old KFC (the new old one…not the really old one) on New Bern.

2 Likes

One of the cool things about density, though, is that because you’re creating a valuable asset out of what is literally thin air, you can use some of that added value to turn trade-offs into win-wins.

I realize this probably wouldn’t work for the proposed project at 213 specifically, but what if the city just offered a density bonus to developers who set aside space for organizations like GCF that serve low-income communities?

9 Likes

I live downtown and I’m not even zoned for the schools that I’m walking distance from.

1 Like

BTW, I can’t help but to think a month ago or so I saw a very similar drilling crew at the 301 Hillsborough (Fallon tower) site. I feel like it was around the same time we saw designs submitted? While there may not be any correlation of these events, I’m anxiously awaiting some action on this site that may coincide or follow closely progress we may be seeing at the 301 Hillsborough site soon. How amazing would that be? Two big cranes not that far apart DTR!

2 Likes