We are so fortunate not to have an interstate and/or freeway bisecting the downtown core.
I would like to see an emphasis placed on pedestrian and bike connectivity in every direction - perhaps a little judicial use of imminent domain to create permanent, non-automotive routes into the city center?
I especially like those “land bridges” or “gondolas” to Dix - the more connectivity that’s built the better the integration of adjacent neighborhoods.
Since we are dreaming here…
Imagine the several blocks generally bounded by Hillsborough to the south, Boylan to the East, St. Mary’s to the west, and Tucker to the north filled with row houses/brownstones.
I dream of tearing down Glenwood Towers (Of course taking the money made on the sale and building a much nicer, new facility in another location for the people that currently occupy it with a bus stop for transportation right outside)…
THEN… Building a beautiful, tall, unique to Raleigh Building. This building would have an amazing Apple store as the anchor store… then several floors of retail and restaurants… then above that an upscale hotel… then above that about 10 floors of condos with beautiful views of Raleigh from all around.
Top floor would be round with floor to ceiling windows all around with 360 degree views of Raleigh. There would be dedicated elevators to this floor as a Raleigh observation floor for visitors to go to and check out. There could be a coffee shop up there with a “Raleigh Gift Shop” (Maybe Deco could open up a shop). I know it would be NOTHING like it and would have NO where near the meaning off… but similar concept to One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center (btw, if you have not been… you MUST GO… it’s incredible) https://oneworldobservatory.com/en-US
I’d think that their current top floor has a pretty nice skyline view already!
Including the former church church building on the SW corner of the site, the percentage of current building footprint on the block is surprisingly small. There’s so much opportunity on this site. It could hold an apple store, a multiscreen cinema, a bowling alley, and a fountain!
The pigeon house branch goes through the site as well. They could daylight a few hundred feet of the stream while they are at it. Maybe start an effort to daylight the stream from Glenwood Towers back towards Cameron Village.
It’s already mostly daylighted from west of Boylan to Cameron Village. It’s just in places where it’s not publicly accessible. You can stand on the west side of Boylan and look at the open section behind the 712 Tucker apartments (or whatever they are called today).
Oh I realize that, I guess I meant stream restoration more than daylighting.
Most of the stream that exists is buried among houses in Cameron Park. Its best chance for any impact whatsoever probably exists in redevelopment project on that Capital Towers site.
A MEOW WOLF art experience - I would’ve said something like Meow Wolf, but it appears they are opening 2 new locations, so I could totally see a Meow Wolf Raleigh experience! https://meowwolf.com/
Recent FRA regulation changes permitting lighter weight European trains would make something like a “Tram Train” more feasible. This is where trains run on surface tram lines through the city and regular railway lines in the suburbs. Trains are not quite as nimble as light rail (minimum turning radius is wider and the floors are a bit higher), but running these vehicles at street level on dedicated rights-of way (like Charlotte’s Blue Line on North Tryon) is possible.
Assuming my plan to build a bypass and abandon the NS line to Fuquay north of I-40 is not feasible, I would pursue a Tram-Train that runs from Zebulon to WakeMed along the NS line, then on street on New Bern, probably sharing (or replacing) the BRT lanes, then on Morgan through downtown, turning south at St Mary’s Street and rejoining the NS line south to Fuquay around Central Prison.
Put this on the N&O block and I’m all good.
That’s great.
… was it being shaped a bit like an electrical plug intentional?
As grand as this project appears in the marketing renders, it would have been buried behind other buildings in the money shot.
& that would be a waste cause its pretty iconic.
It would be a shame, more so than a waste IMO. Alas, it’s not to be…sigh…
We were at the ballet at Memorial Auditorium last night and it looks like they’ve given up on the fountain in front and are filling it in with dirt. I wish they could have fixed the fountain or put in a new one.
Sad ending 
Looking at the Bloc83 webcam reminded me of a thought I’d had… adding some density around the char-grill while preserving the iconic roof and walk-up culture. Build around and over and have a huge patio in front. Building could even be mid-century modern style, maybe arched cornice features along the new roof parapet line?
A place to DREAM of what YOU/I do in Raleigh…I would go see a sporting event at the new stadium at Downtown South, getting on GoRaleigh bus that runs 24/7. meeting up with friends at Glenwood south for dinner or drinks. seeing more museums in downtown 
. Catching a BRT line or Light Rail to the Airport 
to take my flight to Miami using a Much needed or rather much Better Transit System. relaxing in my own HOME that is close to DTR that is within my income range. 
that is what I would do. 
