Agree that it is a shortsighted and flawed plan. Consider this, if the Bloomsbury plan is not able to move forward as quickly as planned, we will all be looking at two seven story solid block/concrete walls at the corner of Boylan and Hargett.
And what happened to the wood look screening for the parking deck promised on Boylan during Rezoning?
And why doesn’t Heritage have to screen the ramped decks on the new parking deck?
And why does the first thing seen by everyone coming into Raleigh on train have to be the ass end of parking decks?
This whole block could have been executed differently with better planning. It could have been a block with no visible decks and a mix of office buildings and residential, all with great views and a parking core hidden by great looking buildings.
It’s too late to fix some of the issues, but pressure should be put on Heritage to fix the decks on Hargett
TBJ is reporting that the owners are exploring multiple options to relocate the two older homes. I hope it works, and that will be an engineering feat to accomplish…
“We have been and are continuing to explore possibilities for the homes and have met with two different house-moving companies about them,” Coleman said. “While they are not in a historic district, they are very old and historic. A big part of our business background has involved preserving and operating historic properties and we are very much in favor of preservation when possible.”
Just saw that on the Boylan Heights Neighborhood Facebook group and came here to share. You beat me to it! I think that’s nice of them to try to do it. Hope it works out.
I am sure how painful increased traffic is. I found downtown less pleasant to walk around in recent months compared to when I was a state student 15 years ago. You didn’t mind how thin the sidewalks were or how close the curbcuts were, or how dull some areas were when the roads were empty and you could freely walk on them. Now, heavy ass trucks are constantly whirling past at 60 mph in huge numbers. The inadequacy of pedestrian provisions is much more obvious when the roads that outprioritize you are full of cars. Downtown Raleigh has improved, definitely. Traffic is the tradeoff.
Now, I probably sound like a rich waspy retiree, but I don’t want a return to mayberry. I want more emphasis on transit and pedestrians, and less on cars. Cars should be dead last in priority downtown and that means some radical changes that those retirees would also sneer at.
Saw this on LinkedIn and thought I’d share it. I’m not the biggest yoga person, but I’m all for tenants filling up Bloc 83. Looks like a yoga studio is moving into Two Hillsborough based on the address on their website.
Nice find. Not a yoga guy either. But glad to hear there’s at least one tenant going into Two Hillsborough. Hopefully it’s a snowball effect and more join!
The in-laws from PA were in town for the Thanksgiving holidays and we went out one night to Wye Hill and walked over to Dram & Draught afterwards. They depressingly noticed and pointed out how empty the ground floor retail is on Two Hillsborough
Here’s hoping someone in 2022 claims some of that. Hopefully someone claims the ground floor and can really activate the space in-between the two buildings.
I wonder if downtown rents for retail spaces are priced unreasonably high right now. Seems like everything thrown up in the suburbs is full upon completion right now.
That’s a good point, especially when you look at places like Fenton who had no problem wooing in retailers…but Smoky Hollow has had some relative success pulling in people in the same area?
Maybe they were more geared towards office space (and not retailers) and the commercial real estate market is in flux right now? Makes me wonder why they’re moving ahead with the new (and taller) tower when they still haven’t filled these two up. Obviously they must know something we don’t and/or are bullish on Raleigh.
I looked at opening a specialty bar early last year. Smoky Hollow & Bloc83 were at a list price of $38sq ft per year. Easily the highest in downtown. Smoky Hollow was offering a lot better incentives to lease there, with in my opinion the more premier location. I’m not surprised Bloc83 is sitting empty while SH is starting to get tenants.
I’m hoping increased supply will drive down rent. Plenty of options in the suburbs, so rent has to be more competitive there. As these high rises keep opening up, maybe we’ll start seeing more retail. Time will tell, I guess.
Happy Holidays from Bloc 83! (Also, Two Hillsborough had alternating red and green lights along the upper floors of the building that I was unable to get a clear picture of.)
Looks like some sort of drilling/soil test are happening at the old MoonLight Pizza restaurant. This is the location for the 18 story mixed use proposal.
First Watch is one of the better restaurant additions I’ve seen in a while. They are insanely popular so it’ll bring the needed foot traffic, but downtown is seriously lacking in the breakfast and brunch establishments.
