Awesome news for workforce training (which is a major metric for companies looking to relocate or expand): Wake Tech is effectively offering free tuition for new students!
For the sticklers about fiscal policy, click here for the fine print.
Wake Tech is actually using extra surplus financial aid funds to pay for the tuition that remains after existing financial aid like Pell grants or the state’s Longleaf Commitment Grant are applied. It’s open to recipients of high school diplomas, GEDs etc. in 2020-2022 who file a FAFSA, and have to enroll in 6+ hours per semester.
That’s an entirely different business from Amazon Web Services. AWS is the software hosting business and what drives Amazons real revenue….not stocking a warehouse with toiletries.
Amazon warehouse pays hourly wages. AWS pays software developer wages…$180,000 + jobs.
Nearly a year after announcing its massive Triangle hub, Apple is looking for as much as 150,000 square feet of additional temporary space in Cary, according to some executives in the commercial real estate industry in the Triangle.
Game developer Epic Games announced Wednesday that it’s buying Bandcamp, an online music store. The firm noted in a blogpost that Bandcamp “will play an important role in Epic’s vision to build out a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music and more.”
Company executives were not available to comment on the move, according to a spokesperson, and financial details were not available.
Common misconception, but AWS is actually not the predominant driver of either revenue or profits for AMZN. FBA and third party seller fees are ~86% of annual revenues and are est. to be represent half of gross profits and only growing as a %.
Regardless, bringing AWS roles to Raleigh is obviously great for the city.
This is one of those examples where I liked the rendering at a first glance but developed concerns upon further examination. First, check out all this parking:
And that’s just the larger lots. Tons of pavement.
Now, you might be thinking (and by “you” I mean reader, not Robert specifically), “Colby, this is Garner we’re talking about, what did you expect?” Well, I’m glad you asked!
Believe it or not, Garner has a comprehensive plan that seems to err on the side of walkability and sustainability. It’s actually pretty nice, and a lot of it centers around planned BRT and CRT stations. I recommend checking out the Opportunity Sites section for examples of this.
The Wake BRT Rapid Bus Extensions Study is currently recommending that high-frequency bus service run adjacent to this property along US-70. This service would basically be “BRT Lite” (or what Yonah Freemark calls “Arterial Rapid Transit”). It’s essentially bus rapid transit minus the dedicated lanes (think high frequency, branding, raised platforms, signal priority, etc.).
Said comprehensive plan has this parcel listed as a “Mixed-Activity Center.” It defines a Mixed-Activity Center as this:
The Mixed-Activity Center emphasizes complementary land uses that collectively create a comprehensive, connected lifestyle approach to living, working, and shopping in close proximity. The development of these land uses has integrated sidewalk and pedestrian networks. Premium transit (e.g., bus rapid transit or passenger rail service) may support more intense developments from one to six stories in height; without access to premium transit (bus rapid transit on dedicated travel-way or passenger rail services) height restrictions are set at 4-6 stories (if at least one full-depth floor is at least 75% dedicated to retail or office uses).
So, yeah, this looks good at a first glance, but it’s really just another suburban shopping mall and/or office park. I’m not sure folks will even be able to distinguish it from White Oak Crossing across the street.
Does this potentially have something to do with parking requirements? For instance, ensuring enough parking for every household and employees and customers for every retail establishment separately.
Possibly. I don’t know about Garner’s current parking minimums.
Even so, doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of density to this project, though their website is so ridiculously vague that I’m not even sure this thing is going to happen.
Yea I was looking at this the other day. Had very high hopes for this parcel based like you said on Garners plan.
I’m hoping that this is just an original concept and the actual developer will shoot for better.
Even with the parking requirements, I think this part of Garner should be last mass surface parking and at least develop something using decks and urban type development with the buildings up to the road.
You know what Raleigh chamber of commerce needs to restructured we need more fortune 500s moving here. We need to get rid of whoever leading the chamber of commerce cause there doing a weak job.
True, but only one Fortune 500, I know how we could love this to make RDU a hub again, when it was a hub yes Raleigh was small at the time but now it’s larger more connecting flights more money, and conferences, and Raleigh can get MLB. Half the companies that have moved here I never heard of like who is Inoes, same thing with other Marrone BIo who’s that. All we have is offices, they arent Jack, Austin has more based fortune 500 companies than we do.
