I’m guessing (without any additional knowledge) that they are going forward with the Kindley extension, parking deck, and some grading work, and marketing the area in hopes of selling a portion to one or more developer(s). IIRC the marketing materials referenced the garage and plaza, which would be consistent. None of that would be unusual.
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TBJ reporting that Capital City Urban Development is building a $52m automated parking facility here for autonomous vehicles like Waymo. Underground with 228 spaces. Incorporating a public plaza.
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Can’t wait to see a Waymo navigate Wade Ave
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I can do 65 without issue on most of it, but occasionally for some of those tight curves, I feel like 45 is probably the fastest I would go. With enough cameras and proper steering, maybe an automated car could do better. Is there etiquette for how to challenge a driverless car to a race? Would pulling up next to them and revving the engine at a stop light do the trick?
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Of all the proposals that probably won’t actually happen, this one probably won’t happen the most.
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Then why would they say they’re starting construction this month? If you don’t have solid plans, you deflect and say anything except that you’re starting ~now. Way more projects get built than cancelled.
Oh, I got no info or anything. Just because its the dumbest idea of all the proposals out there. $52 million for that? yea, no.
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I can’t read the article, does it say where they are thinking of building this?
Here is the ASR (ASR-0028-2024):
this has been in the works for a couple of years now. I’d be shocked if this did not get built given how much effort has already gone into planning.
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I understand the need to house and park these vehicles, but was prime downtown real estate the best option? Why not place this near the airport or some business park? Unless their introduction into the market is downtown only.
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OMFG, that’s what this was? WHAT A DAMN WASTE!!! 
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Maybe they could build something on top of it?
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I believe that is the plan. The online portal mentions a phase 2 to be submitted later.
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I don’t normally go out of my way to support car-forward stuff, but it doesn’t sound like you all read the article. Here’s part of it. The grade is weird. They’re willing to spend the money to do this and use the grade to their advantage. We get a cool public/green space out of it. It’s intentionally designed for the Westin I mean a hotel to seamlessly integrate into it later. And we’re not getting a massive above ground deck or exposed parking podium blocking the view, it’s completely submerged.
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I mean… If this project helps us get a Westin and Waymo then this is a massive win!
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This area is properly zoned correct so we won’t have to fight the neighborhoods correct?
This is somewhat related but Leo please move it if you see fit.
Waymo is just as efficient with increasing traffic as Uber and Lyft, all of whom advertised that they would do the opposite.
The amount of space 48 individual people occupy in vehicles [internal combustion (rideshare included), electric, autonomous] is still more than what’s occupied by 1 bus. I would be more supportive of Waymo and other rideshare operators if they were similar to Zipcar or car sharing operators.
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We have a Westin. It’s just in Brier Creek 
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Thoughts on this as helpful?
Automated Parking Garage in North Carolina Moves Forward with C-PACE Financing
Statewide program administered by EDPNC supports a first-of-its-kind project in downtown Raleigh
A first-of-its-kind, automated parking garage coming to downtown Raleigh is moving forward with financing support from a program administered by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
The program, known as the Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure (C-PACE) program, allows property owners to finance eligible energy, water, and resiliency improvements with long-term, fixed-rate financing tied to the property.
“A significant barrier to these types of upgrades is often the upfront cost,” said Larry Price, director of finance for EDPNC. “Through the C-PACE Program, projects can move forward with low upfront investment and repay costs over time through long-term financing, which can often be offset by operational savings.”
PACE Loan Group - which originated the financing on behalf of the project’s developer, Capital City Urban Development - closed a $13.5 million financing package that will support eligible components of the project, a 228-car automated parking garage in Raleigh’s Gateway District. Construction is expected to begin this month, with completion scheduled for December.
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