A consultant’s job is to lead the horse to water. We can’t make them drink.
It’s easier for the city to keep hiring consultants and say “look we’re trying” than to actually make the changes that might make some people loud and mad.
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It’s unfortunate but the reality is that there is a bias when you bring in outsiders to tell you something you already know and then it gives you validation, to a certain degree, that you are on the right path. I don’t love it but putting all that aside if this proves to get us to take action, I’m fine with it.
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Unless the city is planning to spend $50+ million (everything now costs a lot of money) to refresh the entire streetscape the Omni Hotel project will be the biggest boon to the street we will realistically see. That won’t happen until it opens 3 years from now.
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I believe that the city is committed to making the changes needed given the current timeline of this redesign plan.
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A street face lift, the omni and other hotels, new convention center and increased residential coming online will probably be enough to reverse momentum and potentially make it better than ever IMO. That said, I would like to see some more thought on truly bold ideas. Putting the Dix Park gondola on Fayetteville for example.
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Start it at the old state capitol and make it go directly over Fayetteville Street
There are a lot of reasons why this would never happen, butit would be really really cool
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It’s like they are reading my mind.
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Before the food courts, I actually reached out to city market about the space. My thought was a market, similar to the grand market in Florence. It would have a bakery, cheese shop, butcher, etc. there would have been a sandwich shop, but the catch would have been that all the ingredients came from the vendors within the market.
The only response I got is that city market was occupied. -
It’s not full retail, but I really like the stands at the grove arcade in Asheville. They’re great for people that have small crafts that they want to sell. I’ve always said they would do well in downtown - maybe around more square
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The Grand Market in Florence really is a terrific space. Not unique, really, just a fabulous old market updated and brought into the 21st century - though their bathrooms could use work. The City Market is a natural for this sort of collection of food retailers and restaurants.
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Is not fair that we don have 41 stories up 69 stories. this would make happy! but not for everyone it be nice if developers had presentations of actual renderings” would make a lots of sense
Didn’t pay to read but bet it’s lots of lots that have been ‘circled’ on this forum for YEARS…
Basically Look at page 54 of the Full Report here or look at the graphic for Idea #6.
Raleigh Municipal building parking deck
Parking lot next to SkyHouse at 313 S. Wilmington
124 E. Cabarrus St parking lot and surrounding lots
- East South St.
1 Exchange Plaza
227 Fayetteville St.
336 Fayetteville St.
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If the large city market building would be used during the day for a restaurant or some popular retail, instead of just an event space, it would be a huge impetus for people to frequent city market. It used to be very popular when Greenshields was there. Before that it was Raleigh’s original food hall.
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I agree. That beautiful old building just sits “vacant” like a big black hole sucking the energy out of City Market. There are so many cool things that it could be. sigh…
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Here’s the presentation of the Fayetteville Street plan to council.
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The six properties shown at E. Cabarrus as “infill mixed-use opportunity” are owned by four different groups (including a church, the Lincoln Theatre, and Greg Hatem). I’ve been wondering if that will ever progress to something other than parking lots.
These lots will become even more valuable to their owners when the big project on the south side of Stronach’s Alley kicks off and takes away all that parking. Of course there will eventually be a bunch of new residents in that project (521 S Wilmington St Mixed use) who might patronize new retail there.
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The block next to the Pope House is the one I’m really interested in. The city made sure to protect the Pope House, so there won’t be any huge huge projects there. However, I think that can be the perfect area/location for some micro-retail. Something downtown despearately needs.
Watching now. Thanks!
I believe storefront density is a huge piece of the puzzle that can’t be ignored.
This section of Fayetteville Street arguably represents the most vibrant and appealing segment of the area. The density of storefronts, both active and inactive, along this stretch is particularly noteworthy. If it were possible to replicate this level of storefront density throughout the entirety of Fayetteville Street, the positive impact on the area’s appeal and vitality could be significant.
In this specific portion of Fayetteville Street, there are twelve storefronts on the west side, which underscores the area’s potential as a hub for city entertainment and hospitality.
Contrastingly, another section of Fayetteville Street presents a starkly different scenario.
Here, across an entire block on the western side, there exists merely a single storefront (currently occupied by the WORK bar). Notably, the retail space within the Wells Fargo tower, despite its presence on Fayetteville Street, lacks a direct entrance from the street itself, necessitating entry through the building. This arrangement further dilutes the street-level vibrancy and accessibility that storefronts typically provide.
To quantitatively assess and compare the vibrancy of different segments of Fayetteville Street, a metric such as ‘storefront density’ could be invaluable. Measured in terms of storefronts per 100 meters, this metric offers a clear picture of how densely populated a street is with points of interest and commercial activity. For instance, the first block mentioned, measuring 141 meters in length, boasts 12 storefronts, equating to a density of 8.51 storefronts per 100 meters. In stark contrast, the second block, despite being of identical length, features only one storefront, resulting in a significantly lower density of 0.70 storefronts per 100 meters.
The discrepancy between these two figures is profound, highlighting a substantial variance in the level of engagement and attraction that different parts of Fayetteville Street offer to residents and visitors alike. It underscores the need for strategic planning and development efforts aimed at enhancing storefront density, thereby elevating the overall appeal and functionality of Fayetteville Street as a key destination within the city.
Yes, I used ChatGPT. lol
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