Just gonna go ahead and set my expectations for zero ground floor retail/sidewalk activation so I won’t get mad when it inevitably becomes reality (don’t worry y’all, I’ll still actually be mad and complain about it every chance I get!!! 
)
1 Like
With so much of the university shifting to Centennial, I am astonished to see yet another student housing project coming along for Hillsborough Street. Housing was hard to come by in the 90s when I was at State. They keep building more and more (looking at the monstrosity still under construction by the Brownstone(?) hotel), and shifting more and more students over to Centennial.. I don’t get it. Do students prefer to live along the Hillsborough Street side of campus and take the WolfLine over to Centennial? 
…would you not? There’s nothing to do on Centennial!
10 Likes
When I was a student, there were only 3 buildings on Centennial… there was literally nothing there aside from the College of Textiles. I’ve never understood the appeal of Centennial other than segregating the engineering students from the rest of the campus. IMO part of the college experience is interacting with lots of other dissimilar people to share and cultivate new ideas. Pulling all of one group aside, kinda defeats the purpose. Anyway, I hate Centennial campus and would rather see main campus continue to evolve upwards.
12 Likes
Then you should be happy they’re continuing to build more of the student housing along Hillsborough, no??? 
3 Likes
I didn’t say I was against it. I just don’t understand if the college is shifting its focus to Centennial, there should be more hosing on that side of campus rather then Hillsborough.
2 Likes
I don’t think the university is going away from something called “Main Campus” anytime soon.
2 Likes
Centennial Campus is the RTP of State’s Campus, and it’s boring as hell.
18 Likes
I know man just playing with you. Centennial Campus surely is … isolated feeling. I look forward to the day they finally go forward with plans to add density and activate the outer edges closer to Dix and somewhat integrate Centennial with the rest of civilization.
Centennial Blvd is kind of a hinderance to that though, with its huge grass/tree median and the … moat? Giant ditch? Storm water runoff river?? Whatever that is that kinda separates the Blvd from the actual campus.
2 Likes
There could have been a retail district right across from the Oval Dr. entrance to Centennial and along Bilyeu. Instead they got a massive cathedral and 55+ age restricted apartments. The closest retail to them Mission Valley, and it doesn’t even have a standard grocery store in it. When I said that Centennial was the RTP of NC State, this is why. It’s a completely car dependent development sitting within earshot of the center of the city and the main campus of the state’s largest university. It’s a fail IMO. There’s no wonder why attention is being paid to Hillsborough St. It’s a real functioning urban neighborhood that’s walkable to students who don’t have cars.
9 Likes
Gotta admit though - this is a paradise for the elderly
2 Likes
Yeah, depending on the major, there’s still a huge proportion of students who never even step foot on Centennial.
2 Likes
Centennial is preparing its students for life in RTP.
11 Likes
A big ass parking deck entrance and tiny, thin windows. What a wonderful street level experience in perhaps one of the most high foot traffic areas of the entire city. F*** me… 
3 Likes
It’s par for the course for a city that has allowed its most densely populated urban neighborhood turn into a 2 late nights a week spring break. The sidewalks are ghost towns otherwise. It’s a disgrace.
1 Like
Somewhat related: I really hope the reconstruction of the Pullen bridge for the Western BRT includes a really high quality facility to transfer (hopefully timed) to Wolfline/Local buses, otherwise I don’t think there will be good ridership at that station at all. There’s really very little within a quarter mile walkshed.
4 Likes
If it’s anything like the renders of it from the NCSU master plan, it’ll be fantastic and designed exactly that way. I think it even included multiple elevators from the BRT station up to the Wolfline/local bus stop on the bridge. Here’s to hoping!
1 Like
I have classes exclusively on Centennial this semester, and I’d absolutely prefer to live on Hillsborough St, think that’s probably pretty common
2 Likes
To remind folks about NCSU’s plan
So, at least we know that NCSU recognizes that Centennial campus absolutely could be more than it is. Hopefully we will see some infill in the rest of their underutilized land
But it is a shame that this future mixed-use density will be indefinitely blocked from continuing over to Mission Valley and to Western Blvd due to Overture and the cathedral (which is mostly parking)
6 Likes