I’ve heard multiple 20-story towers so, if true, I wouldn’t expect anything dramatic in terms of height. Lots of mixed-use though.
At the same time, we’ve been to this party before, am I right??? 
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I’d rather have diversity in height (10,15,20,25) than all the same (4x20) even if it gives us less floors overall. Now I will say only 20 at this site would be a waste but anything is better than what’s there right now.
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Imagine Durham eventually have higher tallest than Raleigh. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised. Given the number of high quality condo and apartment complexes being built there compared to our $750,000 stick builds.
Raleigh new slogan: “Richmond, but like 1 floor higher.”
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I will be severely disappointed if it’s a bunch of 20story built on top of a massive parking deck. 301 Hillsborough? fine- not upset by that. But on this lot? Inexcusable- especially given the price tag of the land and its proximity to our current tallest.
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As always, thank you for all of your insight! 
From your experience does a developer usually put info/images/etc on there website at the same time they submit to the city? Also, do you remember the name of the company whom owns this land (in CA?) 
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Acquisition Group
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They own the BB&T building apparently.
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You are welcome ! The developer lists his projects when he wants to but they might not be approved yet . The developer has not requested a rezoning so his project will be under 21 stories .
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Shame that will permanently gimp the gap tooth skyline.
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Well that’s disappointing. Anything is better then nothing there but I really think this would have been the city’s best shot at a new tallest or at least another 400ft+. But with no big companies relocating downtown or expanding I guess the demand just isn’t there.
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I would rather nothing be built than anything under 30 floors at that location.
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I actually fully agree. If it sits even a year or two more they could sell it for so much more. My question is this- didn’t a group prior already request a 40 story rezoning a few years ago? Did that pass? Would this new developer need to resubmit?
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No, I’m afraid current zoning allows only up to 20 stories.
Yeah I rather the company would sell the property at this point and have the property in limbo for years. Can we NIMBY the heck out of this? lol
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The thing is, Raleigh has kind of a ‘sick’ looking skyline. It just doesn’t have the mix of heights in the right locations to look healthy.
Probably never will at this rate. You joke about it looking like Richmond but frankly it’s always gonna be worse until the zoning is changed. Richmond has 6 buildings above 300’, and there’s a very nice gradual transition from 400’ down to 200’.
Omaha is a better comparison, as another city with three 300+ buildings and then a wall of 200-300’ cubes awkwardly surrounding them.
Normally I think height is ancillary to density, mix of uses, and curb appeal but for this one I agree with you. It’s one block off Fayetteville in front of Nash Square, on a major street, across from what promises to be a massive government campus, surrounded by hotels, and within an easy walk of Union Station and the BRT corridor. If we don’t get above 20 floors here, our only other hopes are the two south Fayetteville lots, Kane’s re-zoning near Peace, and uh…North Hills 
. This is the city’s one shot to get this prominent block right and it looks like the developer isn’t even going to bother (though with this council, maybe they have a point).
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There are other lots than those. The Pope House could be moved and something big could go on the Lincoln lot. The lot to the west of Hannover II with the parking decks is also a candidate. A very skinny ‘NYC’ style residential building could squeeze into the lot next to Progress I.
And there’s some other odd spots on Hillsborough Street and around Glenwood South and the Warehouse district. But the N&O lot is the best one remaining. So that is a very big loss indeed.
I think there’s an argument that people have a hard time articulating. It’s easy to say that street level activity is what matters most and skylines don’t matter, but I think good architecture is very important in creating an environment that people would want to be in. Raleigh does not have the 1000 year old public plazas and historic blocks of a european city. To look like a desirable place to work and live it should consider the language of architecture that other American cities employ and attempt to draw the best aspects of them. Height is just another component of architecture and just as a diversity of facades and styles is desirable, a diversity in height is desirable. We can afford to build a lot of 20 floor buildings right now because the city has almost none still, but there will be a long term problem if that policy is not quickly changed to something with more foresight for the city’s growth.
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Well said, thank you!
Just get rid of all the &#^*£€ restrictions. If you throw out some and keep the others then you’re picking winners and losers. Jeez
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@Jake, Above the Fold LLC was the company that was going to buy the site, but the N&O never sold it to them because they could not come to terms. You can’t submit a zoning request or site plan for property you do not own so Above the Fold never did so. If the Acquisition Group wants a zoning change, they’ll have to submit it. BTW, the deed on the property is Phoenix III of Raleigh LLC, but it’s owned by the same people as Acquisition Group.
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