Raleigh-area Mall / Life-Style Center / RTP Redevelopments

The Pub
1924

Reston has a nice network of footpaths to be sure. Of course the W&OD trail is also great, although you’d be hard pressed to call it significantly superior to our flagship greenways like Crabtree Creek.

However, aside from the Town Center (which is pretty significant), a few very recent redevelopments near the Metro, and some cute but ultimately meaningless attempts at new urbanism like Lake Anne, Reston is all still single-use suburbia, replete with crushingly heavy traffic on four- and six-lane arterial roads.

1 Like
1925

2 Not enough easy places to eat, don’t want to eat at full service restaurants, need more fast food and variety.
4. Food is too expensive, no cheap lunch

DTR: There’s Jimmy Johns, Shish Kabob, Fire Wok, Chick-Fil-A, Subway, and the McDonald’s nearby. Gigi’s Pizza isn’t too expensive. El Rodeo isn’t expensive either when it comes to lunch.
NH: Chipotle, Panera, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys so still not really solved as North Hills doesn’t have much fast food or more cheap lunch offerings.

  1. Restaurants all flare no true local flavor. Maybe new BBQ place will be better.

DTR: I don’t know what people will rate Clyde Cooper’s BBQ, but I thought it was good. I don’t really know what I would consider to be local flavor. I think Raleigh itself has good food offerings, but local is a little hard to determine in my opinion.
NH: I don’t know what would be considered local flavor here as well.

  1. Not everyone wants to sit in a bar an order 12 dollar overpriced drinks, how about some organic entertainment that does not require alcohol

In general: Nightlife = alcohol/food. Outside of that,
DTR: has music venues (Lincoln, Pour house, Red Hat), Performing Arts Center (plays/orchestra/etc), barcade (don’t need to drink), museums during the day, and events on Fayetteville when they happen. I’m not too familiar with the IMAX theater, but there may be showings there as well.
NH: pricey bowling, pricey drinks as well, and we’ll see if Regal still exists after COVID

No gym, not a lot of organized exercise opportunities.

Sounds fair but doesn’t the Marriott have a gym?

  1. Not enough variety of places to do reading, coffee, or places of general conversation.

DTR: Moore’s Square, Nash Square, City Plaza,
NH: Midtown Park. Could argue the patch outside of Ben & Jerry’s but it’s really not much different.

  1. Parks are too small and to vagrant

Fair enough, but that does tend to be downtowns in general. Again North Hills has one park and a sitting area.

But I guess when you are living in a hotel for 2 weeks it’s nice to just go down the escalator to target to grab some personal needs.

DTR: DGX, CVS, and I believe there is a convenience store at the bottom of the BBT building I’ve heard.
NH: Target/Harris Teeter is hard to beat

I think part of this list has to do with the fact that southern Fayetteville St. doesn’t have much. This location makes downtown Raleigh feel like there isn’t much at all. Add that in with the lack of activity or pedestrians in this area and it does make it look boring. If anything, Glenwood South has been pulling the most away from Downtown Raleigh. With the Publix, apartments and potential retail offerings, I think visitors will love that area. The Marriott/Residence Inn/Sheraton are good hotels for events at the conference center, events on Fayetteville St. and are the only offering in that part of downtown Raleigh.

6 Likes
1926

I think another thing that made me compare NH to Tysons that its a separate high rise area along the beltline similar to Tysons on the their beltway. It offers something downtown never will in the same concentration. In NH case, one developer for everything, unlike Tysons.

I think it’s a matter of scale on ROI. If a developer like Kane can assemble large plots of land, he can repeat a formula building up a concentrated area and have either equity or the ability to sell off over and over…vs a single standalone Dillon or PNC or Wells Fargo Building.

Kane is in his element with DTS and assembling so much land; we know what he’s capable of doing since he’s done it before. I’d expect he’ll do a version at DTS that benefits from lessons learned at NH. NH just isn’t large enough to have a “street grid.” It’s a system of a few roads, yes, but definitely shoehorned into constrained space, unlike DTR or to some degree DTS

1 Like
1927

17-story North Hills East Tower 5 and “Pumphouse” site plan review:

11 Likes
1928

Thanks for taking the time to bullet point respond in writing what I was thinking in my head! :grin:

Other thought… Have them stay in the Willard when it opens. Plenty to do along there and it’s not depressing like Fayetteville St has become.

2 Likes
1929

Reading along I was thinking to myself maybe you should try the Origin, Willard, or Hampton Inn. Glenwood can definitely feel more lively than the South End of Fayetteville

3 Likes
1930

I have too much time on my hands today. :joy:

1 Like
1931

The YMCA downtown helps with the gym part i think

2 Likes
1932

Not really a response, but a reflection is that having easy easy access to Cameron Village would really up DTR’s game for what you are getting feedback on.

It is always interesting that the Village District is so close to DTR in city terms, but doesn’t factor into someone staying in downtown for a week or two.

2 Likes
1933

I’m just calling “the Village formerly known as Cameron” LOL
prince tribute

6 Likes
1934

This topic needs less talky talk and more photos lol :joy: I get excited every time I see new messages but get disappointed often

2 Likes
1935

I assume the “pumphouse” is not a pumping station, but just a “clever” name for an outdoor beer garden? 3,300 square feet is pretty small for retail, and the space around it would seem perfect for that use.

1 Like
1936

Thinking more Lifetime Fitness Fitness Club level gym with all the luxury equipment and goodies like a proper sauna and Olympic size pool. And racks for dayz…

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1937

I think it’s for new moms. Businesses are required to have a spot for them to…well, you know. My work has one, and they call it the Mothers’ Room. Which is misleading because it’s not for all moms, just new ones.

(Ok I’ll see myself out now…)

2 Likes
1938

Yes, I believe it’s for a beer garden type place.

1939

Thanks Wanderer, great points indeed. I have actually heard some students say that the fast food choices you listed for downtown are great for an interstate exit, but as you eluded to they love the crap out of Panera, Chipotle and places like that for some reason. But I just think it’s like the amount of amenities in a small area. That gym at NH is somehow a big deal to them, I don’t go in that place but they rave about it. They like the cool furniture stores, farmer market, convenient free parking and that cow fish joint is a huge draw. I think I would try the new hotel on Glenwood but again. It’s just one damn st. Just like Fayetteville st if you been up and down it twice your done. Anyway, just saying that if downtown does not attract more varied retail and food choices it’s just a nice place to get drunk and stumble around.

2 Likes
1940

I think this is what people mean about a lot to do as far as retail in NH as opposed to downtown visitnorthhills.com

Take a peek at the list of Shop page and the Dine page. It’s a lot of stuff packed in that place.

3 Likes
1941

had never heard of cowfish, look it up and really surprised at how cheap the sushi is. Can only guess is very small servings or quality is on MacDonald or so. Anyone been there that can commit on it?

2 Likes
1942

I’ve been saying this for years. Yes, these are national chains, but they are popular for a reason. I appreciate all the local establishments downtown, but some of us just want something we are familiar with, especially after a long day of work. They aren’t cheap fast food, but also not a reservation only kind of place either. Us Suburban Middle Americans like the middle ground, especially when toting around our picky kids :slight_smile: I think this is a missing piece of the DTR puzzle.

6 Likes
1943

If anything, it’s pretty amazing the national chains like Panera and Chipotle and Sweetgreen and all that other mid-range stuff haven’t set up shop downtown just to get the lunch crowds. Most downtown restaurants are sit-down, waiter service, with the exception of the four kiosks at City Plaza, which have no seating for bad weather. Then again, a fast casual place like B. Good just up and left so maybe there really isn’t the critical mass needed for those places yet.

3 Likes