Raleigh-area Mall / RTP Redevelopments

Larry Helfant lives in my neighborhood and all the NIMBYs love him. He’s like a Little David Cox.

1 Like

I hope the council sees that the majority who complain of it are probably a vocal small amount of people. I’m pretty sure a majority of people don’t really care or have an opinion.

For me, I think it would be more valuable/important to zone the areas around NH to R10 minimum (not that I’m against the higher zoning). With the missing middle housing text change, it could achieve a good moderate density with walkable/bike able streets. I already bike near Five Points/East Whitaker Rd which has this density. I feel comfortable biking there.

3 Likes

The Frequent Transit Development Option already did this, and more. You can build 21 DUA in R-4 now!

No, there was a housing demand shock in between, so prices charged by an old build OR a new build in 2020 and in 2022 would necessarily be different.

Costs don’t set prices, but prices are related to costs: at different prices, different-cost products can be brought to market. Once prices escalate to a certain level, it makes sense to bring in a lower-cost product. There’s not going to be any demand for $1400/mo microunits in Rocky Mount, where brand-new 3BR houses rent for $1400/mo - but there is demand in downtown Durham, where brand-new 3BR houses are $3000/mo.

Housing prices are set by agreement between sellers/landlords and buyers/renters. If there isn’t anyone willing to pay an asking price, the asking price will fall. But there’s no sense in blaming just developers and landlords for housing prices - not when homeowners, homebuyers, and renters are all also setting housing prices.

2 Likes

image
image
image
image
image

32 Likes

About time I thought was going to some progress next year

2 Likes


It is amazing, to me. How close NHs to DTR.
I am in town and got some pics this morning. Dissappointed I didnt see anyone out and about!!

33 Likes

Some of us are vampires and only come out at night.

4 Likes

Lookie what I spied Friday night… :building_construction:

32 Likes

Isn’t Raleigh notoriously dead over Labor Day? I wouldn’t know because I’m rarely here myself.

Now here’s an angle I’ve never seen before. That must be the Paramount condo building in the foreground?? Where did you take this from??

2 Likes

It’s the African American Culture Festival downtown on Labor Day weekend I believe.

2 Likes

Been at that level for a few weeks for some reason

I am reasonable sure that is the Paramount. @John will confirm.
I was on top of the parking deck of the Block 83 development - I think that is the right name, lol. Half a block over from 321 coffee. The elevator only goes up 6 floors, but then there are 2 more.

There was, it was a fun discovery. 3 blocks of Fayetteville were full of music and dance, vendors and food. I had a great morning.

2 Likes

We go to the beach all three summer holiday weekends.

Dtr was certainly not dead - on Sunday my wife and I biked to Vault, Whiskey kitchen, then short walk wines around 4 pm and all 3 places we’re jumping

8 Likes

A quick scan and I couldn’t find this posted anywhere (I’m sure I missed it), but Nancy McFarlane writes city council about concerns over NH rezoning.

This got me thinking and made me question some foundational thoughts I’ve always held, some of which I likely built from shared content on this forum.


I’ve always held the belief that more growth, more density, and more housing options would lower prices across the board. You know, just basic supply and demand.

However, over the past 5 years of pretty fast growth, I see the opposite happening. Now maybe will say the density has slowed what could have been an avalanche but is there any data out there that argues against this notion?

I’ve seen the data FOR density and showing it helps affordability and creates inventory, but I work in a field where data dictates direction, and a lot of times the data is ‘looked at in whatever way seems to be convenient for the company’s goals.’

So my questions is obviously not going to be very popular here, and I’m not saying I disagree with the initial notion, but I’m looking for the counter-argument, and to see if there is any data on that side that I’ve shut out.

My eyes and my gut tell me that building giant, luxury buildings aren’t really the answer to affordability. It feels like they offer only a few units at affordable rates and then the rest have rents that are just a little more expensive than the last building that went up. It sort of feels like the opposite is happening. The more big, luxury buildings that come, the less affordable the city becomes overall (housing and everything else).

Could it be that I was rooting so hard for Raleigh to grow up and be a real city, that I blindly believed something that wasn’t exactly true? I want Raleigh to grow, but I don’t want it to be at the expense of the city losing its personality or its diversity, or becoming too expensive for those who put in the work that got this place off the ground to begin with.

Anyways, I really liked Nancy McFarlane (mostly for her push to get Dix Park and not sell out for development on the property), and this note from her made me take a step back and re-evaluate.

I know some of you guys will absolutely hate this take, but I’m asking honestly. Any data, research, opinions etc would be appreciated

4 Likes

Yes. That’s the Paramount.

1 Like

The best affordable housing strategy is to have a lot of 20 year old housing, since you can’t build a 20 year old building, the second best strategy is to build now.

15 Likes

But build what? That’s my question. Is 40 stories of luxury housing/office density actually helping pump the breaks on rising prices? I’m saying that I’m not seeing it.

Is there another way? Or is this just the price you pay for being an up and coming popular city?

If it is what it is, that’s fine. I’m ok with the density. I got in early here and my property just value keeps rising. But I’m just not feeling right anymore arguing that rooting for density is somehow rooting for affordability/diversity (unless I read some pretty compelling opinions/research…which is what my initial questions was about)