Thanks for that correction @dbearhugnc It was the Purchase centennial rather then Lewis & Clark. I use to know all the fair’s names, but couldn’t recall one in class the other day, and now mistitled this one. Age and a wild youth are starting to catch up with me.
Its funny to think that the Olympics needed to piggy back on a world’s fair back in the day.
It would be great if we got a great relic like the Space Needle, but I think we’d probably end up with something like the Sun Sphere. (Knoxville).
I am betting we see a push or conversation about NCODs. I am not convinced that this would actually keep anything affordable their. It would just ensure that less people end up living near the park. Will be tough to keep wealthy people from living near this park no matter what you do.
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If somebody wants to pay too much for a bad product, on some level I would be unintelligent to not provide the product. […] Is Walmart evil for giving the people what they want?
eh, I’ve gotta take an idealistic moral stance here. Buildings are not short-lived commodities like a shirt from Walmart, and they impact the lives of people far beyond those who pay for them. I personally view it as an architect’s role to be an advocate for good design and an improved quality of life, even in the face of clients that don’t share those values. “High design” firms are not immune from this either, by the way – being an advocate is a daily part of our job.
Sometimes clients simply just don’t know that they’re constructing a crappy urban building, or that there’s a better way that doesn’t cost more, unless the designer has the smarts to be able to do more with less and the skills to educate. I know it’s more complex than I’m making it out to be, but I just don’t think clients are requesting ugly, generic buildings. They may be requesting a low-cost building, but the possibilities of what that might be would open up with the right designer (and a higher design fee. So, yes, there’s that as well).
the Triangle has a pretty good amount of design talent. Why has the bar not already been raised?
I think it’s happening, but very slowly. Duda Paine and Gensler have broken into the development market with significant projects in Raleigh and several on the way in Durham. Perkins and Will has gone after multiple city projects in Durham. Weinstein Friedlein and Raleigh Architecture Company have done several condo buildings, and it would’ve been unheard of for local boutique firms to team with developers a few years ago. It’s just taken us ages to get here, and these examples are still far outweighed by all the other stuff. I think it’ll take a while for it to really impact the market.
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They seem super predictable to me. Gramercy, Elan, The Lincoln, West at North, 401 Oberlin…standard mashup. Some better stuff with the early Blount Street Commons, Powerhouse, West Village, and Palladium Plaza were better IMO.
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Pretty good points. I’ve always agreed in theory with what you’ve said but I felt like there also has to be room for the bottom of the market. You may have just converted me a little further.
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Our prior city council put aside $300k to conduct Dix Park “edge” study. If it happens it will certainly be a big factor in any conversation about NCODs in the area.
Link to slides on the study: https://dixpark.org/sites/dixpark/files/2019-07/Edge%20Study%20Presentation%202019.06.26.pdf
This seemed like a pet project of Crowder’s and she wasn’t happy with city staff for requesting her input as to the structure of a guiding body to oversee the study.
With the new council about to take office I don’t know if this study will go forward or not, but change in the area is inevitable.
there is the saying “evolve or die” and goes for cities as well.
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Ugh looks like the current council is going to get a crack at this rezoning. I was really hoping it would be delayed until December.
It’s odd that the status changed to, “PC recommends denial; CC 11-6-19” but the plan document doesn’t show any update to the PC section.
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Sorry guys been busy, my company just won several contracts back to back and I’ve been off social media.
Public hearing for this case has been approved for Dec 3rd if you want to show your support.
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Isn’t the new council sworn in December 2???
Yes, Dec 2 at 6:30p.
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Yes, Dec 3 will be the new council’s first meeting.
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Hopefully the new council is more supportive of this project. Will be a good first test of the spirit of the new council
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Tough that they will be getting handed a recommendation of denial from the planning commission. I see the Public Hearing as being extremely important for this particular case.
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It doesn’t seem like there has been much public opposition to the project. The only negative mark against it has been from the Planning Commission. It’s going to be a transformational project for the southern end of downtown. Something is going to get built there eventually; hopefully the new council recognizes its better to have something innovative and attractive than waiting for something built to the current zoning.
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the PC objections is based on maps drawn years ago, Right? Not someone’s like or dislike. If this is true then the CC can declare things have changed and approve it?
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Maybe a good point to make if you or someone in here can sign up to speak in the public hearing
Well I’m 3 hours away so guess not me.
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I was listening in on the hearing. The main objection was the internal street design. The developer wants it to be a low speed combined road that will act like a service road. The Planning Commission wants it to be a regular high speed road with all the latest street regulations.