I think the 3 sides will be wrapped in Apartments and the street shot is service ally.
1 Like
Thanks, I mis-read Leoâs description.
A follow up to Leoâs post, I find I very much want to see a phase 4 as well. Sorry Wake County but your general services lot is a terrible fit downtown.
3 Likes
I know neighborhood parks donât really generate money for the City, but I would love to see a small park somewhere in the Smoky Hollow area. Nothing huge, but a park that doesnât require you to cross 5 lanes of traffic (ahem Peace Street) to get to some green space.
2 Likes
I wanted Peace lifted up just a smidge more and a bridge put in instead of a culvert, and then run the greenway through Devereux Meadows, under Peace, along a benched daylighted creek adjacent to Publix and end at West and the cycle track at West. Then youâd have a connection all the way to Dix. And the residents could get to Devereaux Meadows below grade.
5 Likes
So, does this mean, which ever is tallest? 40 stories or 500â???
2 Likes
Itâs so dumb to me that there isnât something between 20 and 40 thatâs such a huge jump.
1 Like
The beauty of the UDO rezoning request process is that itâs exactly the time for citizens and the city to ask for their own concessions from the developer. Kane is thwarting some of that with his offer to wrap the parking pedestal with housing (though I think hotel would make a better wrap like Origin). Now is the time to push for safe pedestrian access across Peace Street via a tunnel or pedestrian bridge. At the very least, Kane should demonstrate how his project would be friendly to those who want to use the sidewalk on the new Capital Blvd bridge to access Devereux Meadows on the other side of the street. Imagine going up to that pedestal, having some sort of public experience, and then connecting to the sidewalk that takes you to the park.
2 Likes
Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. It would have been nice to have an easy connection to Devereux meadows, but not it will be cut off due to traffic. A bridge/tunnel over/under Peace would be awesome, but I have a feeling we wonât see it during our lifetimes.
1 Like
Yes, and the proof that the height numbers are intended to discourage, rather than encourage, high-rise development in the real world is that the numbers are arbitrary above a certain level. The ratio of stories to max height is not consistent. It jumps all over the place, from 16.6â per story for 3 stories, to 15â per story for 5 stories, to 12.5â per story for 40 stories. I might be mistaken, but I donât think thatâs close to being realistic for an office building, or even a mixed-use building such as PNC Plaza. It could only (maybe) be possible with pure residential or a hotel, and then without any spire, etc. So, without requesting a variance, itâs not even possible to build a 40 story pure office building in downtown Raleigh, even on Fayetteville St., in spite of the lip service to 40 stories in the ordinance. Theyâre essentially precluding any pure office building of more than roughly 30 stories plus some architectural features. Why impose a default limit in the core of your city thatâs lower than what you already have (especially when itâs not particularly tall to begin with)?
8 Likes
Iâm not loving Peace, so far. Big box. Publix will help, & hopefully Phase 2 & 3 will tie it all together.
1 Like
Agreed, agreed, agreed with the arbitrary randomness of the ratios to the stories counts. Iâve been saying this since the very beginning of the UDO process and even made a public input comment about it back to the city. Needless to say, that comment and others went into a black hole as I only received the form letter response to each one.
4 Likes
Youâre probably right, but Peace did get lifted about 2-3 feet for larger culverts. Quite a few greenways transit through culverts so itâs not completely out of the question. No structures sit over the culvert south of Peace but it is indeed, buried. There isnât much daylighting benefit for the stream unless buffers and BMPs are emplaced along it, so itâd just be like a San Antonio River Walk with no actual restaurants looking over the waterâŚjust a convenience path and perhaps a statement that streams are nice and we want to see them and not bury them.
2 Likes
That is some serious dead sidewalk space.
1 Like
Seems theyâre done busting up the concrete/asphalt and are excavating now. Dump trucks coming and going. Progress!
9 Likes
Note the concrete still in place. Thatâs the top of the underground creek.
3 Likes
It really is. IN other parts of NH Kane was always incorporating ground level retails. But there is this one area where he abandoned that plan with 2 parking garages and and office building.
1 Like
Wow thatâs really clearing out fast. I wonder how long after ground prep before they can start pouring footers. Thereâs probably some lag between the demo / prep / construction steps.
That garage on the new stretch of Johnson St. is really an eyesore. Is that our finished product? I hope not, but Iâm not holding my breath.
3 Likes
I have faith that Kane will dress it up some. Remember he has phase 2âs views to think about. At least phase 2 will block it from my view.
1 Like