My state tax dollars at work.
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For what? The cheek fillers?
The webcam wasnāt working for awhile and now the video on YouTube is gone. The mystery continues.
Caswell Square I do hope this one of the 5 historical squares of Raleigh can be reclaimed as a park. The oldest building I think old Dept of Agriculture building could be able to stay but the other buildings on the block are not architecturally significant. I have heard of plans to restore this square but not sure how along the plans really are.
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I just donāt see the point in this becoming what would be yet another likely underused green space in the state govāt districtā¦ Freedom Park, Halifax Mallā¦ now whatever is becoming of the Bath Building space (more green space)ā¦ green space added to the UNC HQ theyāre buildingā¦ itās just adding more dead areas to an already DEAD dead zone. Iād like to see some actual mixed use development and street level activation in this district, more than anything. The UNC HQ is already guaranteed to drop the ball on that.
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New URL for the Education Complex construction livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/tfHg5t7apZQ
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They were talking about some of those being demolished. I would not like to see that they are attractive buildings.
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Iāve not mentioned this previously, but I have a problem with the name of Freedom Park, and itās not because I have a problem with the freedom reference or its intention. I am all for that! I have a problem with it being called a park. Itās not a park in the sense of how people understand and/or use a park. IMO, itās more of a monument or memorial, or perhaps a garden, or some combination thereof.
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I agree. Itās more ceremonial rather than recreational. Maybe Freedom Plaza or Freedom square would work. Iām not leading a campaign though. 
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Iām partial to garden myself. I like that name because it references that something is rooted & growing. I also think that how we engage Freedom Park is more like how we engage a garden.
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This talk about Freedom Park compelled me to go look at the website and found this mistake.
So itās open only at night? LOL
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Donāt tell anybody but I think this is where Raleighās Batman hangs out
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The last story I saw quoted Paul Coble (blech) as saying the historic building that currently houses the Dept of Ag would have to stay but the rest would be demolished and the square restored to green space. I agree that the other buildings with street frontage on Jones and McDowell are nice and it would be a waste to tear them down if the renovation costs are not prohibitive.
Personally I think the state should get TF out of the way and sell those buildings for preservation or redevelopment, with the rest of the block restored to green space. The grade shift and heavy traffic from Capital make me wonder how the Northwest corner could work as a Moore-square style block, but thereās possible fixes.
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It seriously almost feels like Paul Coble actively wants and is working towards making the State govāt district an even deader dead zone than it currently is, and it makes absolutely zero sense.
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I think youāre underestimating the deeply held belief many people have that the government should only do the things itās explicitly told to do. Combine that with the background of an older guy who probably lives in the suburbs and only comes into the city to work, and he probably earnestly thinks that heās doing the right thing by building a simple office building and avoiding retail.
I disagree with it, but I donāt think heās doing it to kill Raleigh or intentionally make a dead zone. Itās ironically Corbusian thinking from a totally different political angle.
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More like thinking from a different century!
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I disagree. You have hundreds of condos and apartments a block away N Harrington with no green space anywhere nearby. Plus I believe the Longleaf Motel was rezoned for either a 20 or 40 story building meaning a high rise apartment tower could be built there. Plus there is a surface parking lot that could be developed across the street. Parks can be used to drive development and I realize on the other side is state owned property but on the west side it could spark some development.
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there are a lot of state employees downtown. years back many woudl congregate on FSM and sit on planter boxes and eat lunch. shuffle in some food trucks and put some benches in the green space for lunch time. mabey some plantings that attract butterflies and such. it would be nice downtown for a lunch break.
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