What building is the “Admin building”?
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Block west of the Legislative Bld. Tall, white box.
"The budget includes plans for multiple changes to the existing layout of state government buildings in downtown Raleigh. Among them is a provision tasking the Department of Administration with planning and designing a new “State Government Executive Headquarters facility” that would host the governor’s staff, personnel and operations for various state agencies, and include a chamber for the Council of State…The budget requires construction on the project to begin by July 1, 2023. …current building used by the Department of Administration, at 116 W Jones St., would be torn down and replaced by a new “Education Campus.” The campus would provide offices for the UNC System and Community Colleges System, as well as the departments of Public Instruction and Commerce. The proposal would require the Department of Administration … to relocate all employees from the existing building by July 1, 2023. Demolition of the building would be required no later than Oct. 31, 2023.
Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article262985253.html#storylink=cpy
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I, for one, will not miss the Bath Building at all.
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Very interesting developments if this budget passes!
A couple of thoughts:
• Isn’t the History Museum planning for a future expansion across Wilmington St. into the same parking lot this new “State Government Executive Headquarters” facility would be located on? Hopefully there is some way to reserve space for both in whatever arises on this block.
• If the Community College system moves out of its current building and across the street, that could be a step toward removing (some of) the structures on this property and reverting it back to its original parkland use as Caswell Square.
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I actually really like that building. Well proportioned, good materials, generally attractive Brutalism. Of course if it means the end of that awful parking lot behind it, I’ll take it.
Bath Building could be good if it was cleaned and maintained but the state seems incapable of that so…
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I was just reading on WRAL that a bill is on Cooper’s desk tonight that gets rid of the requirement of bars that don’t serve food to be private clubs, with member lists and dues. I know it’s haphazardly enforced currently, but definitely a long overdue change. Glad to see it!
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I believe the change is that the bars won’t be required to collect contact info. The requirement around membership isn’t going away, at least not this time.
Administration Building is the 5-6 story one, not the tall one (11-story) that was just renovated.
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I will not miss either 116 W Jones St nor the Bath Building - two incredibly UGLY ass buildings, and at like 5 stories, a waste of space at this point in Raleigh’s history. I must imagine that whatever the hell the “Governor’s HQ” will be, it couldn’t possibly take up the ENTIRE parking lot - that lot is absolutely enormous. So @Christopher I must assume they’re in cahoots with the History Museum about what parts of the lot are to be saved for their expansion. All this said… I do wish they’d resurrect McCrory’s Project Phoenix and sell off more of these ugly outdated gov’t buildings, consolidate state offices, and partner with private developers to build more mixed use in this area. SO SO much potential to expand the downtown footprint North here, would hate to see every new building ONLY be used for State gov’t purposes…
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Anyone know why demolish the Bath building? I would assume that replacement is cheaper than a reno at this point but what are the actual issues with it? (other than everyone in Raleigh except me seems to think it’s ugly)
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Wow, those residential lots on Williamson are enormous. Must be nice.
But the square is in a sea of state-owned property and separated from pedestrian traffic by two high-traffic thoroughfares so I don’t really see any value in that change. The city would have to spend a lot of money that would be better directed elsewhere
It’s would immediately become the closest park to all the apartments on Glenwood, which right now are pretty far and across an even harder-to-cross road on Peace from Fletcher Park. That area is dying for green space and simply a place to have a picnic or let dogs run around.
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@mike Think that Rex land would look good for something like this. Axios Raleigh says NC and a bunch of states are all competing for a newly created federal agency in the bio/life science field. However I feel this would be more at home out in the RTP.
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Yeah but Devereaux Meadows Park is already getting off the ground for that purpose. I don’t think it’s necessarily a terrible idea probably just not an efficient use of cash. Plus the buildings on that block add an older character to that part of town
Wonder if the “Education Campus” replacing the Admin Building will take the whole block and we’ll get rid of another surface lot.
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I’ve got my buildings confused. Thanks for the correction!
Totally agree re: the buildings on the south side. The School for the Blind and Deaf Dormitory (216 W. Jones) with its spiky French-style roof is one of my favorite hidden gems in town. The north side buildings… I’d take the park.
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Hope so, and also hope that they partner with a private developer to build retail spaces along the ground floor - considering the (very popular/highly visited) science museum is across the street, it’s guaranteed to get foot traffic and could REALLY activate that part of the city.
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