Streetscaping in Raleigh

#1

This isn’t anything new, but I was just exploring the City’s website and found information about which streets will likely be receiving streetscape projects in the future. As I’m sure everyone has noticed, the Hillsborough St. project has been completed, and I was wondering when another project would start.

Currently, it looks like the City is working on several streetscape projects:
• Peace St. between St. Marys and West (scheduled to solicit construction bids in February, so this will more than likely be next)
• Oberlin Rd. between Pullen and Bedford

Additionally, there is a “Green Street” planned for East Cabarrus St.

The City’s website has a priority list of the 30 or so projects they’ve identified, and it’s an interesting thing to look at. I’m very excited to see more of these projects in the future, and wanted to create a thread devoted to it for further discussion.

What are your thoughts on these projects? How do you think they impact the surrounding areas?

#2

They have been talking about the “green street” on Cabarrus for years. I feel like the CAC was against it last I heard (which has been 4-5 years ago).

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#3

I was wondering about that project — it appeared to have been several years since the last update. Do you have any idea why the CAC was against it?

#4

I am disappointed that we’re not burying more power lines as the streetscapes get done. Hillsborough St got some underground and some supersized. And these apartment buildings like the Lynk and Metropolitan and others have the street torn up for a year and they can’t bury the power lines?

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#5

The ones on Hillsborough that got supersized are transmission lines, not distribution, so they are higher voltage and much more difficult and expensive to bury. I think those are the lines that run from the big substation on Hillsborough west of Stanhope to the one at Powerhouse Square in Glenwood South. They were there before the project but they got replaced with new poles with a much cleaner look. I am 100% satisfied with the result.

I also agree that I wish we could do more projects like that. For whatever reason it is really expensive.

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#6

I can’t remember exactly. At the time I was the prez of the Person Pointe condo HOA so I went back and looked at my emails from the city but nothing jogged my memory. If I find my notes I’ll let you know.

#7

And a green street for Jones too.

#8

I’m curious how much of the Peace St. Streetscape plan, from early in the Century, will be followed? At that time, the city had a plan to make it an urban streetscape including very specific guidance on how new buildings were to address each other and the street/sidewalk. I hope it stays intact. Having Peace function that way will make a nice complement to what’s been happening on Glenwood South with all the new buildings being pedestrian oriented.

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#9

When is that Peace Street project supposed to happen. Not sure I have seen any progress.

#10

I don’t know that it will ever happen in the way that the original streetscape plan intended. I’m not going go hold my breath on that one!

#11

From the project’s webpage:

Updated March 21

The project is scheduled to advertise for construction bids in this spring.

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#12

Well, that’s good, but it’s still not really what the city had in mind in its early 2000s streetscape vision. Heck, that McDonald’s alone killed the entire vision.

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#13

I hate that McDonalds too… but they (as a company) tend to build and tear down faster than any other national chain out there. I lived in Richmond for 4 years, I saw a new McDonalds, open, be torn down, rebuilt, and reopened in that time period. It was ridiculous. Give it another year or two and they will tear it down and rebuild again, maybe with a true urban form this time. :slight_smile:

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#14

What will cause that land to be redeveloped is its land value. I dare say that the land value has increased substantially in the last 5 years.
I don’t have an issue with it remaining a McDonald’s; I just want it to not be car oriented with an encircling drive-thru site plan.
McDonald’s business model is all about their land holds. If they can profit from its sale, and open more suburban models elsewhere in fast growing areas, I wouldn’t put it past them to sell the land.
The stretch from that McDonald’s to the corner of Peace & St. Mary’s has an enormous amount of potential for improvement, and I suspect that all that land is immensely valuable. Franky, every building between McDonald’s and the gas station on the corner at St. Mary’s is old and ripe for redevelopment. There’s real potential there for a great sidewalk experience if a developer can assemble the property and do it right!

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#15

I met a friend at Mellow Mushroom for lunch last week and had the same thought as I was turning form St. Mary’s onto Peace. That stretch is a goldmine waiting for a developer to knock it all down and reinvigorate that street.

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#16

I agree. Especially starting at the St Mary’s / Peace corner and working east. Great location between downtown and Cameron village.

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#17

Update on the Oberlin Road streetscaping project from this week’s City Council agenda:

The plan looks quite promising. It will make the section between Clark and Bedford 3 lanes rather than 5, and add parking-protected bike lanes as well as bus stop islands – here’s a rendering:

image
image.jpg834×570 229 KB

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#18

What and lose the “Historic” Peace Street Market??? The McDonald’s could also be Historic as it was one of the first, if not the first, Golden Arches in Raleigh. I worked as WRAL 1970-72 and we would often send someone over to Peace St McDonal’s for meals as It was closest one, I can not recall if there was even another one in Raleigh at time. All the ones I know of ITB where build later.

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#19

Um…there’s nothing historic about the current McDonald’s on Peace Street. If it was a vintage McD’s with the old school arches, and it had some mid century credentials like Char-Grill does, I’d be right there with you. But, it doesn’t.

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#20

My post was more tongue in cheek than serious. :grin:

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