# The Acorn Apartments / Element by Westin / 415 S. Blount Street **URL:** \ **Category:** New Construction\ **Created:** [October 8, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604 "2018-10-08T21:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francisco](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/francisco/32/10233_2.png) [@Francisco](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Francisco)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/1 "2018-10-08T21:40:04Z")
The service station that was occupying this property has been demolished. Likely to be converted to more parking for an indefinite time as there’s no development plans filed. Recently sold for a tad under $5 million. The property is zoned up to a pathetic 7 stories just two tiny blocks from Raleigh’s main street. ![IMG_20181008_171057](https://community.dtraleigh.com/uploads/default/original/1X/6d0dad80d5d0bdbd829e73ed4aae3496e230c275.jpeg) ![IMG_20181008_171039](https://community.dtraleigh.com/uploads/default/original/1X/006a0bc5434c75d668305c26587cb1e34d51a804.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/2 "2018-10-09T15:09:55Z")
It’s also adjacent to single family homes. And “main” streets are not some prerequisite for where the tallest buildings necessarily should go. Many places ‘main’ streets are their center of gravity for a historic district or a government center. Just saying, don’t get swallowed by your own preconceptions…keep an open mind. ---
**Author:** ![Tenkai](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/tenkai/32/2845_2.png) [@Tenkai](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Tenkai)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/3 "2018-10-09T16:05:35Z")
> [@Francisco](#): > > The property is zoned up to a pathetic 7 stories… Honestly, I think we’d be lucky to see more than the standard 5 story wood-frame building here. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/2acd7d/32.png) [@Kevin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Kevin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/4 "2018-10-09T18:21:16Z")
I could’ve sworn I’ve seen plans for a 7-story residential building at this site. ---
**Author:** ![Tenkai](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/tenkai/32/2845_2.png) [@Tenkai](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Tenkai)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/5 "2018-10-09T18:25:25Z")
That would be nice to see. I searched Raleigh’s database of development plans but couldn’t find anything related to 425 S Blount. Doesn’t mean the plans aren’t out there somewhere though. ---
**Author:** ![Phil](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@Phil](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Phil)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/6 "2018-10-10T12:49:42Z")
I’d rather see townhouses or single family homes on this block. I’ll never understand everyone’s obsession with massive, neighborhood killing apartment buildings. ---
**Author:** ![RobertSanderlin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/robertsanderlin/32/59_2.png) [@RobertSanderlin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/RobertSanderlin)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/7 "2018-10-10T14:42:39Z")
> [@Phil](#): > > I’d rather see townhouses or single family homes on this block. I’ll never understand everyone’s obsession with massive, neighborhood killing apartment buildings. While you are obviously entitled to your opinion, try not to limit the options for developers and our future new residents. As what makes up a “neighborhood” is all personal and I really can’t believe that you would consider this as “killing”? ---
**Author:** ![Phil](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@Phil](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Phil)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/8 "2018-10-10T14:47:58Z")
Yep, try to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Steve](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Steve](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Steve)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/9 "2018-10-10T16:45:16Z")
I love me some tall buildings, but I actually agree with this. Townhomes would be great here. I could be ok with something like those Dorothea Gardens homes, but not the typical Raleigh SFH. ---
**Author:** ![RobertSanderlin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/robertsanderlin/32/59_2.png) [@RobertSanderlin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/RobertSanderlin)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/10 "2018-10-10T16:59:58Z")
I am not disagreeing that town-homes wouldn’t be a great thing here or most places. But just don’t pooh-pooh something else just because it’s taller or doesn’t fit your idea of what makes a neighborhood…a neighborhood…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Will](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/will/32/218_2.png) [@Will](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Will)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/11 "2018-10-10T17:14:44Z")
This should be a 6-7 story apartment or other residential/office use. 3-story townhomes are not dense enough for this specific block. Give me some townhomes on the parking lot between city market and Moore Square Middle School. ---
**Author:** ![Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/12 "2018-10-10T17:32:27Z")
As the great mediator/middle child that I am, I suggest that you could do like 6 stories facing Blount with ground floor retail, and townhouses facing Person and possibly along an alley to access the center of this long narrow plot. Palladium Plaza already faces this plot along Blount and is mostly residential with a couple of retail spots and 5 stories tall. Its a pretty solid project (literally…it is poured concrete…the entire thing all five stories). To suggest that going farther east and not staying with this scale is some terrible oversight, sounds like its coming from people who frequent google maps a lot but not the actual area in question. I’d also like to point out that between Blount and Person there is nothing over 4 stories tall except on the Shaw campus. ---
**Author:** ![Francisco](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/francisco/32/10233_2.png) [@Francisco](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Francisco)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/14 "2018-10-10T18:07:26Z")
Yeah and there were single family homes on Fayetteville Street once. Things change. I also live within 3 minutes walk east from 415 S. Blount Street so I don’t need Google Maps. ---
**Author:** ![Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/15 "2018-10-10T20:07:53Z")
Because things change, is not justification for changing things. Circular argument. Some places keep their historic districts intact and build their high rise areas adjacent to the original, historic areas. Just as valid of an approach here or anywhere. Raleigh just sucks at doing this. And because it sucks at it, everyone seems to be tunnel visioned into thinking this is the only way to grow (assuming growth is good, which is also debatable). I also live in east Raleigh (for what it’s worth) about 10 minutes walk from the block in question, and chose the area because it was single family housing walking distance to the core. I was not anxiously waiting for 20 story buildings to creep closer, and the zoning provided some security in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![PotentialRaleigh](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@PotentialRaleigh](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/PotentialRaleigh)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 1:16pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/16 "2018-10-11T13:16:57Z")
It seems that the existing zoning is exactly what should be here. 7 stories as the area steps down to low rise single family and townhomes… ---
**Author:** ![Kevin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/2acd7d/32.png) [@Kevin](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Kevin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/17 "2018-10-11T13:50:50Z")
You’re a block off of the Red Hat Tower. Two blocks, diagonally, from the tallest building between Philadelphia and Charlotte. Townhomes aren’t the highest and best use of land at this location. If you’re building west of Person St., I think you need to bring the density. ---
**Author:** ![dtraleigh](https://community.dtraleigh.com/user_avatar/community.dtraleigh.com/dtraleigh/32/32735_2.png) [@dtraleigh](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/dtraleigh)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:18pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/18 "2018-10-11T14:18:57Z")
I understand the desire for density but the current climate at the city and politics are for stepdowns to the SFH neighborhoods. As you go west to east, it steps down block by block, 20 then 7 then 3. I would find a rezoning here at this point in time to be risky and not worth the effort from a development POV. In my opinion, I think we can hope for the best under 7 stories on this plot. That probably means stick-built apartments or very high-end townhomes to kind of “extend” the neighborhood feel that Founder’s Row brings on this block. I’ll take it as this is just a parking lot doing nothing for our downtown. ![image](https://community.dtraleigh.com/uploads/default/original/1X/4513200cc9e383839ea5c1b4902d50f5e8da02a7.jpeg) ![image](https://community.dtraleigh.com/uploads/default/original/1X/74970d25aa65bb22f146c49eac64dec274d7cfb4.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![RobertB](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@RobertB](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/RobertB)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/19 "2018-10-11T14:26:17Z")
I full area of high-end town homes would be nice there. Better than a stick built 7 story. Though if they could get it rezoned to 10/12 that would be pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![RobertB](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@RobertB](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/RobertB)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/20 "2018-10-11T14:26:54Z")
Also, the Edison really needs to get built already. ---
**Author:** ![Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://community.dtraleigh.com/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604/21 "2018-10-11T16:48:58Z")
Right. Absolute height. There is the 38 story West in Virginia Beach 7 in NoVA that are 31-35 stories. PNC is ‘typical’ in my mind and not some driver for deviating from the current plan just east of it. [Next page](https://community.dtraleigh.com/t/the-acorn-apartments-element-by-westin-415-s-blount-street/604.md?page=2)