The Metropolitan Apartments / Quorum Center

Yeah, I mean, it’s not great but the combo seems a bit nicer than say The Lincoln or , yes, Elan. I agree, still nothing to get excited about.

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I agree Leo, the Lincoln is the absolute worst, and the only thing that saves 222 Glenwood is the sidewalk experience and its modest scale. There’s nothing terribly exciting about Metropolitan, but this are a lot of other crap out there.
All in all, most of the “designs” of these massive apartment buildings are sad attempts at trying to convince us that these aren’t indeed hulking monolithic buildings, rather a collection of urban buildings built side by side.

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Take a look at the materials they will be using on Peace (I assume that is what the mock up is at the corner of Harrington and Johnson - the new exit). Will be interesting to see opinions.

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Thanks for that tip.

I walked past it last week and at a glance they seemed more substantial if nothing else. Perhaps had some of that bigger city gloss to it. Was certainly different than the paperboard exteriors we see on the stick boxes we keep getting around here en masse.

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4 posts were split to a new topic: Why do all new apartment buildings look the same?

Are there any retail or street access given to ground floor units? The photo seem to show a build devoid of doors and activation at street level.

No retail or street walkup units though there are lots of little balconies close to street level.

With Peace and Smokey Hollow down the hill, there will be a lot of foot traffic passing through the neighborhood.

I am wondering if Quorum will deem this a good time to make their commercial knock-outs available for use. To the left of the parking garage they have future commercial space. I was never sure if this was just bait and switch like Paramount (sorry I know you live there John) or they really meant to use it one day. Seems like it’d be viable when Peace and Metropolitan are done.

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The retail space in the Quorum doesn’t exist. I think it must have been used for something else. There is some space to the left in the garage that is used for bike storage. Further to the left is the mail room. This question has come up frequently since the fire but apparently there was a change of plan or design at some point.

Of course it doesn’t exist…it was to be added…those three art filled window things (they have a name some architect pompously reminded of once) are where it was to go. When they were first being built, the Reynolds said if Harrington St could ever support retail, then they’d have space to put some. I’m 100% sure they said this and am looking up source articles…

I am sure that the space in the Paramount was in response to some sort of requirement by the city. As it stands, that space is teenie-tiny. All that could possibly go in there would be some sort of small coffee/sundries stand or some super specialized use that doesn’t require a lot of space. While I haven’t followed it for years, it is my understand that that developer owns that property. Personally I’d love to see it activated, though I’m not holding my breath.
BTW, no apology necessary. :wink:

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I’ll buy the booze if are willing to get smashed drunk and go to an HOA meeting and demand that a small foodie shop of some sort be put in there. Something that doesn’t require a ventilation hood of course, so maybe just a retail location for doughnuts or something. Like, maybe Yellow Dog could make them and sell them there since their counter space is limited on Franklin St. Add an espresso machine and voila. Profit.

I’m always down to get drunk and shout at people in a building I don’t live in.

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Unfortunately, I don’t think that the HOA can do anything about it because it’s not something that’s owned by the association. I’ll have to look into what’s really going on with that space. Stay tuned.

Cool. I’m curious. It has to be one of two things…an ownable unit with an address, or common space attached to the common address.

So nice to see lights at the Quorum Center! Hope the residents are home soon?

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It’s looking like April.

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Saw this article on a Reddit post questioning the “luxury” designation for every new apartment building here in Raleigh.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-13/why-america-s-new-apartment-buildings-all-look-the-same

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