Vault Craft Beer - 520 South St

We just got a neighborhood meeting notice for 516/518/520 South St. from NX-3-UL to CX-3-UL-CU. Digging into the request this is intended to resurface some of Raleigh’s history where a bank once stood in the late 50’s. Given the seemingly relatively straightforward nature of the rezoning, and that a website already exists for the proposed brewery, I’m starting a new topic for this.

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South St on a roll today.

I’m assuming it’s this building?

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Wow, I think they first announced that like 2 years ago. Honestly just thought it fell through.

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Yea, that’s the building, they’ve already begun construction too. Something I found interesting from their website regarding the original Bank sign

" It would be cool to re-construct the original sign, but that will never happen in the City of Raleigh due to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)."

Is that true?

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I saw Raleigh Architecture signage up there the other day… :grin:

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Yup, that’s it. They started demo a while ago and then nothing. I recently noticed a Raleigh Architecture sign out front, so I guess things are finally starting to happen.

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Only a matter of time for the garage, I suppose…?

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Drove by there Sunday, on the way to the farmers market, and wondered what was happening at that site. Thanks for the update.

I think the service station is owned by the same owner. I don’t remember what his plans were for that property, but he took all the cladding off a few years ago to reveal the original porcelain enamel panels that were hidden underneath. I’m assuming they want to keep those in whatever it eventually becomes.

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I feel like there was an agreement for the garage to stay for a while before moving elsewhere ?
I’ve always thought this corner location would be an amazing neighborhood cafe as Raleigh (…and development) evolved in this direction towards Dix park

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I actually snapped a pic of the building on a walk about a month ago.

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The request covers more than just the old bank lot.

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My version of your pic and a couple others. I spoke to a worker in the building and he confirmed it’s going to be “a bar” and I asked the auto shop next door if they were going to be around for a while and they said they were. So it seems the owner of these parcels is just taking the opportunity to rezone all 3 even though it seems to only currently impact the old bank/Vault Craft Beer.

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Nice! Looks like a retaining wall for a patio coming. Will be nice to get some more nightlife on this side of DTR

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I was emailing back and forth with the Vault owner about two weeks ago - he said he’s targeting a SEP opening, at best.

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Yep. If you order a sub zero fridge today it will arrive in November, at best…

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TBJ story on this, opening in late fall: https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2021/06/04/beer-shop-in-the-works-for-old-bank-in-raleigh.html

Vault Craft Beer is set to open at 518 W. South St. near Boylan Heights in late fall after more than three years of planning and work. Construction recently began after co-owners Greg Kelly and Erik Kern obtained building permits from the city to turn the former site of a 1950s-era bank into a bar.

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Btw, this rezone request is to gain outdoor seating rights. Current zoning allows for 8 (unless text change is approved in which case it’ll be 20) and new zoning if approved will permit for up to 40.

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This is the text change that would allow Vault Craft Beer to go from 8 > 20 seats outside without needing a rezoning (if the text change is approved). Given the limits on their building based on the plumbing (toilets), they can have a max occupancy of 40 inside and 40 outside, but they would need to go to CX or IX to get the exterior seating from the current 8 (or 20) to 40.

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I also just got off this neighborhood meeting and there were no concerns about the rezoning increase. There are some VERY close neighbors to this property that are happy for most of what this new establishment would bring, but of course noise is going to be a concern if you have a bar that close. Greg (owner) shared that the operating hours he’s considering would be up to 10p Sun-Wed, up to 11p Thur and up to 12a Fri/Sat (I believe that’s what it was).

Greg is also very focused and interested in getting both the bank and gas station buildings restored to their original look as much as possible. I love this, and if he’s able to get his way, that string of buildings from the new/reno construction the other side of Boulted to his Vault Craft Beer are going to be very cool and like traveling back in time.

There were a lot of very positive comments by everyone that chimed in including the very close/adjacent neighbors. Now that this formality has been satisfied, they can officially submit their rezoning request.

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