DrewR05

I don't think anyone is arguing that North Carolina does not produce tech companies. You can always point to one-off examples, but what the data shows is that NC/ Southeast is not producing these companies to the same extent compared to that of West Coast, North East, and the Mid-Atlantic States. The M&A figures also describe a similar picture. While the majority of venture firms are located in Silicon Vally, there are large venture firms in Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Miami. Furthermore, in the days of financial analytics, proximity is less of a factor when VC firms are looking to source investments. This all describes a similar story- NC touts its low cost of living, and "business-friendly tax environment"; however, investment and emerging companies continue to favor larger, more established metros. If capitalism takes its course, these emerging companies will become the corporations of the 21st century. Why is this occurring? Because these places have made investments in human capital rather than large corporations. They have invested in education (at every level), transit, and healthcare; thus, they have prospered. Yes, they have there problems like the cost of living but if anything that's a sign of commerce. Its time that we re-think our economic growth strategy in NC.

I used to intern at WCED in college. Obviously, Raleigh does not compare economically to the likes of the Bay Area, Puget Sound, Austin, or Boston. I would argue that Austin and Raleigh were equals at one point, but Austin has had a lot more success post- great recession. WCED job is to market the region, so of course, they are going to argue that Raleigh is better. What gets me excited about Raleigh's growth is that the foundation is clearly there. For those who are interested in reading a non-bias report, I posted a link below from the company I work at (PitchBook). This report breaks down the 2Q 2019 venture capital activity. If you got to page 33 or so, you can see a break down of venture activity by region. It's humbling to see that in the 2Q, a little over 7% of total venture deal count and 4% of deal value occurred in the southeast. On the other hand, the West Coast saw 38% of deal count and 58% of deal value. This goes to show the dominant growth of start-up companies in the West Coast. Why not the Southeast/ North Carolina? I have my own opinions, but I'm curious to hear yalls. https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/2q-2019-pitchbook-nvca-venture-monitor

I understand your concern about preserving historic buildings. It is essential because there is a limited supply of historical buildings in Raleigh, but most of all they tell a story. That being said, this parcel of real estate is positioned directly in front of Raleigh main/future LRT & commuter rail transit center. This seems like a perfect spot for this size of development. Aesthetically speaking, I am more concerned about the potential development of the building Greg Hatem just purchased from Dean Debnam. Last, traffic is a sign of commerce, growth, and urbanization. Traffic is inevitable and will force our state/ local governments to invest in regional transit, encourage people to live closer to their work and walk. I like it.

Every work day I walk .5 miles from Penn Station to my office in Flat Iron. Walking a similar distance to a sporting event should not be that big of a deal. Downtown will continue to grow southward. In 1912 when they built Fenway it was not in the heart of Boston. I am looking forward to seeing the plan!