Jones_

I was just thinking too that this was the last of this size within the main grid.

Charlotte has multiple areas that are busy at night so its spread out some...Raleigh is almost entirely concentrated downtown of which Hillsborough St, 5 Points and north Person more or less are a part of too. With the current price of steel, I'd not be surprised to see it stripped down to the girders and rebuilt from there with retail punching out to the street front. The current First Citizens tower in North Hills had this down 20 years ago or so.

What a g od ddam shame. Those houses, especially the brick one, are among the best historic homes left on the west side of downtown.

Any idea if the southern West street extension is part of this plan? If so, that would help some Ithink.

I mean, I think everything looks weird shadowed by huge buildings

I can see it both ways...Peace/Clark is one of our few retail areas that is fed by large walkable but low/medium density residential districts around it like Alberta Street in Portland OR or Bardstown Road in Louisville. These roads have a human scale and hence human interaction that is quickly stolen by huge buildings. But having said that, I do like (prefer) small floor plate mid rise buildings scattered around on corners to act like book ends to districts. The opportunity for architectural variety and not very menacing shadows is a good balancing act in the overall fabric.

Apologies for sounding snarky but this is how it is supposed to be designed if a city is designing for cyclists and not the covenience of parked cars. Hillsbough Street's 'design' was an afterthought and criticized by all people who regularly ride a bike or advocate for bikes. Raleigh barely gives a crap as evidenced by its minuscule funding (the poor staff are doing what they can on a shoestring) and while the State DOT does have a bicycle division their recommendations are roundly ignored (per staff who I know). Not even kidding, if we don't shut up about the Chapel Hill one, the GA will come back and pass a law about cars have to be parked next to curbs or some other back door way to prevent these much better bike lanes.

A running buddy of mine is one of them. He's stoked since his entire life already centers on downtown.

It keeps saying "re" develop. I wonder what virtually brand new buildings they plan on replacing...

Oh so you're saying growth is bad because 'costs' or good because 'benefits'? Who says Orange County isn't bearing the costs of adjacent county's reckless lack of planning?

Why exactly does Orange County need growth? The presumption that growth is the be all end all of a successful area is very objectively, false.

As a former John Locke employee I am quite familiar with the bylines, logical retorts underpinned by false assumptions and underlying drivers that necessitate their use. Bottom line, you're just reiterating my point that Meadowmont and other swaths of Chapel Hill ain't that liberal.

No no, its the opposite. Carrboro is the closest to 100% liberal as you'll find anywhere in the country. Chapel Hill has a solid conservative bloc and is the fertile ground for people like the guy who donated $1,000,000 to Trump's election fraud campaign then asked for his money back. Meadowmont has a solid chunk of conservatives too...those were the ones fighting the light rail through there 'cause them dark skinned people might get off and decide to shop there. Hillsborough has a sizable liberal contingent too...who do you think supports the Weaver Street Market there?

I'm basing this on nothing but feel like both of those previous typical choices (bold downtown skyscraper vs suburban campus) are being nudged out by something that more closely resembles 'urban campus'. Things like American Tobacco, and Smokey Hollow where an employer (I realize Smoky Hollow dosn't have an anchor employer)surrounds themselves with a live/work community with plenty of retail and at least some residential are where the momentum really is. Even RTP is trying to rebrand and rebuild with that in mind though its not really achievable there.

^^ Its Greg fudgeing Sandreuter that's why this thing sucks. Dude only knows how to bulldoze downtown to make money. At least wit him there's a 50% chance the project never gets started.

That actually works pretty good.

Well since it's on Boylan and not Glenwood, how about calling it "Boylans's Highest"? Should help the neighbors down the street feel better about the obvious encroachment on their beautiful historic neighborhood.

Too bad they're still like "located in the warehouse district!!!" while removing over half the remaining warehouses. Call it something else for your schtick fellas. Depot district? Downtown west? I dunno, but stop.

Yada yada yada, Epic Games.

Epic made it sound like they would be somehow including features or things that would be available for the whole Town to use. What this is exactly is anyone'e guess. I am hopeful. And to look at more positives, Cary has always been hurting for jobs within its Town limits...it is a bedroom community after all. This will dramatically balance that out.

I love me some Knoxville. Seriously thinking about retiring there and taking my big Raleigh money and buying a house outright. Between the university and Oakridge, its not a backwater by any means but prices are low and out of state developers 'can't make the numbers work'. I hope they never make those numbers work. I've heard Madison is cool too.

I spent a week in Austin about 5 years ago and really liked it, but stayed either in the downtown or in areas immediately east or south of downtown. Like Raleigh, it was a smaller State Capitol for most of its existence, then blew up in the last 50 years. The recent growth is more like Charlotte though but with more like an Asheville free spirit underlaying vibe. Those two cultures are knocking heads for sure. East Austin is gentrifying but was the center of life that resembles west Asheville. It still has that feel but the new big box apartment buildings are looking for ways in that will ultimately displace and ruin it. The area around the Capital and the main drag south of there is sort of dead-ish but interesting to me since much of the historic fabric remains. The downtown high-rise district is a little better than Charlotte because it has more grand floor stuff going on but is still swamped with parking garages and traffic. South of downtown is trendiest area with lots of recognizable shopping names and tons of high income neighborhoods that are a mix of older redone houses and new mod stuff. The east side had some of that, but its much more the defining trait south of Lady Bird. Speaking of Lady Bird, its got a nice loop trail around it...heavily used, but a dirt trail all the same. Also Barton Springs is pretty cool and, of course, tops are not required. Dirty Sixth makes Glenwood south look like a tea party. Its more resembles Broadway in Nashville but with less touristy feel and more straight up gutter style getting wasted. I never did get out in the far flung 'burbs or up near the University so can't speak to those too much. I much preferred it to Nashville and Charlotte...it has something for everyone, but then again, that might be too much for some people. It certainly has all of the growth issues. Would love to visit again sometime.

Well a single locomotive is about 475,000 pounds and the bridge has to support more than one at a time. An unloaded semi and trailer is about 35,000 pounds. Its like a mosquito trying to break your windshield

Thankfully Carrboro is literally holding the line down there. They do have two projects coming to their 'downtown'. The empty lot at the NW corner of Greensboro and Weaver is getting a 3 story building (office over retail) and the big town parking lot behind Open Eye is becoming a library (and other stuff too I think) with a parking deck. Not sure how I feel about that one as that starts to put pressure on the mill houses south of there. The most important stretch of Franklin to keep intact is west of Church. That blends on over to Carrboro and that charm is irreplaceable.

Char Grill for Burgers. Snoopys for Chicken strips. Roast Grill for dogs. 30 years, I haven't changed that hankering list.