Charter Square (Site One)

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

--thanks to Raleigh_NC over at SSC for the original image post on that site.

I may be late to the game, but has anyone else noticed in this picture, on about the third floor,(bottom left of the 20 story building)? It looks like WRAL people on camera/in a studio? I thought they said they would only do the RBC building? Maybe it was just an idea of the developers? But it would be a great place to shoot the X-mas parade?

[DanRNC]

^WRAL actually did talk about putting a studio in that building. I don't think they ever mentioned the RBC building.

[dmccall]

Is that a curbside lap pool?

[ncwebguy]

Maybe swimming will be part of the City Square area, since it starts/ends at the north side of Site one.

It is probably "water feature place holder", for when something is proposed and later shot down. I *hope* it isn't a throwback to the old "reflecting (sludge) pool" in front of the courthouse on Fayetville Street. Yuck.

At some point, F Street will have to slope down as it approaches Lenoir. As for the "newsroom", WRAL could wind up anywhere, or stay on Western Blvd. NBC 17 could be interested in a downtown newsroom space as well.

[bj-26]

I may be late to the game, but has anyone else noticed in this picture, on about the third floor,(bottom left of the 20 story building)? It looks like WRAL people on camera/in a studio? I thought they said they would only do the RBC building? Maybe it was just an idea of the developers? But it would be a great place to shoot the X-mas parade?

If the City ever decides to move its Central Fire Station, I would like to see something like this in its place, facing the park.

[ChiefJoJo]

There's a little blurb on the commercial construction market and Site 1 in this morning's paper.

Roland Gammon, Craig Davis and Roger Perry are building the $175 million Site One, which will have two towers with 700,000 square feet of offices and at least 200 condominiums.

A parking deck for Site One is under construction, but work on offices and condos, not scheduled until 2009, will depend on presales and landing an office tenant. Gammon said there was enough time to market the condos and find a tenant. "We feel pretty positive," he said.

Hmmm, I had thought they would begin later this year. I'm sure they need plenty of time to build the underground deck, but that news is a bit of a letdown. Hopefully the Lafayette (also mentioned) will move quicker.

Also, this may or may not be a video of Site One's lobby:

[DanRNC]

This project now has a name: Charter Square. gogoraleigh has an entry about it.

[Gard]

This project now has a name: Charter Square. gogoraleigh has an entry about it.

Awsome! I really love the pedestrian square being placed between the buildings to facilitate walking. This is going to be a great addition to DTR

[st8fan]

So on SSC, a Charter Sq. rendering shows a box at the southwest corner beside the 14-story residential tower which i'm assuming is the odd box everyone keeps wondering about going up. But the rendering posted further up on here doesn't show the box. It has to be a public access to the underground deck since it is a public deck. Has anyone seen this on site plans?

[dmccall]

So on SSC, a Charter Sq. rendering shows a box at the southwest corner ...

It's in the newest rendering, the one I put on gogoraleigh, too. Here's what I got from my friend who is one of the developers:

"The box is part of a stair and elevator that comes up to the Fayetteville Streed sidewalk from the Phase I part of the deck...sort of like North Hills or a subway pop-up in a big city. I think the concrete holds the mechanics and then there is a glass structure that comes off of it to cover the steps and gives weather protection. "

[ChiefJoJo]

^ You can see it here (the translucent white box next to the street) & I believe it's already built.

[cophead567]

So on SSC, a Charter Sq. rendering shows a box at the southwest corner beside the 14-story residential tower which i'm assuming is the odd box everyone keeps wondering about going up. But the rendering posted further up on here doesn't show the box. It has to be a public access to the underground deck since it is a public deck. Has anyone seen this on site plans?

Was able to get a pic of it this weekend

[DPK]

Why is that thing so high?!

[jumboman]

^ It looks to be an elevator. So there has to be room for the mechanical system above it as well.

[orulz]

I'm a bit weary about having a public elevator popping out right off the sidewalk like that. It cries to be used as a public urinal for drunk people. Though I suppose the same thing would apply for stairs as well.

[cophead567]

It does look way too big. I can see a camera crew setting up on top of the awning also. Would be a perfect view for a parade.

I'm sure they had no choice to build this. I'm guessing there are certain requirements for the handicap that makes this elevator necessary. If you are unable to climb stairs how else would you get out of the deck? I would have preferred the elevator rise into the Marriott or Charter Square and release passengers into a lobby or directly onto the sidewalk.

[dmccall]

I hope it doesn't "sully the view" of Memorial Auditorium.

[ncwebguy]

I would think/hope there is some elevator connection for *all* of the deck in Charter Square -- the underground component *and* the above ground part with the entrance near the Lenoir/Wilmington corner in the rendering.

This should be an extra elevator to get to F Street proper, accessible by both decks on the land of the old convention center. The "breezeway" between the decks in cophead's picture suggests a pedestrian waiting area for the elevator and a way to cross under F Street, regardless of what is going on at the surface.

As the elevator won't pop up in the middle of F Street, the view is preserved. I'd be concerened if something like this was on sites 2 or 3, but in this block it should blend in with the trees, street lights, newspaper boxes, etc.

[JTsaysToYou]

So I think that maybe they might be starting to do something at site one.

I was walking past there the other day and there were a bunch of workers, and in the big pit where site one is going to be, there was a crane, and a couple bulldozers and such, so maybe theyre preparing to do something... I dunno...

[pack-man]

i believe that they are finishing up the underground parking component up to the surface. this way, whenever they decide what they would like to build there, the foundation will be in place already.

[ChiefJoJo]

I snapped a photo of the Charter Square/city parking deck construction site... some columns and the elevator shaft structure is being poured (F-St is up & to the right):

[pack-man]

they are beginning to assemble another tower crane. will be interesting how high it goes.

[serapis]

they are beginning to assemble another tower crane. will be interesting how high it goes.

Will this be for the Charter? I didn't know this project was braking ground so soon.

[pack-man]

this is to complete the parking deck on the east side of Fayetteville Street. once that is completed, i imagine they will start on the Charter if approved.

[ChiefJoJo]

Will this be for the Charter? I didn't know this project was braking ground so soon.

I don't think so. The work underway now is only for the underground parking deck attached to the Marriott deck under F-St. Of course, Charter Square will also get a portion of the deck for their tenants. The construction site (cranes, etc) should look very similar to the deck on the other side next to the Marriott.

I don't think Charter Square has gone through the site plan review & approval yet. They still need council approval, bldg permits, and financing to go to construction. At the DT home tour over at Palladium Plaza, I did see a Charter Square condo info card... no details, just a number to call to for more info. They may have to wait a while to get 50% pre-sales for the condos (assuming they need that) in the current marketplace.