Blount Street Commons

[ChiefJoJo]

Also, IIRC, AIA is only talking about a 2-3 story structure--nothing overwhelming at all.

Also, I don't think the Y is going anywhere anytime soon. From a traffic-carrying point of view, it's better at aligning fours streets at one signal than to have 2 signals for Wilmington and Salisbury. I do think the state could make much better use of their land up there.

[ChiefJoJo]

Good news for this project... LNR will commence demolition of some structures on the north side (phase 1, probably the old state motor pool next to Krispy Kreme) and being moving the historic homes to sites on Blount St in June. This will recreate a historic corridor of homes that hasn't been seen in almost 100 years. The homes may be auctioned off, and their new owners would be responsible for the required restoration.

[rooster8]

Can't say I'm surprised that they would auction off the older homes. I found it hard to believe that a developer would take the time and money to do it themselves.

[citiboi27610]

I think its a good think that they're auctioning the houses. Instead of a developer or one entity being in charge of renovating, there will be individuals with their own ideas. I think it'll make for a more natural redevelopment.

[Jones_]

I think its a good think that they're auctioning the houses. Instead of a developer or one entity being in charge of renovating, there will be individuals with their own ideas. I think it'll make for a more natural redevelopment.

Those ideas will be limited by historic covenants though.

[JeffC]

Many of those homes on Blount street were moved from the Halifax Street corridor, when that street was eliminated to build the neo-Stalinist State Government mall. The Polk House mentioned a few posts up was the one that some grand old Raleigh dame had moved and attached to the back of her house for several decades in order to preserve it. I think she is now deceased, but she would have been very happy to see the house being restored. I think this Polk is the guy who founded Progressive Farmer magazine and was a major figure in the 1890's Populist/Reform/Fusionist movement, isn't he?

[Jones_]

Many of those homes on Blount street were moved from the Halifax Street corridor, when that street was eliminated to build the neo-Stalinist State Government mall. The Polk House mentioned a few posts up was the one that some grand old Raleigh dame had moved and attached to the back of her house for several decades in order to preserve it. I think she is now deceased, but she would have been very happy to see the house being restored. I think this Polk is the guy who founded Progressive Farmer magazine and was a major figure in the 1890's Populist/Reform/Fusionist movement, isn't he?

Check out this old post

From what I have been able to tell, most of the homes on Blount are sitting right where they alway have with a few exceptions. The Lucy Capehart house is one block further east than it used to be and the Lewis Smith house used to be in the footprint of the revenue building. Other moves include the Tucker House on Person used to be on Wilmington, the Richardson house on south Person used to be in the Peace parking lot on Blount, The Norwood House in City Market used to sit on the Exploris Middle School Site, and the ones on East behind the Federal building came from near City Market, Peace Parking lot and farther down Bloodworth. Also there is a house on the New Bern stus (General somebody) that used to sit adjacent to Capital Apartments and the old Credit Union on New Bern was moved some, hundred feet or so. The Polk House on Blount was saved from Krispy Kreme. Glad to see another person with random old house facts though.

[JeffC]

Check out this old post

From what I have been able to tell, most of the homes on Blount are sitting right where they alway have with a few exceptions. The Lucy Capehart house is one block further east than it used to be and the Lewis Smith house used to be in the footprint of the revenue building. Other moves include the Tucker House on Person used to be on Wilmington, the Richardson house on south Person used to be in the Peace parking lot on Blount, The Norwood House in City Market used to sit on the Exploris Middle School Site, and the ones on East behind the Federal building came from near City Market, Peace Parking lot and farther down Bloodworth. Also there is a house on the New Bern stus (General somebody) that used to sit adjacent to Capital Apartments and the old Credit Union on New Bern was moved some, hundred feet or so. The Polk House on Blount was saved from Krispy Kreme. Glad to see another person with random old house facts though.

I think the Old State Bank building where the Credit union is on New Bern place is on its original site...if you go inside, they have a cool case of artifacts discovered when they were renovating the building...

[Jones_]

I think the Old State Bank building where the Credit union is on New Bern place is on its original site...if you go inside, they have a cool case of artifacts discovered when they were renovating the building...

It sat where the current rectory is. If you are familiar with the Drie map, it does look to be in almost the exact same spot.

[JeffC]

It sat where the current rectory is. If you are familiar with the Drie map, it does look to be in almost the exact same spot.

Is the Drie map that sort of 3/4's overhead perspective pen and ink map circa late 1800s?

[Jones_]

Is the Drie map that sort of 3/4's overhead perspective pen and ink map circa late 1800s?

Yeah thats it 1872

Probably done in a hot air balloon from Dix.

[JeffC]

So clearing of the old State motor pool at the corner of Peace and Person continues apace....driving by there the other day, I noticed that one of the old buildings at the heart of the old Motor Pool is actually built out of stone...seems a bit elaborate for what I thought was an old service station complex...is that building actually a remnant of whatever was there before the service station?

[Jones_]

So clearing of the old State motor pool at the corner of Peace and Person continues apace....driving by there the other day, I noticed that one of the old buildings at the heart of the old Motor Pool is actually built out of stone...seems a bit elaborate for what I thought was an old service station complex...is that building actually a remnant of whatever was there before the service station?

I am not sure exactly sure which building you mean....the actual station with repair bays looks to be a modern buidling with stone facade. I have a photo from 1957 that focuses almost exactly on this spot....There is also a stone two bay garage with caved in roof that sits behind a Blount St house but might look like it juts into the service area at some angles. The Drie map shows a simple farmhouse with outbuilding and barn. I will check it out tonight and see if anyting new pops out at me.

On a side note, this photo shows just how many houses State Government took out. Peace College also did a fair amount of damage too.

[capitalapts]

Bumping another old thread-does anyone know the status of the Blount St. Redevelopment project? Did the latest State gov't budget address selling the houses and state property there back to the public so the ball can get rolling? I still think that having more residents on Blount/Person on the north side of downtown is one of the linchpins of making Raleigh more of a 24-hour city.

[foodpainter]

Well, I think the state is selling the land to LNR Properties, who will then redevelop a lot of this area then sell the houses "as-is." But according to the Wake Co tax site, they don't even own the car lot on Person/Peace street yet, which is supposed to be "phase 1" of the project. I remember Doug Redford of LNR stating at a Mordecai CAC meeting once that this was supposed to start moving along this past Spring, but it's now August. Regarding this area, along with the Franklin Street Project, I feel more likely to witness the freezing of hell, the glass slipper fitting just right, and pigs flying overhead. Ha!

[carynative]

I know that some state government agencies have moved out of the houses along Peace Street. We all know that the motor pool closed down, and I understand agencies in later phases of the project are beginning to tell employees to get ready for a move. We all know govt projects move slower than a snail on crutches.

[ncwebguy]

There was an article recently in the Independent, but it doesn't provide much new info. LNR is setting up shop in (I think) the "Addams family house". And they'll fix up the houses, not sell them "as-is".

I'm more interested in the Peace/Person corner and the AIA's plans to move to the area, but those weren't mentioned.

[ChiefJoJo]

Redford and LNR are arranging to buy and redevelop 25 homes in the district. According to Redford, LNR is currently nearing the end of the first of a four-stage purchase plan from the state, which could close in the next few weeks.

Though eight houses in the district will be moved to the main row of North Blount Street, Redford insists that the goal is help make the district a viable residential neighborhood. "We're not putting in a Wal-Mart, we're not putting a Target center," Redford says. "We're tying the fabric of the neighborhood together, and that's what the area wants."

In addition to redeveloping the homes, LNR also plans to construct new residential units along the periphery of the neighborhood, some of which will be retail space with live/work units. According to Blount Street Commons spokesman Scott Misner, these new buildings will keep an architectural style consistent with the existing structures.

LNR's goal is to redevelop 21 of the 25 houses as residences. The larger houses will probably be redeveloped to house small business offices, because, as Redford puts it, "not many people have the 15 kids you'd need to fill a 10,000-square-foot home." He adds that LNR has already talked to some potential businesses, including a bed-and-breakfast, a law firm and a construction firm. When the makeover is complete, some of the houses in the district may sell for as much as $2 million, according to LNR officials. Redford says the smaller redeveloped units will likely go for $350,000 and up.

Redford hopes that the redevelopment will provide more of a connection between the Blount Street district and downtown Raleigh. "This is a black hole between downtown and the neighborhoods, and we are trying to connect them back together," he says.

Still, he's aware that this is an unusual project, and that arranging the sale with the state will take time. "There is no sure plan," Redford says. "There is no cookie cutter that you can use to say, 'There have been six [projects] like these across the country, let's do the seventh.'"

But as he wanders through 540 N. Blount St., which will serve as the sales office for Blount Street Commons, Redford marvels at the building's craftsmanship and the potential once the blue carpeting and fluorescent lighting are taken out. He points at a molded archway over the stairs, and wonders how much something like that would cost today. "If you tried to build a new house and replicate it, the carpenter would retire, because that's the only job he would ever need to do," he says.

Time will tell, once the buildings are redeveloped, whether potential residents will share his enthusiasm.

Well, we do have a rough timeframe (a few weeks) and a name (& website!) for the first time in 3-4 years of talk, "Blount Street Commons." I like it. I hope to see some action soon.

[DanRNC]

WRAL story on Blount Street Redevelopment

[ChiefJoJo]

Terrific! Once the sale goes through, the homes could be moved within two weeks.

[ChiefJoJo]

The first state land sale is complete.

Since LNR agreed last year to buy the land, it has been mired in regulatory and design stages.

That's why Wednesday was such a big deal. "Now comes the fun part," said Doug Redford, LNR's senior project manager, said. "Now we get to start playing with the dirt."

The first phase, bounded by Blount, Peace, Person and Polk streets, is to include about 75 homes -- mostly townhouses and row houses -- and the renovation of three historic homes on the site. Construction is to begin within a month and finish a year from now.

LNR hopes to begin the second phase in eight months.

Once the entire project is complete in 2010, it could include up to 495 condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, up to 110,000 square feet of shops and 25 renovated homes, some of them historic.

As we knew, the first phase is the old state motorpool complex across from Krispy Kreme. I guess we should see construction start within weeks.

[Jones_]

The first state land sale is complete.

Since LNR agreed last year to buy the land, it has been mired in regulatory and design stages.

That's why Wednesday was such a big deal. "Now comes the fun part," said Doug Redford, LNR's senior project manager, said. "Now we get to start playing with the dirt."

The first phase, bounded by Blount, Peace, Person and Polk streets, is to include about 75 homes -- mostly townhouses and row houses -- and the renovation of three historic homes on the site. Construction is to begin within a month and finish a year from now.

LNR hopes to begin the second phase in eight months.

Once the entire project is complete in 2010, it could include up to 495 condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, up to 110,000 square feet of shops and 25 renovated homes, some of them historic.

As we knew, the first phase is the old state motorpool complex across from Krispy Kreme. I guess we should see construction start within weeks.

A rendering on Raleighmsa shows the corner facing Krispy Kreme with a nice commercial building.....did you get any idea if this first block would have any commercial uses?

[plus2]

A rendering on Raleighmsa shows the corner facing Krispy Kreme with a nice commercial building.....did you get any idea if this first block would have any commercial uses?

That specific rendering of the Krispy Kreme corner has me VERY excited about this project. Something that looks like that for a 6 block area would be a MAJOR boost to downtown. IMO, of greater importance than the Edison development, for example.

[Jones_]

That specific rendering of the Krispy Kreme corner has me VERY excited about this project. Something that looks like that for a 6 block area would be a MAJOR boost to downtown. IMO, of greater importance than the Edison development, for example.

I agree....an encapsulation of the street life and no surface parking lots vs. taller, bigger higher architecturally masterful argument......this side of town needs mixed use blocks, with an emphasis on residential but workable commercial spaces provided as well. dense with low and midscale structures and lots of trees and sunlight reaching the sidewalk should be the focus north of city market and east of wilminton st.

[ChiefJoJo]

Looks like a mix of the old historic mansions set/moved along Blount (plus the B&B that's up near Peace), carriage homes, row houses, townhouses, and flats over retail across from Krispy Kreme, all connected with a nice, little alleyway.

This deserves a repost (from page 4 of this thread):