Livable Streets - Cultural / Convention District Plan

	*Cultural / Convention District Strategic Development Plan*
back to Cultural / Convention District main page Map of city-owned development sites Citizens and consultants during charrette - Sept 13-16, '04 Charrette graphics in preparation - Sept 13-16, '04 Study for high-rise across from new Marriott Study for parking underneath Lenoir / South St lot Study for underground parking - hotel block Study for possible arcades along Fayetteville St.	Design Charrette Results
	Charrette goals: Develop a program for the 6 city sites Link this program to the rest of the Livable Streets plan Explore options for the remainder of Fayetteville Street south of the Fayetteville St. project Explore design options (height, orientation, open space, etc.) for the development plan Build in needs of specific stakeholders in a realistic development scenario Key findings / recommendations: High-end housing market seems strong - condos for sale Area could support market rate apartment project Area could support a boutique hotel Other associated land uses should be health club, cinema, library, upscale restaurants Fayetteville St. should be extended to traffic at least to Lenoir Street Should consider major new open space between new buildings in the Lenoir / South block Should put parking underneath existing convention center site - update overall parking plan Should link housing strategy in this plan with overall housing strategy Next Steps: Action Steps presented to Council Nov. 16 (see presentation), including further design of Fayetteville St., development projects, overall housing plan, etc.
	Area around Progress Energy Center (now Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts)
		Traffic management circle. The intersection of MLK, Jr. Blvd. and the Salisbury / Wilmington pair, aside from being a traffic tie-up, is a great opportunity for a signature entrance into both downtown and Shaw University. Traffic engineers came up with a scheme involving a modified roundabout that would make the intersection more pedestrian-friendly and provide some substantial development opportunities around the new island. Development opportunities for City tracts. A variety of market opportunities and programs were tested. See illustrations and notes below. Salisbury / MLK, Jr. Block opportunities. Three very suburban structures exist west of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts between Salisbury and McDowell Street. Through a partnership between these owners and the City, a mixed use-urban project with a new parking structure can be conceived that would better utilize these important blocks and be integrated with a proposed project on City site # 4 that would include 200 market rate apartment units, 25,000 square feet of commercial / office, 25,000 square feet of convenience retail for downtown workers. East side of existing convention center block. Still unresolved is the issue to demolish the 1996 addition to the existing convention center, or to try to salvage it for another use. The approximately 50,000 square foot structure could have some utility, but it is relatively small in stature on a very prominent downtown site with Fayetteville Street frontage. Ideas were explored for a combination downtown library, residential condo and office project, or ground floor cinemas. This is a good opportunity for a tall building across Fayetteville Street from the planned 15-story Marriott Hotel.
	Overall Context Analysis
		"A", "B", and "C" streets. Downtown streets can be categorized by dividing into three categories..."A" streets are active, pedestrian-friendly streets with lots of attractive street-level land uses, "B" streets are often service-oriented streets with some street level land uses, but more emphasis on access, "C" streets are primarily for moving vehicular traffic, but can still be designed in a pedestrian-friendly way. The Dawson / McDowell pair falls into this category, with Fayetteville Street and many of the cross streets falling into the "A" category. Proximity to major facilities. The sites that are the subject of this plan are near the new 500,000 square foot Convention Center, the existing Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Shaw University campus and the new Progress Energy headquarters. Relationship to the William Christmas Plan. The south end of downtown represents the terminus of the Fayetteville Street corridor at the Progress Energy Center. Important influences are the developing areas around Moore Square (City Market area) and Nash Square (Warehouse District) Connection to other study areas. Other ongoing plans that influence concepts for the Cultural / Convention District include the Blount Street Plan underway through the NC State Property Office, the Downtown West Redevelopment Plan, the 10-year action plan for Ending Homelessness, and the the Eastside Housing Strategy.
	Tracts 2, 3 and 4 options
		Possible development program. Tracts 2 and 3 between Lenoir and South Streets in front of the Progress Energy Center and Tract 6 between the existing Progress Energy parking deck and Salisbury streets are suggested to be the sites for approx. 40,000 square feet of restaurant / entertainment use, including a jazz club or similar entertainment venue, approx. 30,000 square feet arts / specialty retail complementing the performing and visual arts focus of the area, 20,000 square feet upper floor office uses for designers, architects, attorneys, etc., a 100,000 square foot 80-room boutique hotel with high end penthouse condominiums on top and a signature restaurant within, a 50,000 square foot health club and approx. 200 residential market-rate condominiums for sale. This program can be distributed in a variety of ways, high-rise and mid-rise, with parking underneath or embedded. All these concepts illustrate a redevelopment of the NCAE / Chamber of Commerce block into a more urban style, and the expansion of Shaw University to place a prominent building on the Wilmington / South corner. Boutique Hotel / penthouse condos. This preferred site for this land use is immediately east of the existing Progress Energy Center parking deck on the 1/2 acre Tract 4, facing Salisbury Street. Mid-rise with parking embedded - "Classical" style. The option illustrated to the left represents dividing the program between two buildings flanking a re-opened Fayetteville Street. This option is lower in height and contains parking within the buildings, making the floor plate of each building less flexible. Expansion buildings are noted on the Progress Energy Center site flanking Lichtin Plaza. Lenoir and South streets should be strongly considered for 2-way movement.
		High-rise with parking underneath building. This option places the entire development program in a single building facing onto a new public open space on the western side of the Lenoir / South block. This makes a substantial architectural statement with the new building, and establishes a beautiful frontage for both the Boutique Hotel and the new structure, but places the open space out of symmetry with the Progress Energy Center facade. It does have the advantage of linking the Progress Energy Center and the new Convention Center with the major open space.
		Mid-rise with parking underneath block - "St. Peter's" style. This option represents the program built in two mid-rise structures flanking a new open space in a different style, providing a formal and prominent celebration of the Progress Energy Center facade. Parking would be built in a structure underneath this block to support the buildings on either side. Fayetteville Street would be extended to traffic only to Lenoir Street. Progress Energy Center expansion can be built on either end of the existing Lichtin Plaza.
	Fayetteville Street Extension
		Extend Fayetteville Street from existing terminus of Fayetteville Street Renaissance project to at least Lenoir Street. All participants agreed that it is important to continue the Fayetteville Street Renaissance project to Lenoir Street, and perhaps all the way to South Street. The nature of the street will change at the Hannover Plaza area between Hannover 1 and Hannover 2 Buildings, because both these buildings are set back from the street front typical of the 100-300 blocks, and because there is an existing parking structure underneath. This parking structure will need to be reinforced to carry traffic. It is recommended that a new parking structure be constructed under the new Marriott Hotel site and under Fayetteville Street when the existing convention center is demolished, to support other developments in the area as well as the new Convention Center and Hotel. If constructed all the way to Wilmington Street, the capacity of such a parking structure is approximately 1500 spaces. Because of the challenges of developing streetscapes above parking structures, an idea was offered for arcades along building frontages to help mitigate the likelihood that fewer large trees can be accommodated above the structure of the decks. It was felt that the open character of the Hannover plaza be retained for civic events, but that kiosks for convenience retail and food establishments be built along the frontages of the street. Depending on which option is chosen for the Lenoir / South lot (Tracts 2 and 3), a plaza may be developed, or Fayetteville street may continue through to South Street, and may also be atop a parking structure in this block.
	Overview of Major Findings
		Extend Fayetteville Street. The street should be extended and made available to traffic from the 400 block south to at least Lenoir Street. 2-way Lenoir Street. A strong request was made by some stakeholders to move ahead with the 2-way operation of at least Lenoir and perhaps South Streets. The block east of Wilmington Street needs more study. This block has been recommended for such things as an African-American Cultural Center, a basketball arena, a performing arts center, etc. There are some important land uses already here, including the Lincoln Theatre and the Pope House. A more in-depth analysis of opportunities needs to be made. Boutique hotel. A high-end hotel coupled with penthouse condominiums should be sited west of Salisbury Street. New mid-rise mixed-use buildings and possible major open space in the Lenoir / South block. This is perhaps the ultimate address in downtown Raleigh and should be built to this standard. Mid-rise seems to better make the transition from Fayetteville Street high-rises to the Progress Energy Center. This open space can be a public gathering space and will complement the Progress Energy Center facade. New potential high-rise mixed-use building on east side of existing Convention Center block. This could include cinemas, a library, civic meeting space, condos and office. A decision will have to be made about whether to utilize the 1996 convention center addition as a free-standing building in the short run. Overall housing strategy needed. Coordination of this proposal with other housing plans and market analyses needs to be undertaken, with the goal to come up with an overall downtown housing goal in all market segments. Private redevelopment opportunity / market rate apartments. The block from MLK, Jr. Blvd. to South Street west of Salisbury is a good opportunity for the City to partner with NCAE and the Chamber to redevelop a suburban block into market rate apartments and mixed use facilities for these two groups coupled with a parking structure. Overall parking strategy. The new facilities suggested in this study should be built into a revised long-term parking strategy for the entirety of downtown. Defer tract 5 development. Tract #5 is seen as the least developable in the short run, and a program for this site should be deferred until after the Convention Center is open. Davie Street connector to Warehouse District. The long term strategy should include making Davie Street west of Fayetteville an "A" street by encouraging ground floor active uses to allow a corridor for pedestrian connection to the Warehouse District. Outdoor entertainment venue in Convention Center expansion site. This idea, explored during the Convention Center planning, should be pursued as an interim use prior to expansion of the facility.