These projects are either under development by the entity noted, or have been discussed as a possibility. They may or may not become a reality, but represent the breadth of ideas now being generated under the Livable Streets planning process.
The Urban Design Center has overhauled the design assistance program and increased the maximum matching grant award for the renovation of downtown facades from $1500 to $5000 ($10,000 in the downtown core). For more information, contact Carter Pettibone at 807.8482
Public Partnership for Downtown Investment
This is a long-term funding mechanism for downtown public investment. See
the more in-depth discussion of it on the
Downtown Management page.
As part of the Regulatory Reform effort, an initiative is underway to approve a blanket encroachment approval by City Council, to set specific standards for encroachments on public rights-of-way and property in downtown, to avoid repeated trips to City Council for approval of awnings, outdoor seating, etc. Staff at the Urban Design Center has researched best practices from cities around the country, and has drafted recommendation currently under review by the Planning and Inspections Departments. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Alley at 807.8477
The Raleigh Arts Commission, in association with the NC Museum of Art and other art agencies, has developed a policy for the location of public art installations in downtown. For more information, contact Diane Smith@ 857.4370.
An effort to coordinate and centralize the programming of special events is in development
An outdoor entertainment venue is under study for the Fayetteville Street Renaissance, or the Convention Center, or elsewhere in downtown, to accommodate approximately 5000 attendees and bring live entertainment on a larger scale back to downtown.
Management of public parking lots and other parking facilities in downtown has been centralized under Raleigh Transportation to better coordinate and manage parking resources in downtown. The City is also considering a new contractor parking policy and a predatory towing policy for the warehouse district, and has implemented a tiered parking program for the City-owned decks in downtown. For more information, contact Norman Hale.
The Raleigh Housing Authority has secured a Hope VI grant through HUD to redevelop Chavis Heights (Lenoir Street, east of downtown) in a similar manner as Halifax Court been replaced by Capitol Park north of the State Government Complex. The project is now under construction.
The State of NC has expressed its intention to close the Dorothea Dix State Hospital and consider its lands available for development. This is a significant and beautiful campus between NCSU's Centennial Campus and downtown Raleigh. It could dramatically change the character of southwest downtown area. Master plan underway summer '05. For more information, contact James Brantley.