Downtown Raleigh’s skyline will change dramatically in the next several years with the addition of new towers, particularly in the southern end. Are you excited?
UPDATE 10/08/2008:
First of the Edison updates:
UPDATE 07/20/2007:
He is an updated version of the future Raleigh Skyline rendering. It reflects a more current version of what we might see in 2008 and beyond.
Closer:
The current version of Raleigh (2006):
The future rendering of Raleigh:
A less cartoony look at the rendering:
Discuss!
Created
on Sunday, October 29th, 2006 in the category Illustrations, Labs.
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December 11th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Does anyone know what theyare doing by the soccer fields at dix campus. Theres cranes and stuff. Im a little curious.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Are you talking about the prison hospital, across the street?
December 12th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I know they are building something at the prison, its across western from that next to the soccer fields.
December 13th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Then I am going to have to check it out
December 16th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Good grief. I hadn’t checked for awhile. There are posts!
December 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Ernest,
You planning to research that Dix thing the rest of the year? Let’s have a report from you on that, and the, what is it, 10 or 12 high-rises that were on the cusp of construction when the economy tanked. Also, why is so little said about the two-three story tall globe of the earth planned for the Green project? Has it been bonked out of play by an asteroid? Looks sensational on the posters at the site. And that (I think 10-story) building planned for across the street from 42nd Street Oyster Bar. That construction office trailer hasn’t been there all along, has it? Is it starting? I know it’s not what we’d call tall, but it’s something. C’mon now.
December 18th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Actually construction trailers have just arrived for Powerhouse project. Or whatever its called. I havent heard anything about the globe being taken out of the plan for green square. The museum is about earth, so it seems like a necessary part of the project to me.
December 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am
considering they have the posters up at the construction site with the globes, and the project is being built as we speak, i’d say yes, the globe is still on. i have no idea about anything else, but i’m hoping some of the new construction moves forward in 2010. at least h&m is coming to crabtree in a few months… not a new building, but still exciting for me!
December 20th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
The ‘future raleigh skyline’. This is a good section of the site, considering Raleigh doesn’t even have a skyline. Maybe one day that pretty little town will. THe photography on this site though is amazing. The individual posting these pictures has a wonderful eye for beauty. THough I would rather see pictures of the entire Triangle area. Such as UNC Campus, Duke, Durham and etc. There just isn’t much at all to Raleigh downtown area.
December 20th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Raleigh does have a skyline. It’s in the pictures all over the site.
December 20th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Mike….I have to say….you look kind of stupid coming onto a website names “RaleighSkyline.com” and seeing 15+ story buildings and then saying we don’t have a skyline.
Maybe instead of bashing you might want to say something realistic like, “Well, Raleigh doesn’t have much of a skyline,” rather than just outright bashing and denying what exists.
Also.
“Pretty little town”
400k+ pop. in the city proper, and roughly 750k pop. in the urban area.
If you think that is little then Los Angeles must be on the low end of “big” for you.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:09 am
That’s why it’s called RALEIGH skyline not TRIANGLE Skylines
December 21st, 2009 at 9:23 am
yea he sounds lame for saying that one. raleigh’s skyline may not be dense like we want it but it still does exist! personally i just think raleigh’s skyline needs to be more dense and arranged better. there are just too many empty spaces in dt. once we fill them and have them more dense, then that will be one key factor in making raleigh’s skyline look more appealing. it really doesnt matter too much how tall the buildings are. you could have a series of 30+ story buildings all lined up with a few mid rises but as long as its arranged well it makes it look more appealing. i cant lie though it is good to see a few 40 and 50 story buildings as well that just adds fuel to the fire. i think density is the reason that places like winston have a skyline that looks better than raleighs. raleigh actually has more taller and more highrises than winston however winstons skyline is much more dense and is arranged more properly than raleigh which ultimately makes it more appealing. just my opinion though. damn i hope the justice building, county courthouse, and at least charter square brake ground next year. they would make a liitle dent in the delayed growth of raleighs skyline.
December 21st, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Im going to have to disagree with laryea completely. I think Winston has an equal number of buildings that impress upon their skyline. I think that they are just slightly less dense to a certain extent. Thats what makes the buildings seem taller and more impressive, because they stand alone and give the appearance of a bigger downtown. I think that if you pulled apart some of our downtown and spread it out a little, it would look more like Winston-Salem. Thats just my opinion. And granted that a couple of their tallest are a couple stories taller than our taller ones.
December 21st, 2009 at 11:17 pm
winston sux, raleigh rox
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Copar,
I will try to find out what is the case with Dorothea Dix, although I do not promise results any time soon, as I am too busy to even drive there
As for the other high-rises, the update is identical for all: Until major office tenants are found AND the financing terms change, there will be little-to-nothing activity. The city leaders recently approved a change in Charter Square’s overall plan and the latter may include a hotel component instead of, or in addition to the residential condos. There is potential for 1-2 relocations, and if downtown manages to get them we may see some activity sooner than we think. That is the only update I can offer, based on what I know – pretty much what everyone knows.
Regarding Winston-Salem, I have already voiced my opinion: Their skyline looks better than ours, and I have to agree with JRD about the placement of the buildings making the difference. W-S has a non-linear skyline, but not too spread out, making it “richer” than Raleigh’s. The difference between the two skylines is the future. Based on the proposals we know of, thus far, Raleigh will elevate itself to higher levels once 2-3 of the many proposed buildings get built. As is, I would place Winston-Salem in my list of skylines that beat Raleigh’s, although not by far.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2010!!!
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
New High Rise to be voted on by city council. Picture on News and Observer site:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake_county/story/251881.html
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
I would love to see an updated rendering with the addition of the Public Safety Center and the new courthouse. Who puts those together?
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Ari, good response to Mr. Deatz’s odd, or uninformed, or hasn’t-been-downtown-for-awhile comments. And let me add that the MSA population is comfortably over a million. Mike, get up on the wrongside of bed? For one thing, it wasn’t but a generation or so ago that Raleigh was indeed much, much smaller (though not a little town). But the growth in the last 25 years has been phenominal — no doubt the envy of more than a few other cities in this general population range. Why the putdowns? Most of what you say just ain’t so. Hope Santa is good to you and makes you happier.
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
As far as the N&O article (and also info at http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/clarence-lightner-public-safety-center-renderings-and-council-vote/)…. This thing really should get built. I was frustrated with the City Council elections because of the anti-downtown development people who got elected. At at time when downtown really needs some new projects to start up and hopefully convince prospective developers to continue, some of these people want to delay it even further? They should be fast-tracking this thing. We should be writing to the holdout Council members to let them know how we feel.
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Jeff, there is no anti-downtown crowd in the city council. Just people who happen to represent areas of Raleigh that contribute a lot and get little in return. I live in North Raleigh, and while I do NOT believe in any anti-North Raleigh conspiracy, I do see the disproportional focus. Expect people who live North of the Beltline to demand more in the future, and I will be on their side, regardless of how big supporter of Downtown I am. Also, you need to recognize that during these tough times any mention of tax hikes will – and should – be treated as irresponsible move. The property values have been already hiked more than enough and I speak from my own experience. As for the benefits, no developer will look at this as an “inspiration” for more new projects. Developers need market conditions that support their projects directly. Here is an idea: Take $50 million of that money and use it to offer incentives for corporate relocations. You will get a lot more out of that, both in short and long term.
In my opinion, the best way to market this wonderful and much needed project is to emphasize its immediate need. Explain how the infrastructure is responsible for the high price tag and help people understand how this project will help improve the safety of the entire city. I am not saying that this is an easy task, but when salary hikes are approved for the City Manager – however small they may appear in the big picture – when everyone else takes pay cuts and the residents get reduced services, it is hard for people to digest any expensive projects. We need to look into the long-term effect of investing $205+ million of public money. Raleigh cannot afford it, although we cannot afford not to have this project. Tough decisions and I am glad I am not in the City Council… It is more like “damn if you do, damn if you don’t”.
On the plus side, when this project is built, it should make a nice impact in the skyline. Sure, it is not very tall, but a 17-story building with LEED certification is roughly as tall as a 20-story building. It should make a little impact and expand the skyline further to the West. As an added bonus, it will better connect the CBD with Hillsborough Str, Glenwood South and the Warehouse District areas.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:34 pm
The Dorothea Dix site we discussed earlier is nothing more than a temporary “storage” for the pre-fabricated cells, most likely to be used at the new prison hospital. There is a crane that probably loads them for delivery, but that’s all there is to it. I wish I had some good news, though
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
cmon ernest you cant tell me that crowder is not anti downtown. he votes NO on EVERYTHING proposed for downtown, even when the economy was good, and this guy is an architect! he voted no on the rbc tower and even when the reynolds project was in its prime back in 05 he voted no i specifically remember him and meeker getting into it over that one. get this guy the hell outta here! where did he come from?
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 am
laryea, I am the last person to agree with Crowder – there are probably three issues on which I remember agreeing with him during his service in the city council. But, to call him anti-Downtown would be dishonest, I am sorry. Crowder would react, no matter what the project or the location. That’s why I encourage you not to take any anti-Downtown theory into consideration. I have no answer, or solution to offer, but I have seen during these years, over and over, the inability to attract corporations and major employers. I am sorry, but even though RBC is great to have, 500 employees (along with the employees of other companies RBC may attract) is still too small to make the difference we want to see. We need several corporate relocations, each one ranging from 500 to over 2000 employees.
Anyway, I am sorry for the distraction, but since the topic is our city’s future skyline, I want to make my own suggestions, which unfortunately have been stated too many times for anyone to care hearing them again. Besides, there are people who work hard to bring corporations to our downtown area. They don’t need me to tell them how to do it. Certainly, y’all don’t need me to tell you what we need before we see a few new high-rises popping up. That is, private money…
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Those with a history of not being able to appreciate the value of a strong downtown have dangerously regained some power — they arent’ yet in power, but are worthy of a lot of concern. The history of the stand against downtown progress is clear and scary, and we must do our best to stop it in its tracks. In my experience, property values have risen reasonably, and if some nominal increase is needed for this project, it is reasonable to live with it. It would not likely adversely affect the lifestyles of many or any. Conversely, the loss or delay of this project could adversely affect all our citizens. The value of this building far exceeds the concerns. I believe most caring citizens know this.
There exists an immediate need, and we should be willing to bear the costs of the much-needed, though expensive, infrastructure of this building for the advancement of our city. And, by the way, a total price tag of $205+ million for such a facility is not excessive. Not at all so compared to the benefits of improved safety it will provide for the entire community. What we can’t afford is to delay or eliminate this project. On a side note, though not a very tall high-rise, it will be a definite plus to the Future Raleigh Future Skyline.
As you said, Jeff, let the council know that you support this project. I know a lot of people who will do so.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Ok I’m tired of hearing how Raleigh needs some more 30 something floor buildings….lets shoot higher, preferably 40. We have recently hit the mark with having the tallest tower in NC outside of Charlotte, now its time for some 45 story buildings.
January 1st, 2010 at 2:09 am
First post of the decade! Lame, I know. Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2010 at 8:43 pm
dude, you’re not lame…i just came to claim the first post when i saw that you took it! haha
January 4th, 2010 at 8:46 am
i read in an article in the n & O that work on the justice center has begun… maybe im slow but i didnt know that i thought it wouldnt break ground til later this year. just letting yall know that.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
they also acted on wral like the safety center was on, although not sure when it was starting.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
THe hole is definitely there for the justice center. I hope jeff is right about the Safety Center. SECU HQs have reached above street level and construction trailers have arrive for powerhouse. Although from where the trailers are sitting, it looks like the p-deck is going up first.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:10 am
i guess i jumped the gun a little, because the safety center is up for a vote with the city council tomorrow afternoon. hard to say if it will pass. secu hasnt started, it’s green square thats going up right now. site 1 (the nrc) and parking garage…
the 2nd site for that has a webcam now as well, although right now they’re just starting to dig. glad to see justice and powerhouse getting started. if the safety center gets approved, raleigh isn’t doing as bad as we think. maybe there’s still hope for charter square
January 5th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Happy (belated) New Year everyone
Looks like the city council avoided a vote on the justice center, evidently there is plenty of squabbling about the cost and size of the project. Like everything else, this looks like another Soleil/Hillsborough/trim-it-hella-down project that was ambitious at first, now is in danger of evolving into something ho-hum. Wait and see, that’s seems to be how downtown development works in Raleigh these days. Grrrr….
Also gotta add my two cents (okay, one cent) to the Winston skyline mini-discussion. I agree with the assessment that the Winston skyline is in its own way maybe a little nicer than Raleigh’s, exactly for the reason due to placement of buildings, as others have said – but I am myself still partial to Raleigh’s, mainly to the newer architecture of our taller buildings. I think we can also boast the fact that it will grow a lot faster than W-S’s in the near future as well (knocking on wood for that one). But – I do really love that Wachovia Center tower in Winston-Salem and that domed roof. I find myself daydreaming often about how fantastic it would look placed in downtown Raleigh between Wachovia Capital Center and RBC Plaza…..
January 5th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
the justice building is gonna end up 10 or 12 stories prolly knowing these dickhead city councilmen. i am beginning to get discouraged with raleigh i cant lie people its starting to get me really vexed knowing that these guys dont know urban development around here. all this talk about cost cost cost. my mother always told me that the best is just a few more dollars. its better to build it big enough and spacious enough to last another 50 years instead of building some bs that will be outdated in another 20 years. how can they not see this? DAMN!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
i meant the public safety building people!
January 5th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
o yea and i already knew the hole was for the justice building but i read last week that they have actually started construction on the site as far as bull dozers and construction workers getting ready to actually build the building itself so hopefully thats true.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Hey matt,
How bout a new future skyline rendering with the new known projects????
January 25th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Does anyone know if developers have plans on expanding the downtown for a more wider look and tougher downtown scene
January 25th, 2010 at 8:42 am
i seriously doubt it man and if so it probably wont happen until 15 years from now.