Tomorrow (First Friday) marks the grand opening for the Studio @ Hargett and Revive Massage, both located in the Heilig Levine complex.  This is a great addition to downtown, as it adds even more retail, not to mention 2^nd and 3^rd story retail, to Hargett Street.  Revive is on the 2^nd floor, also home to Adam Cave Fine Art Gallery (whose current show was featured in yesterday’s print of The Independent), and Rebecca Nemetz’s yoga and Pilates studio, The Studio @ Hargett will take the entire 3^rd floor.  The address, 115.5 E Hargett, is tucked above Landmark Tavern and Capitol Barber, and is part of the complex soon to feature Siti.  I hear there will be plenty of free wine and massage samples tomorrow for the grand opening.  Revive’s premise is to have a walk-in massage for the downtown crowd, which will be a tremendous addition to downtown.

The Russ Parr Bus Tour, featuring host Lil JJ, will be coming to Dorton Arena on Monday, August 11. The tour also features Ace Hood,  Day 26,  Hot Styles,  Jazmine Sullivan,  Jim Jones,  Karina Pasian,  Keri Hilson,  Khaled,  Maino,  Mishon ,  Pleasure P ,  Pretty Ricky ,  Ray Lavender ,  Sean Garrett ,  Slim ,  Young Steff ,  Yung Berg.

While the official grand opening isn’t until August 27, the Convention Center Marriott is having its soft opening today.

I’ve been out of town a lot recently so I haven’t been able to find out for myself, but reports are that work on the new downtown location of Waraji have stalled. Even worse, there is now a sign on the door explaining that the doors have been padlocked by the sheriff’s department. Has anyone heard anything further?

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In 2003 a roundabout was placed at the Pullen Road/Stinson Drive intersection. Since that point Stinson traffic has had a much easier time moving onto Pullen with only a minor inconvenience to Pullen’s thru-traffic. Today’s article in the News & Observer explains many of the intersection’s successes. Safety has drastically improved, with a three-year tally of crashes falling from twelve before the roundabout implementation to three afterward. These crashes, too, were at slow speeds. With traffic flow being relatively unmarred, the successes of these 1-lane roundabouts will be the seed for many more such intersections to come.

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The City of Raleigh will hold a public forum tonight from 7pm to 9pm. regarding downtown parking and transportation issues. The meeting will be administered by the Downtown Parking Task Force in the city council chamber on the second floor of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St.

For the past several months a consulting team has been working with City staff and the Downtown Parking Task Force (whose members are appointed by the mayor) to examine parking and transportation issues in downtown Raleigh.  The study aims to develop a plan for improving downtown access, including access to parking.  At the public forum, the consulting team will present an overview of the study findings and provide an opportunity for input from the community before completing the report.

The City of Raleigh is fabricating a bicycle plan, and citizens are invited to participate. The workshop will take place at Sertoma Arts Center from 4pm – 7pm on August 26.

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On September 21 Mary J. Blige will return to the area. Blige, known for her adorable smile, played in Greensboro in April with Jay-Z, but this time she’ll have Robin Thicke opening. Tickets for the show at Time Warner Cable Pavilion go on sale Saturday at 10am.

Local band Crave recently announced the return of Charlie Kennedy to the band. They will be back at the Pour House on August 8, hitting the stage around 9:45. They will be joined by Joe Lies and Zegg.