Charter Square To Arise At Site One
Later this year we’ll see the next addition to Raleigh’s skyline, Charter Square. The mixed-use complex will consist of two towers offering office space, condos, and retail space on a yet-to-be-opened block of Fayetteville Street. The North tower, standing at 358 feet with 20-stories will contain office and condo space. The 15-story South Tower will stand at 182 feet. ()
Charter Square is a key portion to Fayetteville Street’s renewal. Formerly known as “Site One”, the land used for the development was once the site of the eastern half of the Raleigh Civic Center. The location stands between Raleigh’s planned City Plaza and the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, so bridging the pedestrian experience between the two zones is a high priority for the project’s developers. Offering a large amount of easily accessible retail space is a key to the planned experience.
One of the challenges with this property is its long north/south exposure on Fayetteville St. Instead of creating a long, unbroken row of retail, designers separated the development into two buildings. The division creates more retail surface exposure and space for a pedestrian plaza between the two buildings. The plaza not only acts as a center of pedestrian activity, it is the focal point for one of the business lobby entrances and is a connector to Wilmington street via an outdoor stairway.
An additional plaza is planned between the North Tower and the Two Hannover (Bank of America) building. This plaza features entrances to both residential and business lobbies, but does not connect to Wilmington Street (there will be a staircases down to Wilmington Street in both plazas). The planned City Plaza is just next door, and developers hope to create a district somewhat reminiscent of .
As mentioned before on gogoraleigh, Wilmington St has been the unfortunate recipient of many projects’ service entrances. Charter Square is designed with Wilmington Street retail space which wraps around to Lenoir Street, preventing a large row of service entrances.
Above the North Tower’s street-level retail space is 280,000 square feet of office space, distributed among 14 floors. The first two office floors have large windows which allow people to relate to the events on the street below. The other office floors feature a unique experience in Raleigh: balconies which allow employees to still stay in touch with life in the plaza. Floors 15 thru 20 contain upscale condominiums. Because these floors are higher than Two Hannover Square and the South Tower, views are bound to be impressive.
The accompanying rendering shows the North Tower to the left. The developers anticipate some type of exterior interactive display, portrayed in the rendering as video at the near left corner above the second floor.
YouTube is currently hosting two videos from a while back showing possible and lobbies, respectively. The design has changed since their creation, but the flythrus are still interesting.
Charter Square’s South Tower provides a unique offering above it’s retail and lobby areas. The first four floors contain 2-story townhouses on the east (Fayetteville Street) side. The west (Wilmington Street) side of these floors creatively contains a high-rise parking garage. Not only will these townhouses have a great relationship with Fayetteville Street events, they will have adjacent parking within the building.
Floors 6 thru 14 are all complete with condominiums. Unlike the North tower’s units, these are aimed at a more price-sensitive market, and feature access to the tower’s rooftop community areas and pool.
The option to not build as tall as possible at Site One has been questioned by some. By dividing the Charter Square project into two portions, pedestrians will be able to have a superior street level experience and have several different choices for living within the project. The building heights will create a graceful cascade from the nearby taller buildings down to the Progress Energy Center. Presumably the future developments one block south (at Sites 2 and 3) will continue this downward slope of the skyline..
As shown a couple of weeks ago, Site One is currently a large hole. Since the demolition of the Civic Center, the property has been used as a staging area for the construction of the Marriott hotel and its portion of the eventual two-site subterranean parking garage. Recently “the hole” was turned over to Charter Square’s development team, and construction has begun on the Square’s continuation of the subterranean parking garage. Footings are being poured this month, and the site is anticipated to grow above ground by next winter.
Charter Square is loosely anticipated to be completed in early 2011. When that day comes the south end of Fayetteville Street will contain several blocks to explore. The final building blocks to the Fayetteville Street Renaissance won’t be in place for several more years, but piece by piece, a great destination is coming together.
Dean Dome Renovation Ideas
There once was a snowy night back in the year 2000. As two feet of snow fell on the Triangle, the UNC Tar Heels were to face the Maryland Terrapins in the Dean Smith Center. Weather prevented most ticket holders from attending, so all seating was opened to general admission. The the court was surrounded by screaming students and those at the game said it was “magic” as the Heels upset the Terps.
On my twelve-year-old UNC blog, , I posted some ideas for renovating the Smith Center shortly after the game. The plans would allow the court to be permanently surrounded by students while appeasing the building’s donors. (I also sent these to Athletic Director Richard Baddour, but only received a polite form letter in return.) As the Dean Dome completes its 23rd season, not much has changed. The building doesn’t allow the team to get the most support possible. It isn’t a lost cause, though. These same ideas could still be applied to give UNC a better home court advantage. Here is that 2000 article:
Dana’s Smith Center Renovation Plans
As UNC plays its 15th season in the , the debate over student seating rages on. Both of the times in the 15 years that seating has been changed to “general admission”, the court has been surrounded by students, and the players have responded with a resounding performance. This could become the norm for the Smith Center with some easy improvements.
Clearly N.C. State has shown with their new arena that placing students, the most active and audible fans, around the court creates an intimate, loud setting in a large venue. Simply reassigning student tickets to the first several rows will not suffice as students usually stand for the entire game. Because the lower level descends to the court surface smoothly, the only way to accommodate standing students without obstructing other lower level patrons is to sink the front rows.
Project #1
Project #1 focuses on placing students around the basketball court. To date there are two popular solutions floating around. One plan, Project 1a, involves replacing the current collapsible seating in the first 11 rows with lower-rise collapsible seating. Given that the 12th row (the first row of permanent seating) patrons should not have their view obstructed by standing students, there should be a drop-off of 43″ from the 12th to 11th rows. This will allow patrons to see over rowdy students that are up to 6′2″ tall. The first row of permanent seats, unobstructed, would become a premium seat location. This new seating would seat students exclusively, so the quality of the chair is not important. Seat width can be as narrow as the seats upstairs, too, since students won’t be using these seats as much as paying patrons.
While Project 1a is a fairly inexpensive solution, it substantially compromises the students’ view. If the current collapsible seating was removed, there would be a wall about 96″ high just in front of the 12th row. After accounting for a 43″ drop, the new collapsible seating could only be 53″ tall. Given those dimensions,11 rows of collapsible seating would only provide an 8.8 degree rise from the floor. While this is almost 50% steeper grade than the current configuration at N.C. State, 8.8 degrees is still too shallow to enjoy the game to the fullest. Also, these seats would be decidedly inferior to those currently in place for non-basketball events.
Project 1b replaces the collapsible seating with the best overall aesthetic and functional solution. In this plan the collapsible seating and Smith Center playing surface would be removed and the floor would be excavated 82″ down. A new floor and collapsible seating would be installed. This new, lowered section of collapsible seating would ascend not at the current 15 degree angle, but at the 20 degree angle seen in the permanent rows of the lower level. Keeping this 20 degree angle is essential to preserving the views of the students and the ticket-holders in those seats for non-basketball events.
In either plan the permanent aisles would not be confluent with the new fold-back seating, so the aisles would have to be reconfigured in at least 4 places so that students in lower rows could access the concourse. While the removal of the existing fold-back risers and the reconfiguration of a few aisles would remove several seats, the new seating arrangement would put nearly 2800 students in the first 11 rows lining the court providing the rowdiest, most intimidating home-court atmosphere in the nation.
Projects 2, 3, and 4 outline several ideas concerning the addition of luxury suites to the Smith Center. While luxury suites can ease UNC’s budget, they also can offer some incentives for lower level patrons to give up the seats affected by Project #1.
Project #2
Project #2 involves replacing the current suites and seats under the second level overhang with luxury suites. These suites would be replete with 8 leather seats overlooking the playing surface, a countertop for bar and food service, a television, and a private bathroom. Fifty-two such luxury suites could be placed with ease in the Smith Center. () There would be two non-adjoining suites at the top of sections 127, 126, 125, 124, 121, 118, 117, 116, 113, 110, 109, 108, 107, 104, 101, 100, 133, and 130. Single suites would top sections 123, 122, 120, 119, 115, 114, 112, 111, 106, 105, 103, 102, 132, 131, 129, and 128. Each suite would need to be about 15 feet deep (from the back of the second row of leather seats to the concourse door).
In order to accommodate the addition of the suite, approximately five rows (Z, AA, BB, CC, DD) of current seating would need to be removed (shown in grey).
Project #3
Project #3 involves the construction of a “halo” ring of luxury suites. Due to the design of the Smith Center, the only way to achieve this is to essentially build a structure resembling a ring of Kenan Stadium press boxes. These suites could actually be as large as desired, but are portrayed in the illustration as being 15′ deep. These suites would contain all the amenities mentioned in the lower level suites, but also would have a private concourse and elevator service to the Bowles Room. As shown in the diagram, about 3 rows of current seating (rows W, X, and Y) would be sacrificed to the 2 rows of leather luxury seats.
Clearly the view from a halo box is inferior to all others in the arena, so some incentives would need to be offered. First class wait service and food of the quality level of the Carolina Club would be offered. Halftime and final game statistics would also be delivered to each suite. Pampering the patrons in the halo boxes is an absolute must, though, in order to fill such suites.
Project #4
Project #4, the most aggressive plan, focuses on placing luxury suites in the bottom of the upper level. Certainly the edge of the upper level is a cherished view, and these such suites would be even more cherished.
In order to accommodate a suite in this prime location, a massive overhaul of the Smith Center would have to occur. Because rows E, F, and G and the vomitories would be removed, a separate, third level concourse for rows H through Y would have to be built over the current concourse. Stairways, restrooms, and concession stands would be placed in exterior additions to the existing Smith Center structure.
The second level suites would get their own concourse which would overlook the first floor (existing) concourse. These suites would have four rows of luxury seating, accommodating 32 patrons. Because the upper level ascends at an unbroken 34 degree rise, there would be an uncovered portion approximately 14′ 7″ deep. Some privacy could be offered by mounting an awning (shown as a heavy read line) at the end of the suite’s ceiling. Two private restrooms may be needed in these suites.
Certainly the Smith Center is one of the finest college venues in America, however some improvements could make the Heels more formidable at home. Clearly what is best for the team is placing the students around the court. As we saw in UNC’s game against Maryland and in all of N.C. State’s home games, students give a major boost to the team.
While surrounding the court with students will make games more lively, those holding seats on the first 11 rows will have to be displaced. Surely there will be resistance to reassignment from some Smith Center donors. However plenty would minimally sacrifice their seat location in the name of improving the arena’s atmosphere. It is time for everyone involved to do what is best for the University.
Western Boulevard McDonald’s To Be Replaced
(.pdf file) to to the city’s planning offices for a new McDonald’s on Western Blvd. The new restaurant plans include a 4,026 square foot building with seating for 74, and 42 parking spaces. The current building is around 3,300 square feet. There will be a 2-feed, Y-shaped drive-thru line separate from pedestrians.
Site One Hole
The ledge in front of the Marriott is the future extension of Fayetteville Street. One block in the distance, and the space between the tall gray building and the brick building on the right is where the City Square will be located.
Short Changed?
Over the past few years Raleigh residents have enjoyed the excitement of a new building rendering on several occasions. The dreams and hopes of our next generation of buildings is typically energizing and builds expectations of a better tomorrow. As Raleigh’s tallest building takes form, we can now look back at a couple of artist renderings and see how close they were.
For best results, open each photo in a new tab, then switch back and forth to compare.
The popular skyline rendering can be compared to the picture on the right, taken on February 29, 2008. The nearly topped-off RBC Plaza stands in the center while the convention center and Marriott have completed their massing. It appears that the RBC Plaza’s rendering was the most accurate. While the building is actually farther to the right and is wider than portrayed, the size is fairly close. The building’s 22nd floor (marked by the yellow horizontal band) steps back at almost the same point relative to Two Hannover Square, but the residential floors will not be quite as tall as the rendering shows (the buidling’s highest inhabitable floor has been poured). I added a black triangle to the photo to show where the spire will top out (based on proportional measurements of lower floors compared to the cutaway diagram). Because the spire itself reaches the same height but the residential section is indeed shorter, the spire will proportionally be slightly larger than shown in the rendering. The error is minor, however. The rendering’s portrayal of the building’s blue glass is somewhat overly saturated in color. On the other hand, the shadows in the glass are full of errors. Overall, though, the RBC Plaza rendering is an accurate portrayal of what is being built.
The second project, the convention center, is also well portrayed. The rendering’s structural details are impressive, especially the NW corner’s glass protrusion and the roof’s support features. The building did not end up being as tall as hoped, though. The resulting roofline is about 40 feet lower (as compared to the Sheraton’s windows) and is much flatter than portrayed. Overall this is a good rendering, though.
…And then there is the Marriott. When the rendering was published, it was met with a chorus of boos. The insipid design in a prominent location was criticized as a missed opportunity. Critics at least were optimistic about the building’s massing and future contribution to the skyline’s density. In reality the building is an enormous disappointment and shows the rendering’s wild inaccuracies. The Marriott is vastly shorter and farther to the right than anticipated. Its windows are proportionally much smaller, making the building more similar to the high-rise jail than a second rate hotel design. Finally, is it me or does the photo show the hotel leaning to the left, somewhat, compared to One Hannover Square (Bank of America)? While the actual placement of the Marriott’s tower is much farther east than anticipated, the Progress One building is still visible and gives the appearance of more density. Perhaps we are lucky that more buildings appear in the “money shot”. Overall, though, the Marriott rendering turned out to be a poor one.
Another anticipated area this decade has been North Hills. Shown here is the Alexan rendering and a photo taken on February 20, 2008. Like the convention center, is it impressive how many details were included from the streetlight design and Storehouse awnings, to the black oval Alexan sign straight ahead. The artist did not anticipate the site’s terrain, though. In actuality The Alexan sits much farther back from and higher than Lassiter Mill Road. The error is most evident in the stairway that had to be built in front of the Alexan’s first storefront. The rendering shows a quite walkable, seamless site whereas reality offers pedestrians a busy street plus a flight of stairs to continue their experience. This is not a bad rendering, but the terrain issues prevent this from being a great one.
One of Raleigh’s most anticipated projects was the Entertainment and Sports Arena (RBC Center). The 1990s rendering and final product turned out to be extremely similar. There are several fairly minor differences, though. The rendering shows the building’s ovoid shape continuing, unbroken, at the main entrance. Some design changes by The Carolina Hurricanes included a bumped out entrance which allowed space for a ticketing lobby, retail store, club restaurant, Hurricanes offices, and the VIP entrance. The roof ring level is also bumped out, and houses the CanesVision video production studios. Another difference is the green glass and the absence of red in the actual structure. This is the exterior’s big failure . The original plan called for a rose-based smoked glass. Unfortunately the wrong color, green, was ordered and the result is ugly. Finally, high resolution versions of this renderings show multicolored uplighting on the roof’s ring. In actuality this aluminum crown is uplit with disappointing white light. Festive colored lighting (as shown in the rendering) would improve the building’s nighttime appearance. Overall, though, the artist did an excellent job with proportion, scale, and terrain and produced and excellent rendering.
Which Will Be Taller?
The and the are currently under construction and will soon be Raleigh’s tallest two towers. Which will be taller? If you read the News & Observer’s articles (such as today’s "") you’ll believe a recurring misnomer that Soleil will be taller. The 41-story Soleil Center will be 480 feet tall and will contain hotel and condo floors. The RBC Plaza has a different structure. It will include retail, parking garage, office space, and residential. Its , capped with a 23 foot spire. The difference is in the height of the floors, and hotels and residential traditionally have shorter floors.
The N&O story reads: "What other metropolis would put its tallest building – the 43-story Soleil Center…- in one of its deepest valleys." The word tallest implies sheer height, and the RBC Plaza wins by at least 58 feet. In fact the bulk of the building is going to be 12% taller than the Soleil Center, so it is incorrect to assert that we are "putting" our tallest building at Crabtree.
Law Enforcement Center Rendering Available
The proposed $226 million Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center will be the new 17-story home for the Raleigh Police Department, Raleigh Fire Department, and the Wake County Emergency Operations Center. Plans call for the current Police HQ to be razed. ()
at WRAL’s site, and it shows the view from Martin and McDowell Streets, looking north. The rendering does not include the nearby planned Reynolds tower, but does sit nicely. There seem to be several different facade styles, using mostly dark glass, which is a welcome change to downtown Raleigh. Further information will be needed, however, to see what experience this building brings to pedestrians. The building currently sits in a brutal alley of faceless walls and pedestrian boredom.
Wake County Unveils Justice Center Plans
Wake County unveiled plans for its . The complex will replace rise at Salisbury and Martin Streets, and feature an 11-story tower. The $214 million complex will offer several new courtrooms, much-needed room for records, offices, and underground parking. ()
The famed Garland Jones building (former First Citizens Federal Bank above, left) building will be razed, raising much angst among the architectural community. The building is one of the few of its style in North Carolina, but is not registered as an historic place. The building’s neighboring parking deck and the next to the safety center will also be removed.
The construction timeline extends to the project’s completion in 2013. The plan allows for completion of the county’s (including a parking deck) before demolition of the current courthouse parking deck. Once completed, the building will connect to the existing courthouse and safety center via underground tunnels.
While the project is a much needed improvement to an ever tightening supply of space for the county, the project has some design weaknesses that can still be overcome.
The property’s redevelopment is a long-awaited opportunity to correct one of Nash Square’s corners. The square is one of only two remaining squares in the Christmas plan for Raleigh, and provides a valuable place for its nearby community that should be the focus of its surroundings. The current parking garage at McDowell and Martin, instead, treats Nash as a seemingly random, undeveloped lot. Joe’s Place at Dawson and Martin, on the other hand, fabulously addresses the grand park across the street, as will building.
The picture above, left is the projection from Nash Square. The picture on the right is in Washington, DC, and addresses the intersection with a very bold corner. The architects, to their credit, did put one of the Justice Center’s entrances on the McDowell/Martin corner, however it is way too understated and vague. Just as Progress II’s Wilmington St. corner fails to address this important urban intersection, the Justice Center’s offset entrance and smoker’s patio is no way to formally address Nash Square.
From the square, the eye finds its way back to the complexes central, stubby tower. Perhaps bringing the building’s exterior fully to the corner with a rounded, ascending front would give Nash Square what it deserves. Perhaps a coffee shop or a small restaurant much like The Dawson’s Borough would invite interaction between the square and the building.
Salisbury Street’s projection (above) misses an opportunity as well. The Justice Center’s base is planned to abut the Public Safety Center. The new building’s tower is not only inset from the Public Safety Center’s tower, it also sits back from Salisbury St. Unfortunately the complex’s facade sinks away from Salisbury, too, in order to create an outdoor plaza with a central fountain. Do we really need another outdoor plaza with no programming (other than smoking) in Raleigh? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to pedestrians to fill this space with another coffee shop or small food outlet? A pedestrian walking this stretch of Salisbury will be greeted with two plazas of people hanging around on the right and a blank wall on the left. We need to avoid cavernous, blank blocks.
Tonight’s session the building’s features and design was an unusual, welcome, open extension by building designers. There are three more planned, and each lasts from 5pm to 7pm:
- Feb 12: Northern Regional Center (NRC), 350 Holding Avenue, Wake Forest
- Feb 18: Knightdale Town Hall, 950 Steeple Square Court, Knightdale
- Feb 19: Wake County West Regional Library, 4000 Louis Stephens Road, Cary
Here are a few more of the plates shown at the presentation () (2/15 update: The images are ).
Seem Familiar II?
One of the tallest buildings in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is the 687-foot-tall . It was built in 1974. Featuring an almost identical facade, was completed in 1977 and has 21 floors (~280 feet).
Seem Familiar?
Check out the in Norfolk, VA completed in 1987. Standing at 340 feet tall, there are 26 floors. Raleigh’s was completed in 1991 and is 400 feet tall with 30 floors.
Harmon’s Floating House Featured in Architectural Record
Raleigh’s , perched above Crabtree Creek, is featured in the January 2008 issue of . Designed by architect , the 1,800 square foot "floating" house" sits on nine wood trusses sitting on concrete columns among a dense forest of trees.
The street side appears to be almost windowless, but the northern, forest facade is a wall of steel and glass giving the residents a feeling that they are floating among the trees.
Powerhouse Plaza Plans 10 Story Hotel/Office Complex for Downtown
The (.pdf file) for a new 10-story highrise in downtown has just been submitted to the City of Raleigh. Williams Realty and Building plans a mixed use building at West and Jones Streets, across from 42nd St. Oyster Bar (), that will house 4 stories of office space and a 134-room hotel on 5 stories. The structure will have an internal 397-space parking deck, an indoor pool, 7,684 square feet of ground-level retail, and a 4,969 square foot rooftop restaurant.
That giant crashing sound you heard was the dam breaking. Both Bob Winston and the Williams are now interested in the redeveloping areas of downtown. For years now semilocal money has led the way in downtown’s redevelopment, but now we are seeing long-time natives getting in the game!
Note: The site plan portrays the building with East, not North, at the top of the page. The bottom of the page is bordered by 42nd Street, so the buildings across from the restaurant will be razed.
CAPTRUST Tower At North Hills East Begins Construction
Construction has officially begun on the 17-story mixed use tower in North Hills East known as the . A joint venture between Duke Realty and Kane Realty, the tower will feature retail and restaurants on its first floor and will contain parking internally. A “high-end, national white tablecloth restaurant” is planned as well.
The tower is the centerpiece of the of the 100-acre North Hills complex. North Hills East plans include a high-density retirement community, residential tower, retail, and a full-size, two-story Harris Teeter supermarket.
CAPTRUST Financial Advisors will be the building’s major tenants, however according to , other tenants of the 274,000 square foot building include Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, & Stewart, PC, and CD Richard Ellis. The building will be completed in 2009.
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