Lafayette Village: "European" Style Shopping in N. Raleigh ~ What is it all about?

[findinghope]

oh my gosh--i love it!!

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Construction on Lafayette Village continues, but I just read this in the N&O about one business that is planning to set up shop there. From the N&O Retailing Section: Link


"Those of you from Florida may know of Carmine's, a gourmet market and restaurant, that is a foodie haven in Palm Beach Gardens.

Now one of Carmine's top chefs, Antonio Saladino, has moved to the Triangle and is opening his own gourmet market.

Antonio's Gourmet Market and Restaurant will sell fresh meat, fish and cheeses. He also plans catering and home delivery of groceries. A restaurant, where patrons can order or enjoy a treat they picked up in the store, will be attached to the market.

Antonio's will anchor the new Lafayette Village shopping center at Falls of Neuse and Honeycutt roads next summer."

[cry884]

They've done more than grading... while they finished that giant stone retaining wall last year, the bulk of the work was going on underground. They finished the underground parking. Now that that is finished, I think the rest of the project will (hopefully) move quickly.

The only thing I don't get is that Lafayette neighborhood behind there. Why would you pay $500,000 for a house that faces commercial office buildings and that type of stuff?

[Clever User Name]

Originally Posted by mdp_az

Overall, I'm sure it will be a great alternative to the standard strip mall, but without incorporation of residential dwellings above the storefronts, they'll fall short of the type of development that is desperately needed for smart growth in the Triangle.

Amen. To make something like this really work and be more than a strip mall it has to be mixed use with residential mixed in.

I like that they are building something more pedestrian friendly, but unless they build housing/walkable neighborhoods into the plan, it's just a glorified strip mall.