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Two different people have asked the question, and this is the only answer you've provided. Your profile says you're in Virginia.
You need to read my profile a little more closely. I'm in downtown Raleigh every day.
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I spend my days traversing the greater Raleigh area, including downtown multiple times a week.
Let me take a guess: You do this in a car, right?
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So, what type of retail are you speaking of?
The obvious answer is, grocery stores and some sort of Target or something where you can buy household items. At a bare minimum. If you actually want a livable, walkable neighborhood, you'll also need more convenience stores, so people can pick up things like milk or eggs right in their immediate neighborhood. Cheap restaurants where you can grab dinner if you don't feel like cooking and don't feel like dropping $20. Etc. Etc. Etc. More non-boutique clothing stores. More non-boutique everything.
If you've ever lived in a walkable urban neighborhood, it would be obvious what sort of amenities are missing from downtown Raleigh, especially the central part (near Moore Square and Nash Square, i.e. the actual "downtown" where much of the new housing seems to be going in). Walking a mile each way to a heavily car-centric area (like the Peace St/Capital Blvd intersection), e.g., in order to pick up one's dry-cleaning, is not what most people have in mind when they say they want to live in a "walkable" area.
Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
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Originally Posted by BoBromhal
the Longview Shopping Center area is very ripe for some significant upgrade changes.
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Originally Posted by Vatnos
While one could complain that growth in retail is lagging behind bars and restaurants downtown (which are doing great), it's still better than it was 10-20 years ago.
It looks like we will be getting 2 new grocery stores in the near future. Stone's Warehouse will be one for sure. A second may be incorporated into the residential project on 301 Hillsborough. That will fix a major hole in the amenities downtown.
Theaters are the main weakness as far as nightlife currently. It could use a couple.
I enjoy going to the Imax there. I know it's a limited selection but they usually have what I want to see. Cost a couple bucks extra but it's worth it to have a clean,quiet and comfortable evening. My only complaint is their recent overhaul of the power pass. It used to be full of perks but the price was increased and the perks decreased. Haven't been as often since the change.
Right, I'm following that process. It will affect / promote density, but I don't expect you will see more retail downtown as a result. They are rezoning 30% of the property, but it is a citywide rezoning. It isn't focused on downtown. Much of the proposed rezoned land is in the suburban areas of Raleigh.
And where they are proposing rezoning near Oakwood and on Hillsborough the neighborhood residents are fighting tooth and nail to kill the parts that would increase commercial development near their neighborhoods. So much for wanting walkability.
Besides, doesn't matter what something is zoned for if the retail business can't afford the space.
Last edited by North_Raleigh_Guy; 08-05-2015 at 10:08 PM..
Yes, that was the whole point of the original article.
Right, and the city doesn't control the rent for commercial space that retail occupies. So tweaking the zoning or giving tax incentives to small businesses don't seem like viable solutions in this situation since it doesn't address the core problem.
The City did just accept a bid to redevelop the old Stone Warehouse space, which will bring in some retail ... But I expect those rents will still be sizable and prohibitive to many trying to enter the market. I guess the city could offer city owned properties for retail tenants at discounted rents. That would make for a fun city council meeting wouldn't it?
Last edited by North_Raleigh_Guy; 08-05-2015 at 10:16 PM..
Right, I'm following that process. It will affect / promote density, but I don't expect you will see more retail downtown as a result. They are rezoning 30% of the property, but it is a citywide rezoning. It isn't focused on downtown. Much of the proposed rezoned land is in the suburban areas of Raleigh.
And where they are proposing rezoning near Oakwood and on Hillsborough the neighborhood residents are fighting tooth and nail to kill the parts that would increase commercial development near their neighborhoods. So much for wanting walkability.
Besides, doesn't matter what something is zoned for if the retail business can't afford the space.
True enough, but there are only so many fixes available for pricing, zoning being the least objectionable. Direct subsidies strike most folks as objectionable. So do tax credits for development (just a different flavor of subsidies). As long as land is held in private hands, seizure or condemnation is pretty much off the table without heads exploding, so that brings us back to shaping the landscape by way of zoning.
It's a little above all of our pay grades to arbitrarily declare if a particular price is too high. $2/sq ft? $20? $200? $2000? For a owner operated establishment? Regional chain? National retailer? I still maintain that the business profiled in the Indy piece problems ran deeper than simply having their rent boosted.
It ain't easy growing up but in the most general terms Raleigh seems to at least be cognisant of some of the issues that come with it and thankfully have at least tried to avoid picking the easiest solution which for so many cities has been to bulldoze their way out of their problems.
True enough, but there are only so many fixes available for pricing, zoning being the least objectionable. Direct subsidies strike most folks as objectionable. So do tax credits for development (just a different flavor of subsidies). As long as land is held in private hands, seizure or condemnation is pretty much off the table without heads exploding, so that brings us back to shaping the landscape by way of zoning.
It's a little above all of our pay grades to arbitrarily declare if a particular price is too high. $2/sq ft? $20? $200? $2000? For a owner operated establishment? Regional chain? National retailer? I still maintain that the business profiled in the Indy piece problems ran deeper than simply having their rent boosted.
It ain't easy growing up but in the most general terms Raleigh seems to at least be cognisant of some of the issues that come with it and thankfully have at least tried to avoid picking the easiest solution which for so many cities has been to bulldoze their way out of their problems.
Good points. I agree, especially with your point that the business profiled had other issues.
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. Haven't been as often since the change.
