Downtown Revitalization: Raleigh, Seven Years Later
August 14, 2013 58 comments
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Downtown revitalization is something that Jacksonville has struggled with for 40 years now. Perhaps we are making revitalization more difficult than it has to be? During Metro Jacksonville's early years, we looked at Raleigh's plans for revitalizing their downtown. Now seven years later, we revisit the city to see if things have changed for the better.
Random Downtown Raleigh
Growth and redevelopment in downtown Raleigh is not just confined to the core of the central business district. Here is a brief look at a few districts in peripheral areas of downtown Raleigh.
Glenwood South
Separated from the core of downtown Raleigh by railroad tracks, Glenwood South has grown to become Raleigh's largest entertainment districts within the last decade. The seven block strip includes a multitude of restaurants, clubs, cafes, retail, and art galleries.
Warehouse District
Located three blocks west of Raleigh's convention center and once a major center of industry, the warehouse district has become a bonefide arts and nightlife hub. Future plans for this district include the construction of a intermodal transportation center, making it a gateway to urban Raleigh.
Wilmington Street/City Market Area
Wilmington Street and the City Market are located just east of Fayetteville Street. Located on Moore Square, City Market dates back to 1914 and is now home to several shops, boutiques and restaurants. Wilmington Street runs parallel to Fayetteville Street. In recent years, several historic building facades have been restored and a number of restaurants and bars have opened.
Conclusion
Despite being one of the fastest growing cities in the south, until the implementation of the Livable Streets Initiative, downtown Raleigh was a place that largely shut down after 5pm. Despite the economic recession during the later half of the last decade, downtown Raleigh continues its impressive transformation into a 24/7 city center. Similar in scale with Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, many of Raleigh's recent downtown initiatives have been discussed for downtown Jacksonville. However, there are some major differences between our communities. Whether the focus has been a new convention center, livable streets, downtown housing or vibrant public spaces, Raleigh has found a way to put their public money where their mouths are. As a result, public investment in downtown has directly led to hundreds of millions in private sector projects joining the downtown landscape and changing its image in the process.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com. Thanks to Matt Robinson of RaleighSkyline.com for providing the Fayetteville Street grand opening photos.
Previous Metro Jacksonville Articles On Downtown Raleigh
Learning from Raleigh, NC: Fayetteville Street Renaissance (2007)
Learning from Raleigh, NC (2008)
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