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Greenway Connection to Umstead Park moves forward: FINALLY!

Greenways users don’t like having to stop and turnaround when the greenway suddenly stops, and if you’ve traveled to the north end of Crabtree Creek Greenway it’s particularly annoying.  Here, the creek continues into a forested area, but the greenway comes to an abrupt end.  You would be even more discouraged, if you knew that at this point, the creek goes into Umstead Park, just 1.3 miles ahead.

As the City adds more miles of greenways, connections between greenways become increasingly important, and this connection to Umstead Park has been on the radar for a long time.  I first wrote about this connection over three years ago, including the decades long hold up with getting easements through Hanson’s Quarry.

FINALLY some good news!

The City is reporting that the easements have now been acquired for connecting between Crabtree Creek Trail and Umstead.  No timetable has been provided, but we can assume the City will move quickly as this has been considered “the last piece in the Greenway System yet to be secured”.

UmsteadConnection

Master Plan Needs to Address the Growing Edges of Downtown Raleigh

raleigh_pictureWithin the next few months a group of 22 downtown stakeholders (including 3 leaders of the DLA) will begin working with a team of consultants to begin developing the key elements of a downtown plan that will create a 10-year vision including short, mid and long term improvements to downtown Raleigh.

This group is certainly not starting from a clean slate as the “vision” has been gradually coming together for many years now, with a long list of city supported ‘plans’ that have received lots of public input. I credit the city’s Planning Department, and Mitchell Silver in particular (please don’t leave us!), as being the driver of many of these plans.

Now that the core downtown is developing nicely, the focus has been shifting to the surrounding edges.

Northern edge of downtown

  • The Capital Blvd Study includes plans to redevelop the Devereux Meadow area into a public park, and a daylighting or opening of Pigeon House Branch Creek with new greenway connections to the north. Status: On hold
  • The Peace Street Visioning Study [download] is focused on making this area more bike and pedestrian friendly by identifying opportunities for improving the pedestrian flow and adding bicycle facilities. Status: On hold
  • The Capital Blvd / Peace Street Bridge replacement incorporates new road connections to Capital Blvd and Peace Street to support new development opportunities for underdeveloped areas within the northeastern edge of Glenwood South.  Pedestrian connections between Glenwood South and Capital District /Seaboard Station promise to be a big benefit for local residents and workers. Status: Bridge replacement work to start 2016, but required ramp design not yet approved.

Western edge of downtown

  • The relocation and redevelopment of Union Station as a multi-modal transit center is already becoming a catalyst for additional commercial and residential development within the large swaths of vacant areas in the Warehouse District, with a key example being the arrival of Citrix Headquarters. Status: Funding for Phase I mostly in place, although original scope of project in jeopardy without additional funding.
  • The Wake County Transit Plan enhances bus service and includes Commuter Rail connections between Wake (Raleigh) and Orange (Durham) Counties to attract new transit-oriented development to the area and offers new public transpiration options to relieve road traffic congestion. Status: Currently dead, as the Wake County Commissioners have not permitted a public referendum for the required funding.
  • Plans to convert the Dorothea Dix Campus into a regional destination park. Status: Mayor continuing to push Governor to make the land available

Eastern edge of downtown

  • The Moore Square Master Plan is a redesign of the park to increase public use and to encourage development in the adjacent properties. Status: Redesign completed in 2011, but construction is currently unfunded.
  • The recent plans for the Blount Street / Person Street Corridor is a phased approach to balance the variety of uses to create a corridor that is safe and attractive to motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. Status: Plan development is ongoing, funded as part of the recently approved transportation bond.  
  • The New Bern Avenue Corridor Study [download] targets transit improvements with increasing bus access and bike and pedestrian improvements.  Status: Partially funded by the recently approved transportation bond. 

Southern edge of downtown 

  • The Southern Gateway Corridor Study [download] develops a vision for the character of the roadways and adjacent land uses into the future, with the goal of improving pedestrian and bike mobility, and addressing retail constraints and neighborhood connections.
  • West Street Extension Project proposes an extension of West Street to Union Station to provide for better street connectivity for vehicle traffic and neighborhoods to the south.

As a member of the Downtown Plan Advisory Committee, an important outcome of this 10-year plan for me would be to have this process become the vehicle that links and ignites action on these existing plans, in much the same way the original 5-year Liveable Streets Plan did for the Fayetteville Street revitalization. I look forward to seeing what has taken place on paper becoming a reality that expands the modern, clean, urban vitality of Fayetteville Street to the edges in every direction.  I want people approaching the city from any direction – on rail, bike, bus or car – to feel safe, welcomed and impressed by the vision that has drawn so many of us downtown.

Glenwood South Tree Sweater Art Installation

Tree Sweaters - Seattle neighborhood

Tree Sweaters – Seattle neighborhood

Participants will gather at The Carter Building at 10am on the morning of January 25th before trailing down the length of Glenwood Avenue to Peace Street, leaving the trees dressed in stripes and patterns of every color.  Hot chocolate and snacks will be served  at 11:00 at Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, when visitors and participants gather for comments from city officials, prizes awarded to knitters, and a drawing of gift certificates from local merchants.

For the past six weeks, knitters have been meeting each Friday at SpiritWorks Studio at the Carter Building to create Tree Sweaters for the city owned trees lining the Glenwood South thoroughfare.  Many cars pass through on their way into downtown, but merchants and residents have banded together into the Glenwood South Neighborhood Collaborative to offer reasons to stop on their street, long before their popular late night businesses come into full swing.  

“What better way to show who we are than a community art project?” asked Donna Belt, owner of SpiritWorks Studio. “Tree Sweaters are whimsical and as varied as each of us are.” 

Even Belt is surprised at the response to this community art initiative, which originally aimed for 70 Tree Sweaters.  More than 50 participants, aged 8 – 80 have responded, creating 100 Tree Sweaters, each in their own colors and style.

City Council showed their support for this initiative by approving a petition for the Tree Sweaters presented at their January 7th meeting.  Policies established through the Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department in response to this community art project promise to streamline future grass roots art installations that they believe will continue to enhance the appeal of Raleigh’s downtown.

Since their first meeting at Hampton Inn and Suites on December 9th, residents and business owners of Glenwood South have worked together with the Downtown Living Advocates, Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Shop Local Raleigh to pursue a number of strategies aimed at maximizing the vitality of businesses, and building a bond between residents and neighboring restaurants and clubs.  This Tree Sweater installation is a colorful start to their plans which range from refining late night noise ordinances to fostering well lit, attractive sidewalk scapes.

 

Peace Street Bridge Replacement on Capital Blvd Moving Ahead

cap_blvd2After years of planning and the review of multiple designs, the city is now down to just two options for how the new bridge will connect into the surrounding area.

Here’s the schedule:

  • Winter 2013 – Environmental Assessment
  • Spring 2014 – Public Hearing
  • Fall 2014 – Final Environmental Document
  • Year 2015 – Begin Right of Way Acquisition
  • Year 2016 – Begin Construction

Why it matters so much

The selection of the final bridge design stands to hugely impact the development of the surrounding area. The bridge could become an important catalyst to spark a major makeover of a large swath of underdeveloped area on the northeast corner of Glenwood South.

The city prefers the “P-5” design, considered to be the most consistent with the work already done as part of the Capital Blvd Corridor Study.  A new street grid will be created to handle traffic on and off the new bridge that will open up new redevelopment lots bounded by Johnson, Harrington and Peace Streets.

The P-5 or “square loop” design will obviously cost more that the other option, which is basically to put the bridge ramps in the same configuration as they are today.

There have been numerous posts on this blog about how a better road network in this northern end of downtown can restore vitality to the area, and I’m sure most people would agree on the need to finally address the poor pedestrian and bike conditions along East Peace Street.

Review the alternative bridge designs

Jump over to the Raleigh Connoisseur for an in-depth description of the new bridge alternatives.

Couture for a Cause: Annual fashion show and fundraiser coming to Marbles on November 9th.

FBCover1_withoverlay-300x112First hosted in 2009, Couture for a Cause has become Activate Good’s fun and fashionable annual tradition, pairing local designers with Activate Good’s nonprofit partners to create looks that embody the missions of those organizations.

 

When: Saturday, November 9 (doors open at 7:00pm show starts at 8:00pm)

Where: Marbles Kids Museum, Downtown Raleigh

Tickets are $25 before November 8, $30 at the door, and $75 for VIP.

CFAC2013_PromoFlierFINAL-JPG-233x300The event is also a competition for local designers, who compete for a chance to win a prize in Couture and Ready-to-Wear categories.  At the end of each runway show, guests get a chance to bid on their favorite looks in a live auction, and this year you can begin participating in the silent auction online prior to the event.

You will also have a chance to win a Disney Vacation package at this year’s raffle.  Get your raffle tickets online when you purchase your event ticket, or purchase raffle tickets at the event.

Learn more about Couture for a Cause on their Facebook Page, and see past event photos.

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