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Week of May 29, 2017
Old Rex Hospital site for sale again
Boylan Bridge Brewpub is open, for real
Mural coming to South Wilmington Street
New apartment complex coming near Glenwood South
North Hills Target to get beer upgrades
Work begins on Alamo Drafthouse
Old Rex Back on the Market
Following a review by Governor Roy Cooper’s new administration, the State has put the Old Rex Hospital site back on the market. The Raleigh Public Record reported last year that the property had been listed for sale through a Request for Proposals process that began in November 2016 and would have ended in March.
In a press release issued Friday, N.C. Department of Administration Secretary Machelle Sanders announced that:
“After thoughtful evaluation, the State Property Office will resume actions to sell the old Rex Hospital site. This is a strategic decision in managing our state’s assets made in the long-term best interests of both the taxpayers and the state.”
Although owned by the State, the site’s development potential is controlled by the City of Raleigh, which rezoned it to OX-5 (Office Mixed-Use with a maximum height of five stories) as part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan that went into effect earlier this year.
Situated at the intersection of Wade Avenue and St. Mary’s Street, the Old Rex campus was specifically singled out in the City’s Wade-Oberlin Area Plan, where it was described as the only site on Wade Avenue where new retail uses should be allowed. The City hopes to limit that retail use — no one wants to see a Brier Creek style development here — to about five percent of the total square footage.
An addendum to the original RFP includes an interesting “Program Summary Sheet” where the respondent is asked to break down by square footage the various uses they would develop on the site, including Condo, Apartment, Retail, Office, Hotel, and “Other.” We’ll keep a close eye on the project, as Finley has described this as one of the most sacred sites inside the beltline due to the “number of ITBabies born there”. We’re unsure if that will factor into the sale price.
Boylan Bridge Brewpub is open, for real, we promise
The Boylan Bridge Brewpub has finally reopened after being closed for 15 months to repair the damage caused by a collapsed wall in the building’s basement. After a few false reports, which we covered in March, we now have photographic evidence to prove the establishment is actually open.
New Mural Coming to South Wilmington Street
Patrons of the Moore Square Parking Deck will soon be greeted with a 55-foot long mural on the brick wall adjacent to the entrance ramp off South Wilmington. David Meeker, a local developer, and co-owner of Trophy Brewing, submitted plans for a mural that would adorn the northern wall of 237 S. Wilmington, a property now home to Beasley’s, Chuck’s and the Fox Liquor Bar. Bryan Costello of Holder Goods and Jed Gant of Raleigh Murals Project are also involved in the project.
A major work application for the project was filed with Raleigh’s Historic Development Commission as the mural will be painted on a noncontributing resource in the Moore Square historic district. As the application notes, the wall is already painted, and “a mural is essentially changing the exterior paint color.”
Boylan Flats Begins to Rise
The Glenwood South area will soon welcome yet another new apartment complex: the 5-story, 48-unit Boylan Flats.
Situated in the vacant lot at 615 North Boylan Avenue behind the Peace Street McDonald’s, the new 45,610 square-foot apartment building will offer residents a 1,025 square-foot rooftop open space area. While this is an amenity that can be enjoyed by all, parking spaces will be a rarer commodity: only 37 off-street spaces are planned for the 48 units.
Given the site’s relative proximity to the downtown core and a number of other rapidly growing areas, we imagine a number of residents may be able to go without a car. Davidson & Jones is serving as the general contractor for this $6.5 million+ project.
A Spirited Renovation at Target North Hills
Retail giant Target is known for its almost supernatural ability to predict what its customers want. By that measure shoppers at the North Hills location must really love beer.
A $260,537 permit was issued last week to TDS Construction for a project described as an “interior showcase beer stand area fixture” that will include wall and door finishes. We aren’t sure from the permit if this is just another name for a walk-in beer cooler or something more elaborate. We’ll do some digging and keep you posted.
Work Begins on New Alamo Drafthouse
Raleigh will soon be home to the state’s first location of famed cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse, as permits for the new $5.5 million complex were issued last week to McDonald-York Construction.
Although we first reported on plans for this new cinema/eatery back in January, the project was not officially confirmed by Alamo until May. The 11-screen theater, which will also include a beer hall, is set to open by the end of 2017 in the Longview Shopping Center on New Bern Avenue. While the site plans originally called for a 58,000 square-foot structure, the size listed on the permits comes in at a more manageable 39,934 square feet.
If you’re wondering, yes, Alamo Drafthouse is the same theater chain that recently made the news for announcing a “Women Only” screening of the new Wonder Woman movie.
It’s Pho Time in North Raleigh
Visitors to North Raleigh’s Celebration at Six Forks will soon have something new to celebrate, as permits were issued last week for the new Vietnamese restaurant Pho Sure Cafe.
Scant details are available on the place, although we do know that $245,000 is being spent on “alterations and repairs” of the 1,992 square-foot space. 3Y Construction will be overseeing the work on this project.
Bath & Body Works Beautification
Bath & Body Works, a store whose wares offer customers the opportunity to cleanse and beautify themselves and their surroundings, will soon be undergoing a makeover of its own, one that will require a lot more than bath salts and coconut hand creams to complete.
The 5,384 square-foot store — which, by our estimation is packed with about 4,800 square feet worth of candles — in Crabtree Valley Mall received half a million dollars in permits last week for an “interior alteration” store renovation project that will be handled by Cahill Construction.
