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Development Beat: 3800 Glenwood Opening, Raleigh Iron Works Update

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Brought to you by York Properties

3800 Glenwood Could Open By May

Raleigh Iron Works Updates

Seaboard Wine Tasting this Saturday 2/1

Haunted Restaurant Gets Mysterious New Tenant

Progress On Woodburn Condos

Target Takeover On Six Forks

Hotel Planned For Southeast Raleigh

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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3800 Glenwood Could Open By May

The 3800 Glenwood building could be open by May of this year. An insider sent us a letter from Grubb Ventures, the developer, that states: “Our goal is to open the new 3800 Glenwood building in May.”

Located at the intersection of I-440 and Glenwood Ave, work on the building began in 2019.

The five-story building, designed by architectural firm Duda Paine, will include 114,000 square feet of Class A office space, as well as restaurant space on the ground floor. The letter also states that over 50% of the office space is leased.

The building is part of the Glenwood Place development. According to Grubb Ventures, Glenwood Place is “plotted to become a mixed-use community with multiple Class A office buildings featuring multiple restaurants, a boutique hotel, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, and upscale apartment homes.”

Raleigh Iron Works Updates

Image: Jamestown

Jamestown and Grubb Ventures recently announced a partnership to create Raleigh Iron Works, a project we first covered in 2017. The development will be located on Atlantic Avenue across from Dock 1053.

The first phase of this multi-phase project will create nearly 500,000 square feet of office space, 90,000+ square feet of retail, and 220 residential units. Construction will begin in 2020 and continue through 2023 with plans for additional development.

We obtained the following exclusive quote from Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown, “While these types of iconic adaptive reuse projects are hard to come by, they are part of Jamestown’s DNA. Raleigh Iron Works preserves a piece of the city’s industrial past while creating a dynamic environment for creators, thinkers, and innovators to thrive.” 

Image: Jamestown

The initial phase of the project is valued at more than $150M. It will include the renovation of steel mills and warehouses that were once part of Peden Steel, as well as construction of a seven-story multi-family building. The historic buildings will be repurposed into office and retail spaces.

The development will offer a mix of food and beverage options, boutiques, health and wellness, event and outdoor spaces, featuring regular activations including public events and performances.

One interesting note from the exclusive press release we received via e-mail: “Jamestown will leverage its leadership in the culinary space and relationship with the James Beard Foundation to bring dynamic food offerings to the property.” 

Seaboard Wine Tasting 2/1

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village will host a free wine tasting this Saturday (2/1) from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Manual Magnani and Elia Gentili from Sunrise Wines are back behind the bar pouring a delicious selection of Italian wines from Sicily (all bio-dynamic) and beyond, including:

Palmarès Spumante Extra Dry; Mazara del Vallo, Sicily
Gorghi Tondi ‘Coste a Preola’ Grillo; Mazara del Vallo, Sicily
Gorghi Tondi ‘Dumé’ Frappato; Mazara del Vallo, Sicily
Sterparo Primitivo; Basilicata, Italy
I Probi di Papiano Sangiovese Riserva; Emila-Romagna, Italy
Villa di Corlo Lambrusco Grasparossa; Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Seaboard Wine’s next Winter Wine Class will be held February 28th from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm. Each class is $39. You can make a reservation here.

Haunted Restaurant Gets Mysterious New Tenant

The former home of Mexican restaurant Xoco on Glenwood Avenue will soon be home to a mysterious new tenant, per a set of recently issued renovation permits.

Carolina Design & Construction was issued permits valued at more than $350,000 for the alteration/change of use of suite 300 at 410 Glenwood Avenue, also known as The Creamery Building.

The space has been home to a number of restaurants over the years. Prior to rebranding as Xoco, it operated as a Dos Taquitos. Before that, “The Diner,” and before that, the Hard Times Café.

The recently-issued permits don’t give the name or type of business that will be moving into the space. We’re not sure why this is, but we’ll speculate that it has something to do with the reported ghosts that were “certified” to be haunting the business back in 2018.

According to a report from ABC11, ASAP Paranormal confirmed that the space was haunted, which included mysterious laughter, strange shadows, and more. Can’t wait to check it out!

Progress On Woodburn

Construction progress continues on the Woodburn condominiums, located at the intersection of Smallwood Drive and Daniels Street. Formerly The Cameron Village apartments, the project is a demo and reconstruction of the original apartments on the original foundations.

Adjustments are being made to allow for better insulation, higher ceilings, new windows, and more, while allowing the project to preserve the scale, site, trees, and setting of the originals. When all three phases are complete, the project will have 72 one-bedroom condos.

The Woodburn is being designed by New City Design, built by McDonald York Building Company, and marketed by Allen Tate Realtors. It is expected that the first half of the project will be completed by the second quarter of 2020.

Target Takeover On Six Forks

Rendering: ITB Insider

Raleigh’s last Kmart announced plans last month to close its doors for good after more than 30 years in business. Plans were recently announced for the future of the space at 8701 Six Forks Road: a total Target takeover.

A spokesperson for Target told the News & Observer that the beloved retail chain will be opening a 114,000 square-foot store at the site, although no timeline is available at this point. 

According to the folks over at ABC11, the only remaining Kmart in the state is located in Kill Devil Hills, despite the Kmart website listing two others in Clemmons & Waynesville. 

The Six Forks Kmart is currently undergoing a liquidation, and it is expected to close for good by the middle of February.

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Hotel Planned For Southeast Raleigh

A vacant lot on Virtuous Street in Southeast Raleigh (or maybe North Garner?) could soon be home to a seven-story hotel. A rezoning application was recently filed to upzone the 3.63-acre property from IX-3 to IX-7, allowing for a development of up to seven stories in height.

Per the application, the plan is to develop a hotel on the site that would “help support the growth of commercial activity in the area.” The site is roughly 15 minutes from the downtown Convention Center and is right in the backyard of several of Raleigh’s biggest tourist attractions, including Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Sunbelt Rentals, and the Integrity Drive Burger King.

No information on the type or branding of the hotel is provided in the rezoning application, which will require vetting by City staffers, the Planning Commission, and City Council before approval. 

The application was filed by an LLC tracing back to a local development/contracting firm that built the nearby Generosity I office building. If the development of Generosity I is any indication, it seems likely the property owner will both develop and build out the hotel themselves. 

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Development Beat: Bellwood Project Back On

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Bellwood Project Back On

Raleigh Convention Center Wants More Hotel Rooms

Seaboard Wine Tasting this Saturday 1/25

Noodles & Co. returning to Cameron Village

Denver Firm Buys Sojourn Glenwood Place

Longleaf Hotel Opens

Name revealed for Ashley Christensen’s new chicken sandwich restaurant

Transportation Department finds new home in Union Station

Broughton hosts Play4Kay Game Feb. 4th

Museum of History Masquerade Gala February 22

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Bellwood Project Back On

It’s been over a year since the derailment of a plan to demolish the Bellwood Condos and replace them with apartments behind Cameron Village. It seems those plans are back on track, but with a new developer.

Multiple tips from our loyal insiders indicate this project is back on after 100% of the owners agreed to sell their property late last year. The deal closed earlier this month with a new developer. The new project should look similar to what was proposed by The Worthing Companies in 2018.

Expect about 355 apartment units, a wrapped parking garage, improved drainage, and 5-6 stories depending where on the property you are. We’ve heard a certain percentage of the units will be dedicated to affordable housing, but we won’t know until site plans are filed.

Raleigh Convention Center Wants More Hotel Rooms

The Raleigh Convention Center says more hotel rooms are needed. The City Council was presented with plans to issue a request for interest for a hotel and development project in downtown Raleigh.

The development will be located on city-owned surface parking lots along Fayetteville Street in front of Memorial Auditorium (Duke Energy Center). The available 2.5-acre site includes two parcels. Right-of-way is mapped to extend Fayetteville Street through the property creating two sites, each about one acre. The land is currently zoned for 40 stories.

The City of Raleigh is issuing this Request For Interest (RFI) to solicit “creative responses from capable and experienced development teams” interested in developing the hotel and office/mixed-use tower projects, or the hotel project only.

According to a staff memo, the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) hosted around 260 events with more than 450,000 attendees in 2018. However, “limited hotel rooms around the RCC impacts the size and number of conferences and events that the RCC can host. Two studies over the past several years, including the Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau Destination Strategic Plan, indicated that an additional 400-500+ hotel rooms are needed to support the existing venue and for future RCC expansion.”

The 500,000 square foot RCC and connected 401-room Marriott opened in 2008. The City recently committed $5M to optimize sales efforts and operations at the RCC.

The document outlines goals for the project:
Hotel
500+ rooms with comparable meeting space
National brand
Upper upscale (not a typo)
Full service

Office/Mixed-use
Class A office tower with major anchor tenant
Ground level retail, residential, other creative ideas
Headquarters site

Site & Parking 
Below-grade parking spanning both sites, including underneath Fayetteville Street
2 one-acre blocks
Zoned by-right for 40 stories

The document lists Incentives for the project: 
Infrastructure Assistance of $30 million of public funding for the right project, with flexible application: parking, infrastructure, etc. 
Opportunity Zone
Other incentives are negotiable as allowed by North Carolina Law

The document also states that “To grow tourism and promote economic development, the City of Raleigh and Wake County approved $14 million in 2019 from Hospitality Tax revenue to buy needed land near the convention center for future center use, $5 million in 2021 to improve and optimize the convention center, and planned $230 million for a convention center expansion as early as 2028. Hospitality Tax revenue also is committed to cover 95% of ongoing capital maintenance for the venue.”

The RFI will be released January 27, followed by a pre-proposal meeting in Raleigh on February 21. RFI submittals are due on March 27. Just a heads up to other developers, ITB Insider will be submitting a proposal.

Seaboard Wine Tasting

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are holding a free tasting Saturday (1/25) from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Toby from Tryon Distributing (and the second best dressed wine rep in the Triangle) will be pouring samples of some store favorites from around the world, including:

Santa Barbara Verdicchio 2018; Marche, Italy
Ponzi Pinot Gris 2017; Willamette Valley, Oregon
Mayu Pedro Ximenez 2018; Valle de Elqui, Chile
Chateau de Pizay Beaujolais 2018; Burgundy, France
Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2018; Barossa Valley, Australia
Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvée 2017; Sonoma County, CA

Seaboard Wine is also kicking off their Winter Wine Class series. Classes will be held from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm on January 24th, February 28th, and March 27th. Each class is $39 or you can take all three for $99. You can make a reservation here.

Return Of The Mac and Cheese

Noodles & Co. will return to Cameron Village this summer. York Properties teased the announcement on Instagram, before confirming the news that the restaurant would be moving in to the former home of Sugarland.

We began investigating this development last October and can confirm that we predicted this would happen.

Denver Firm Buys Sojourn Glenwood Place For $83 Million

A Denver-based real estate investment firm spent $83 million just to be inside the beltline. According to the TBJ, Ascentris Real Estate bought Sojourn Glenwood Place, which was developed by Grubb Ventures and Walton Street Capital of Chicago. Located at 3710 Exchange Glenwood Place, the 40-acre property features a newly built 296-unit apartment complex, as well as office and mixed-use buildings. 

Longleaf Hotel Opens

The Longleaf Hotel is now open. Our friend Ashton Smith reported in her newsletter that the Longleaf held a soft opening last week. It appears that the hotel is now taking reservations. They recently shared the following on Instagram:

“The Longleaf Hotel & Lounge—downtown Raleigh’s independent boutique hotel—is NOW OPEN! Enjoy a stylish mid-century stay with modern amenities and a local’s touch. Sip and snack at The Longleaf Lounge and our lobby coffee bar, both welcoming visitors and locals alike. Whether you’re from near or far, we can’t wait to see you here! #LongLiveLongleaf”

Located at 300 North Dawson, The Longleaf replaced the Days Inn, which many considered to be The Ritz-Carlton of Raleigh. Local developer Loden Properties purchased the property for $5 million, as well as the adjoining property for $1.5 million.

Ashley Christensen Names New Restaurant

“Who is ITBlake and why did he DM us asking for free sandwiches because he’s “famous”?” Ashley Christensen, probably.

Ashley Christensen has revealed that her new fast-casual chicken sandwich restaurants will be named BB’s Crispy Chicken. Christensen, the recipient of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in the country, has partnered with MDO Holdings on the restaurants.

She elaborated on the name in an exclusive press release that we received via e-mail, “The name started out as a nickname that Michael Olander, Jr. (CEO, MDOH) and I used to refer to this project when it was still just an idea. We were sitting in Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, my full-service restaurant dedicated to fried chicken, and joked that this new venture would be like a ‘baby Beasley’s,’ so we started referring to it as BB’s. After trying out many other options for names, we couldn’t shake this one—it resonated with everyone in our group. I love that it nods to my fried chicken origin story, while also being a distinct, standalone identity—one that encapsulates the approachable, fun, community-driven feel that we’re aiming for with this project.”

According to our exclusive source, BB’s will offer five different sandwiches, all designed to highlight Christensen’s favorite fried chicken pairings. We have learned that each sandwich starts with a “golden-brown, shatteringly crispy fried chicken breast on a locally made, fresh brioche bun with a swipe of mayo.”

Guests can add toppings, sauces, and also opt for char-grilled chicken or cornmeal-fried green tomatoes. BB’s will offer an array of freshly prepared sides, salads, milkshakes, and wine and beer. Menu items will be priced from $3 to $8.

Three locations are expected to open in 2020, with the first in early summer at the Midtown East shopping center in SOJO (off Wake Forest Road). The other two locations are at Durham’s University Hill and Cary’s Parkside Town Commons. You can follow BB’s on Instagram for more updates.

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Transportation Department Finds New Home In Union Station

The City’s Transportation Department is on the move. City Council awarded the construction contract for a 6,200 square foot office space in Raleigh’s Union Station that will become home to the Transportation Department. 

The department, whose staff is currently spread across multiple locations including 310 W. Martin, the Poole Road Transit Operations Facility, and the Raleigh Municipal Building, will soon be located in the lower mezzanine area of Union Station.

According to a staff memo, consolidating the staff will enable them to “work more effectively in implementing Wake Transit initiatives and on the expansion of the GoRaleigh and Bus Rapid Transit programs, while also improving existing services.” 

The new offices at Union Station will include “two conference rooms, offices, a reception area, a break area, restrooms, open offices, and storage areas.” The offices will be utilized until permanent office space is available with the planned Civic Campus project.

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Broughton Hosts Play4Kay Game February 4th

The 3rd Annual Play4Kay game will be held Tuesday, February 4th as Broughton takes on Leesville. The Varsity Women tip off at 5:00 pm, followed by the Varsity Men at 6:30 pm. Broughton’s Sports & Entertainment Marketing 2 classes are putting on the event as a class project with the goal of raising $15,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

A Webb Simpson autographed 2012 US Open Annual, perhaps the most important piece of sports memorabilia ever, will be auctioned off as part of the Silent Auction. All silent auction items were donated so 100% of the winning bids will go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting innovative ways of fighting all cancers affecting women and providing support through giving strength, courage, and hope. Donate here. Check out and bid on the Silent Auction items.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Deadline to be included in the banners and programs is 3:00 PM Friday, January 24.

Museum of History Masquerade Gala February 22

The Museum of History Young Associates are holding a Masquerade Gala on February 22nd from 8:00 pm – 12:00 am. The black tie (mask optional) event will feature silent auction tables, tarot card readers, and live music from Diverse Groove. Tickets are on sale now.

General Admission Ticket includes: full open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction tables, tarot card readers, and live music with Diverse Groove. $50 for members, $60 for non-members

VIP Ticket includes: full open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction tables, tarot card readers, live music with Diverse Groove, a private room with a full open bar with premium liquor selection, a private food table, and a lounge area. PLUS! VIPs get 30 minutes before the event (7:30pm) to tour the Toy Boom exhibition with a glass of champagne. Get the true experience with VIP! Space is limited. $70 for members, $80 for non-members

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Development Beat: Condos Coming To Boylan Heights

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Brought to you by York Properties

Condos planned near Boylan Heights

Progress on Sam Jones BBQ

Seaboard Wine Tasting this Saturday

BREW opens at Gateway Plaza

Glenwood Place demolition

Demolition makes way for (ish) Delicatessen

Six Forks Whole Foods remodel

Apartments planned near North Ridge

Pet spa coming to 712 Tucker

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Condos Planned Near Boylan Heights

Say goodbye to the Boylan Heights pit. A condominium project from Lambert Development has been resized and rebranded as The Lynde, a 32-unit luxury development located on West South Street.

RIP Boylan Heights pit

According to their website, The Lynde will offer one, two, and three-bedroom units in 14 different floor plans, all of which will include private balconies. Amenities will include a fitness center, a rooftop terrace, an outdoor grilling area, personal storage space, and more. The units start at around $350,000.

When we first reported on Lambert’s plans for the site in June of 2018, it was being called the South Street Condominiums. The plans called for two three-story buildings housing a total of 87 units. It should be noted that while The Lynde website’s description states there are a total of 32 units, the project schedule describes these 32 units as “Phase 1” – so it is possible more units may be added in the future. 

Construction for phase one is expected to begin sometime this year, and wrap up in 2021. The site was previously home to Bennie’s Auto Services, Inc. Lambert acquired the land in early 2016. Chappell Residential is handling sales for the project.

Progress on Sam Jones BBQ

It’s been more than a year since we first reported on plans for restaurateur Sam Jones to open a new BBQ restaurant near Boylan Heights. It looks like work is finally underway on both the restaurant and its accompanying pit house building.

Ellington Contractors received a pair of permits with a total estimated project cost of $700,000 for constructing the new 1,144 square-foot pit house building at 526 S. West Street and renovating the 72-year old structure at 502 W. Lenoir. 

Although the BBQ restaurant was announced in the fall of 2018, plans to renovate the former home of Dusty’s Service Station have been underway for years. We first reported nearly three years ago on the site plans filed by the property’s owner, local developer and hero of the historic preservation movement, James A. Goodnight. We don’t know when the new BBQ spot will open, but it’s a safe bet to say it will be before the end of the year.

Winter Wine Class Series at Seaboard Wine

For the New Year our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are kicking off their Winter Wine Class series. Classes will be held from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm on January 24th, February 28th, and March 27th. Each class is $39 or you can take all three for $99. You can make a reservation here.

Seaboard Wine will continue to offer free Saturday wine tastings from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Check their website for the schedule.

BREW Open at Gateway Plaza

Photo: @brewcoffeebar_nc

Local coffee shop BREW is now open at Gateway Plaza. Featuring coffee and cocktails all day, their hours are: M-F 6:30 am – 8:30 pm, ‍SAT 8:00 am – 8:30 pm, and SUN 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

We obtained an exclusive statement from BREW last week:

“4 years to the day. That’s how long we’ve been working on this location. It seems crazy to think how much time and effort we’ve spent here. We couldn’t have done it without major support from @lodenproperties and our good friends there. They had the vision for this center and helped us see ours. Too many people to thank for the help along the way but @ash_makes_coffee has basically been driving this location since day one. We are open today for coffee service only. Food and liquor come next week. Let’s have some fun now!”

As we’ve mentioned, our friends at York Properties are handling the leasing at Gateway Plaza, which was purchased by Loden Properties in 2016.

Glenwood Place Demolition

Demolition permits have been filed for two buildings at the Glenwood Place office park. Cecil Holcomb Demolition received a pair of permits instructing them to “demolish entire building” at 3700 and 3716 National Drive off of Glenwood just inside the beltline. 

County records indicate that the Chatham and Caswell office buildings were constructed in 1974 and 1977, respectively. 

Demolition makes way for (ish) Delicatessen

Demolition is underway on (ish) Delicatessen. In January of last year, we reported that the downtown Days Inn would be replaced by the boutique Longleaf Hotel. As part of this new development, the existing NC Deli would be replaced by (ish) Delicatessen. 

We obtained an exclusive video of the demolition:

View this post on Instagram

Demol(ish)un. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #comingsoon(ish)

A post shared by (ish) delicatessen (@ish_delicatessen) on

Last October, we reported on the site plans for the restaurant. Those plans showed a new two-story building encompassing 5,633 square feet.

ish will be run by Matt Fern, formerly a beverage director for James Beard award-winning chef Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants. 

Six Forks Whole Foods Remodel

The Whole Foods at the Market at Colonnade Center on Six Forks Road is about to undergo a serious upgrade. This is the same Whole Foods that a luxury sedan crashed into a few years ago. KMD Construction recently received permits for an internal remodel project at the 40,000 sq ft grocery store.

According to County Records – which is where we got the square footage from, so if that’s in error, blame the government – the Whole Foods was first built in 2010, with no major remodels since then.

We’re curious to see if there are any Amazon-related updates made to the layout and/or design of the store following this remodel. Given its significant price tag of $2 million, we imagine work is going to take most of the year.

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Apartments Planned For North Ridge

A real-estate developer with a focus on “intentional and innovative” apartments will soon be making its mark in Raleigh, per a set of recently filed site review plans. Aventon Companies will develop the North Ridge Apartments on The Lakes Drive near North Ridge Country Club.

The site plans indicate that an existing 10,000+ square-foot clubhouse for the Willow Creek North Ridge apartments will be torn down to make way for a 507,073 square-foot development. The new project will include a total of 11 four-story buildings housing a total of 369 residential units.

The 369 units will include 141 one-bedrooms, 189 two-bedrooms, and 39 three-bedrooms and will be accompanied by a clubhouse and a whopping 606 parking spaces.

The preliminary drawings included with the site review plan paint the picture of a fairly standard four-story complex with balconies and large windows offering views of the nearby woods and the surrounding parking lot.

Pet Spa Coming to 712 Tucker

The 712 Tucker apartment complex in downtown Raleigh will soon be adding a brand-new amenity: a pet spa.

A permit valued at less than $6,000 was issued recently for work that was described as the conversion of a 98 square-foot storage closet into a pet spa. 98 square-feet sounds pretty small, but all things considered, the room’s at least 9’ x 10’, more than enough space for what, a hose and a floor drain?

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Webb Simpson finished third in the Sony Open.

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Development Beat: Irregardless Cafe Sold

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Brought to you by York Properties

Irregardless Cafe sold

Village Deli expansion in Cameron Village

Seaboard Wine Tasting this Saturday

State of Beer announces expansion

Downtown South project makes progress

First Watch coming to Lake Boone Trail

Mixed-use could be coming to Western Boulevard

Hibernian is raising money for Australia

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Irregardless Cafe Sold

Irregardless Café, home to some of the finest chocolate chip pancakes in the world, has been sold. Raleigh residents need not panic. Locals Lee Robinson and David Meeker are the new owners and it seems that they don’t plan on making many changes.

Located at 901 W. Morgan Street, the restaurant has been a popular spot for decades. According to their website, Irregardless Café was founded in 1975 by Arthur and Anya Gordon as Raleigh’s first vegetarian restaurant. They eventually added menu options for omnivores, but kept a commitment to sustainability and healthy living. Their website also has a nice account of the restaurant’s 40+ year history that we recommend checking out.

While it’s great to hear that the new owners are committed to keeping things the way they are, we wouldn’t be upset if they added a Trophy breakfast pizza to the menu.

Village Deli Expands In Cameron Village

Photo: Village Deli Facebook

Village Deli in Cameron Village has expanded into the space of its next-door neighbor, Moe’s Southwest Bar and Grill. Last week, our friends over at the Triangle Food Blog noted that Village Deli planned to add over 20 more seats as part of the expansion.

Permits were issued in October 2019 for a “410 square-foot expansion” of the dining area at 500 Daniels Street. Renovation permits were issued around the same time for the Moe’s at 506 Daniels. The renovations to Moe’s wrapped up in late December.

Saturday Seaboard Wine Tasting

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village will host a tasting on Saturday (1/11) from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm featuring Melinda Kate (aka Darma’s mom) with BFR Distributing. She will be celebrating her birthday while pouring samples of some excellent wines from France, Italy and Austria!

All wine sampled at the tasting bar is discounted 10% off by the bottle and 15% off by the 1/2 case mix or match for you to take home and enjoy. Make Seaboard a part of your Saturday routine!

State of Beer Expanding

State of Beer announced plans to expand into the former home of Runologie on Hillsborough Street. According to an exclusive source, we learned the following: “BIG NEWS: We’re expanding! First off, we’d like to wish @runologie the best of luck in their new space along side our homies @pinestatecoffee. They’ve been incredible friends and great stewards of the downtown Raleigh retail scene!

With that said, we’re excited to announce that we are growing into the former Runologie space! This will mean a lot more indoor seating, more legroom for our growing natural wines, and of course, the same curated beer experience you’re already familiar with.”

The text on the picture posted by State of Beer reads, “Coming very soon 2020!” This leads us to believe that the expansion will happen within the next 12 months. We’ll keep an eye on this as it progresses.

Downtown South Project Makes Progress

Raleigh is one step closer to getting an entertainment complex near downtown. In December, Steve Malik, John Kane, and Billie Redmond, the group behind the Downtown South development, announced the purchase of 88 acres for the project.

TradeMark Properties revealed the following on Instagram, “TradeMark is so excited to announce the closing of two large tracts of land for the Downtown South development. We couldn’t be prouder to be the site selection team for this transformational project for south Raleigh!”

Billie Redmond told the TBJ, “The closing of these two sites is the first domino falling into place. This is going to be a gamechanger for south Raleigh.”

In 2019, Steve Malik shared details about the project with us in an exclusive interview.

The plans originally called for a soccer stadium and entertainment complex, with the goal of attracting an MLS team to Raleigh. The MLS recently awarded Charlotte with an expansion team, which will eventually be known as the biggest mistake in the history of soccer.

We reached out to Steve Malik to see if there are plans to build a statue of Broughton legend Izzy Hernandez at the new development.

We are still waiting for a reply.

First Watch Coming To Lake Boone

An upscale breakfast-chain is coming to the Marketplace shopping center on Lake Boone Trail. First Watch launched in 1983 but has grown rapidly over the last few years. There are now over 300 First Watch restaurants, with another planning to open in Raleigh this year.

While there are already three locations in Raleigh, (one on Glenwood north of the mall, one at Triangle Town Center on Capital, and another in Brier Creek) this is the fist time we’ve heard of this establishment.

According to their website, they begin each morning at the crack of dawn, everything is made to order and freshness is “never compromised.” They don’t use heat lamps or deep fryers, and they welcome you with a pot of coffee, along with complimentary newspapers and WiFi access.

While investigating their menu we learned that they offer Vanilla Chai Latte Pancakes. We are not making this up.

The $268,000 renovation of the space is being handled by Capital Construction.

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Mixed-use Could Be Coming To Western Boulevard

A recently-filed rezoning case could lead to new housing just off Western Boulevard near the beltline. Case Z-50-19 would rezone a .22-acre parcel at 913 Method Road from R-10 to Neighborhood Mixed-Use with a three-story building limit.

The applicant notes that this rezoning would put the property in line with others on the block, and allow for both “residential and commercial use on the site in keeping with surrounding properties.”

The site is currently home to a 768 square-foot house built in 1951.

Hibernian Raising Money For Australia

Due to the catastrophic fires currently raging in Australia, Raleigh-based Hibernian Hospitality Group will be raising funds for the NSW Rural Fire Service.

On Thursday, January 16th, Hibernian Pub on Glenwood will donate 10% of all sales to the fire fighting efforts. Funds donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service directly benefit volunteer firefighters who are currently working hard to save lives, homes, and wildlife across Australia. 

“We are heartbroken by all of the destruction happening in Australia and invite the Raleigh community to come out, have a pint, and help us raise money for this worthy cause,” said Hibernian Hospitality Group owner, Niall Hanley. Hibernian Pub is located at 311 Glenwood Ave. and is open from 11:00 AM until 2:00 AM.

Miller Law Group On The Move

The law offices of Stacy Miller have moved. After residing in downtown Raleigh for years, Miller Law Group has moved to an office at 2424 Glenwood Ave. This area shall henceforth be known as Millertown. 

The new space will allow the firm to continue their tradition of excellence in fighting injustice.

York Develops New Website

Our friends at York have unveiled a new website. They recently shared the following on Instagram, “We didn’t change the way we do business, just the way we talk about our business. We helped build this community and are proud to be able to deliver our story and our services at the click of a button!”

Longleaf Hotel Progress

Loden Properties recently shared some progress of the Longleaf Hotel. For more information on the history of the hotel, check out Podcast Raleigh’s recent episode featuring Russ Jones from Loden Properties.

Wine & Design Grand Opening At Union Station

Wine & Design held their grand opening at Union Station last month. Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful, who did a deal with Wine & Design during their appearance on Shark Tank, was in attendance. He did not invest in any of ITBlake the intern’s business pitches.

The Wine & Design corporate headquarters are now up and running on the upper mezzanine area of Raleigh’s Union Station. The 2,700 square foot space (managed by our good friends at York Properties) will be used as their new corporate headquarters and as an expanded retail event space. They also have access to a large outdoor event space with incredible views of downtown.

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Development Beat: Grant Avenue Apartments To Be Demolished For New Development

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Grant Avenue apartments to be demolished for new development

Wine & Design grand opening at Union Station this week

Seaboard Wine Tasting this Saturday

Hayes Barton Cafe investigation

After Brixxit, York announces new restaurant for Cameron Village

Raleighwood Cinema is closing

Publix permits issued at Smoky Hollow

Condo planned near Cameron Village

Josefs Pharmacy plans expansion

The Oakwood 24 is Saturday, December 21st to support Healing Transitions

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Grant Avenue Apartments To Be Demolished For New Development

An Atlanta-based developer has filed plans to build a high-end apartment complex on the 10.41 acre property that is currently home to the Grant Avenue Apartments.

Terwilliger Pappas recently submitted an administrative site review application for Solis Cameron Hills, an apartment project located at 2315 and 2318 Grant Avenue and 1329 Chester Road. The Grant Avenue Apartments, a garden-style complex originally built in 1954 and last remodeled in 1980, will be torn down.

The site plans call for the complete demolition of the existing 97,000 square feet of apartments. The new project will be a 381,712 square-foot, 9-building complex comprising a total of 321 apartment units. Of those, 158 will be one-bedrooms, 142 will be two-bedrooms, and 21 will be three-bedrooms. Eight of the nine buildings will be three-story residential structures, with the ninth serving as a two-story “community building.”

Renderings were drawn up by JDavis Architects. Terwilliger Pappas developed the Alexan at North Hills, as well as the Solis Crabtree complex near the Crabtree Valley mall.

View of existing apartments
Site plan

Wine & Design Grand Opening At Union Station

Wine & Design will hold their grand opening at Union Station this Wednesday (12/18) from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful, who did a deal with Wine & Design during their appearance on Shark Tank, will be in attendance. This is the 82nd location for Wine & Design, which officially makes the company an empire.

In January, we reported that Wine & Design planned to relocate its corporate headquarters to the upper mezzanine area of Raleigh’s Union Station. The 2,700 square foot space (managed by our good friends at York Properties) will be used as their new corporate headquarters and as an expanded retail event space. They also have access to a large outdoor event space with incredible views of downtown.

Harriet Mills, Founder of Wine & Design

In an exclusive interview, we spoke with Wine & Design CEO and Founder Harriet Mills about the new space. “We are super excited! We are going to have our headquarters there and will be training new franchisees and interviewing potential franchisees on our Discovery days. We are excited to show partners and potential partners how beautiful and cool downtown Raleigh is. I’m excited to have started here and to be able to be part of the the downtown Raleigh growth.”

They also plan to open a Wine & Design studio, where guests can come and make art. “The event space is beautiful. We have big plans and can not wait to share with the Raleigh community. So stay tuned!” said Mills.

La Croix Wine and Design Class Sells Out In Seconds

Seaboard Wine Tasting 12/21

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village will host a tasting on 12/21 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm featuring Sunrise Wines. Manny and Elia will be pouring some excellent Italian wines from north to south for holiday parties, dinners, and gift giving!

All wine sampled at the tasting bar is discounted 10% off by the bottle and 15% off by the 1/2 case mix or match for you to take home and enjoy. Make Seaboard a part of your Saturday routine!

Hayes Barton Cafe Investigation

We’ve received a lot of questions regarding the new awning on Hayes Barton Cafe recently. Among those that are fit to repost:

The topic has also been brought up on Twitter:

We have an EXCLUSIVE interview from an inside source. “Hey we didn’t change our name, just needed a new awning. Just a term of endearment that we put to good use. Everything else has our original name and always will. Staff/menu/cake etc.”

What a relief. BUT, can this source really be trusted? There’s only one way to find out. We’re going to investigate by eating every single cake to make sure it’s exactly the same as it has always been.

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After Brixxit, New Restaurant Coming To Cameron Village

The departure of Brixx Pizza from Cameron Village (commonly known as Brixxit) left many residents wondering what would move into the space. Fortunately, our friends at York shared the following news last week:

“There’s a new breakfast, brunch and lunch joint coming to Cameron Village. The owners of The Daily Fare restaurant just signed a lease for the former Brixx Pizza space at Berkshire Cameron Village. They’ll be serving daily from 6:30 AM – 4:00 PM. YUM.”

Look for The Daily Fare to open in May 2020.

Say Goodbye To Raleighwood

After 26 years in operation, one of Raleigh’s first dine-in theaters has gone dark. Raleighwood recently announced that it would be closing following two straight years of steadily-declining attendance.

The owners identified a trend towards in-home entertainment and the growing popularity of streaming services as the main reasons behind their decision to close. Although Raleighwood’s lease at Falls Village was set to continue through January 2023, the theater’s current financial restraints made the prospect of waiting another three years to close untenable.

The owners noted that in their 26 years of operation they had hosted, “over 10,000 children’s birthday parties, and numerable Monday Night Football and Super Bowl games, Academy Award galas, 400+ corporate meetings and seminars, hundreds of TV series (24, Lost, Survivor, Seinfeld, The Walking Dead, etc.), hundreds of movies, two weddings and even one funeral service.”

“We would like to thank our friends, customers, neighbors and employees (two and three generations in some cases) for their support over these 26 years. Approaching 74 years of age, my wife and I have decided it’s time to find greener pastures and enjoy our five children and nine grandchildren. Thanks again for your support and patronage over the last 26 years!!!”

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Publix Permits Issued At Smoky Hollow

Back in June, we reported that work would “soon be underway” on the ground-floor Publix at the Smoky Hollow/Peace & West development in downtown Raleigh. If 6 months counts as “soon,” then we were spot-on.

Permits valued at more than $6.8 million were recently issued for the interior fit-out of the grocery store. Although we don’t have an exact timetable for when work on the Publix itself will be complete, previous estimates have put the opening date to be somewhere in the neighborhood of spring of 2020.

Condo Planned Near Cameron Village

Lock7 Development shared a rendering of their 20-unit condo project coming near Cameron Village. The project is located at 615 Daniels Street.

Note: We originally wrote that this was a rendering of the project planned for the corner of Peace Street and Boylan, which is also being developed by Lock7.

Josefs Pharmacy Plans Expansion

Durham-based pharmacy Josefs Pharmacy has submitted plans to nearly double the size of their Raleigh location on New Bern Avenue. After more than a decade of operating in Durham, Josefs expanded to Raleigh in 2010 with their acquisition of the former First Citizens Bank at 2100 New Bern Avenue. 

The existing 2,350 square-foot building, which still looks like the bank it once was, was built in 1951. Per County records, the proposed expansion, which will add 3,010 square feet to the building, will be the first major renovation to the structure in more than 40 years.

Unfortunately, the site review plans did not include renderings of the new structure. It remains a mystery whether Josefs will maintain the existing bank motif.

The Oakwood 24 Run 12/21

Local runner Jon Frey will run for 24 CONTINUOUS HOURS at the Oakwood 24 this Saturday, December 21st at 3:00 pm. Frey is running to raise over $100,000 for Healing Transitions, a local non-profit. You can make a one-time donation or donate per mile to show your support. For example, $35 provides one day of recovery services for one person. In 2018, Jon and supporters from the fitness group F3 helped raise over $30,000 for the cause.

Members of the community are encouraged to come out and enjoy local food, music, and entertainment while supporting Jon as he runs at Oakwood Cemetery. Visit the Oakwood 24 site for more information about the event or to donate.

Jon entered the long-term recovery program at Healing Transitions in August 2016 and completed the program one year later. He has been in sustained recovery since then. He has completed five 100-mile ultra-marathons and 9 other marathons under 100 miles. Today, Jon dedicates his life to fitness, helping others in their recovery, and giving back to the community.

Other News

Broughton’s Webb Simpson won the Presidents Cup

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A pic with the greatest golfer and greatest wife!

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Union Station Adds More Trains

Union Station will be home to the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club’s N Scale Model Railroad Display every weekend through the end of December, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This display is family friendly and free to the public.

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Five Points Family Preps for the Angus Barn Trail

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A Five Points family is preparing for a trek outside the beltline. Davis Knox Craig III and his wife, Mary Anna Dover Craig, have spent the last few weeks carefully planning for their annual holiday visit to the Angus Barn. The 10.3 mile journey from their house in Five Points to the Barn of Angus can be treacherous, especially at this time of the year.

“The beltline was too busy to ford last year. That’s when we lost Little Davis….” Mary Anna said, her voice trailing off as she talked about their only child. Note: Little Davis did not die of dysentery, he just threw a tantrum so unbearable that his father fed him a Go-Gurt laced with Ambien to put him to sleep for the duration of the trip.

A trip of this magnitude requires a lot of planning. The family added AT&T Fiber to their 2018 Yukon from Thompson Buick GMC Cadillac.

“We had to make sure our WiFi would work because cell service can be spotty out there,” said Mary Anna. “I’m bringing my iPad so I can watch The Great British Bake Off on Netflix and do last minute shopping. Little Davis can watch Paw Patrol on his iPad, and Big Davis can just drive in silence.”

With their entertainment planned out, the family still had to prepare for the possibility of being stuck outside the beltline.

Their list of supplies resembled a modern day Oregon Trail inventory:

Extra batteries for charging iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Pros

20 lb bag of grain (non-GMO)

5 lb bag of flour

6 Broughton Tradition Scarves

6 dozen Ladyfingers ham rolls

8 down blankets

4 cases of wine from Seaboard Wine

2 Go-Gurts laced with Ambien

YETI 5-Gallon Bucket

YETI Hopper Two 20

YETI Tundra 75

YETI Tundra 350

4 iPads

3 Bear traps

The father, and party leader, thinks all this planning could have been avoided.

“I’m still a bit upset that White Memorial didn’t let William Needham Finley IV move Angus Barn inside the beltline as part of his summer mission trip in seventh grade,” said Craig III. “But I guess it’s good to use this as a way to teach our kid to appreciate what he has. Sometimes we’ll drive through random strip malls on the way home to remind Little Davis of how good he has it.”

After loading up the Yukon and getting ready to embark, the couple stopped to reflect on the risks associated with such a journey.

“You never know what can go wrong on the trail. But it’s worth it for the Chocolate Chess Pie and cheese and crackers,” said Craig III.

“And for the Instagram,” added Mary Anna.

“And for the…..for….the…” slurred Little Davis from the backseat, as he quietly slipped into a Go-Gurt Ambien induced coma.

Fortunately, Craig III is a doctor, the party is small, and their inventory is well stocked.

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Development Beat: Inside The Wade

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Brought to you by York Properties

Inside The Wade

York unveils Lake Boone renovation plans

Seaboard Wine Tasting 12/14

Sunflower’s Cafe is closing

BREW closing at Seaboard Station, opening at Gateway Plaza

Ed Mitchell opening new BBQ spot in SOJO

Planning Gateway Plaza and Play at Dix Park

FNB Tower opens downtown

Funding approved for Downtown Performing Arts Center and Red Hat Amphitheater

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Inside The Wade

Raleigh’s most anticipated residential project of the century has opened its doors. Over the last few weeks, residents have begun to move into the 29 residences at The Wade. Our friends at Beacon Street have been hard at work on the building, which we’ve covered in the past.

Located at 620 Wade Avenue, the five-story building features two-and three-bedroom floor plans in one of the best locations in Raleigh. The building amenities include a virtual concierge service, a Webb Simpson-tested fitness room, a dog washing station, a rooftop terrace with incredible views of the Raleigh skyline (especially the PlayStation 2 Building), and more.

We took an exclusive tour last week, which is how we got these Southern Living-worthy iPhone photos. You can take a virtual tour here, however, we highly recommend seeing this place in person (contact The Wade to schedule a visit).

The owner’s retreat on the main floor.

First floor residence.

Stay tuned for a full walkthrough and ceremony where we give ITBlake the intern a key to his residence in the next few weeks. (Full disclosure: Beacon Street is a partner of the ITB Insider media empire. They did not actually gift ITBlake the intern a condominium for his 18th birthday.)

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Tis’ the season!

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York Unveils Lake Boone Renovation Plans

York Properties announced a major facelift for the Lake Boone shopping center. Planned renovations include changing the parking lot layout, a new facade, and adding more space for outdoor dining.

York, who manages the property, will team up with McDonald York Building Company and New City Design on the project. The renovations are set to begin in February and finish in the fall.

Seaboard Wine Tasting 12/14

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village will host a tasting on 12/14 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm featuring Advintage Holiday Wines. Ariel Tetterton is back behind the bar pouring a delicious selection of wines for holiday parties, dinners, and gifts for the naughty and nice on your list, including:

Mirabello Prosecco Brut; Veneto, Italy
Hunky Dory Sauvignon Blanc; Marlborough, New Zealand
Cristia Côtes du Rhône Blanc; Rhône Valley, France
Akane Pinot Noir; Sonoma County, CA
Domaine Chantepierre Lirac; Rhône Valley, France
Viña Coterro Crianza: Rioja, Spain

Sunflower’s Cafe Is Closing

We knew this was coming, but we still aren’t ready to accept the news that Sunflower’s Cafe is closing. Where are parents going to eat after picking their kids up from Four Day Fours at White Memorial? The Triangle Explorer shared an update recently on Twitter.

Their last day open will be December 21.

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BREW Closing Seaboard Station Location, Moving To Gateway Plaza

The reminder of the closing of Sunflower’s Cafe was followed by another reminder that BREW will be shutting down their Seaboard Station location and moving to Gateway Plaza.

Ed Mitchell BBQ Coming To SOJO

One of the region’s biggest names in barbecue is returning to Raleigh. Ed Mitchell recently announced plans for The Preserve, a new BBQ spot that will open across the street from Thompson Cadillac (#hiMark) in SOJO. The location was formerly home to the Carolina Ale House. Mitchell is one of the founders of The Pit in downtown Raleigh.

According to the Triangle Food Blog, Ed Mitchell and his son, Ryan Mitchell, are teaming up with LM Restaurants, the owners of Carolina Ale House. The Preserve is scheduled to open sometime in the Spring of 2020. 

Per the News & Observer, Mitchell’s new spot will be one of many new BBQ restaurants opening next year; the list also includes “Sam Jones BBQ, Longleaf Swine, Wyatt’s Whole Hog and Prime BBQ” and potentially “Friendship BBQ” – a new offering from Jason Howard on North West Street that we reported exclusively last week.

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Planning Gateway Plaza and Play at Dix Park

The City of Raleigh is seeking a consultant to design and implement the new Gateway Plaza and Play area at Dorothea Dix Park. The Gateway, not to be confused with the revitalized Gateway Plaza retail center, will serve as the “new, principal entrance to the park.”

Totaling 12.5 acres, the Gateway will feature a 4-5 acre “plaza and play area,” as well as two historic houses slated for renovation. The main goal for the Gateway is to create a “destination and an invitation to enter and explore other parts of the park.”

Proposals for this project, which is being funded by the Dorothea Dix Conservancy but managed by the City, are due in by December 16; the award could happen as soon as February 2020.

FNB Tower Opens Downtown

FNB Tower is now open in downtown Raleigh. We assume that Dominion Realty Partners chose to build the 22-story mixed-use tower at 501 Fayetteville Street so that they could be closer to Stacy Miller, whose office is located within feet of the building.

“We are thrilled to open this project on time and on budget as this day is not only monumental for the entire development team, but also for the City of Raleigh,” said Andy Andrews, Chairman and CEO of Dominion.

We learned from an exclusive press release that the 420,000 square foot building includes 156,000 square feet of Class A office space with ground floor retail, 239 luxury high-rise apartments, a four level below grade parking deck, a world-class amenity level and Skydeck offering two outdoor patios with a pool area and skyline views.

FNB Tower will also feature a restaurant and an open outdoor plaza space next door. Pittsburgh-based First National Bank signed a long-term commitment to become the anchor office tenant of the building.

“We’ve come a long way since I first joined the City Council 12 years ago. Fayetteville Street had just opened to traffic and what has happened since is pretty amazing,” said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. “Andy has set the bar for quality, mixed-use, green development, bringing together Fayetteville’s past and future. We’re excited to welcome FNB and other new companies to downtown.”

According to that exclusive press release, FNB Tower is North Carolina’s first mixed-use dual green certified project including LEED Gold certification and 3 Green Globes certification.

“Fayetteville Street is often considered Raleigh’s main street. Our tallest buildings line either side from the historic state house to the performing arts center,” said former Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane. “The FNB Tower is the last missing piece of the re-development of Fayetteville Street, that started in 2003, with the Livable Streets Plan. I am so appreciative of all the businesses, agencies and partner organizations who worked to make this vision a reality. This is truly a great day for Raleigh.”

Funding Approved for Downtown Performing Arts Center and Red Hat Amphitheater

City Council approved $2.2 million in funding for improvements to downtown Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater and Meymandi Concert Hall. The money will go toward “safety and deterioration” repairs at RHA, and new seating at Meymandi.

According to a memo prepared by City staffers, the RHA was originally intended to be a temporary facility until the expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center. “Due to the popularity of the venue in the downtown area and the delay in the RCC expansion, RHA has remained as a music venue in downtown Raleigh.” 

The city has inspected the facility’s structures and identified several areas that are due for renovation, including:

  • Replacement of main stage performance decking due to deck splintering. 
  • Replacement of seating for sections 1-3 due to rusting of frames, discoloration of seats, and weathered plastic. 
  • Replacement of all stairs and ADA ramps using sustainable product.
  • Replacement of front of house structure, concession, and VIP rented tents.
  • Upgrade and add concessions to generate additional revenue for the venue.
  • Upgrade of artist’s trailer to meet industry standards. 

As for the Meymandi seats, “Additional chairs are also needed… to complete the seat replacement which began in FY2019.” The hope is to use the additional funding to complete the new seating prior to the North Carolina Symphony’s 2021 season.

Improvements to the Red Hat Amphitheater are estimated to cost around $1.8 million, while the Meymandi seating will cost around $400,000. The request for the $2.2 million in total funding, which was part of the Council’s consent agenda, was approved unanimously. 

Union Station Adds More Trains

Union Station will be home to the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club’s N Scale Model Railroad Display every weekend through the end of December, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This display is family friendly and free to the public.

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Development Beat: Rainbow Luncheonette Progress, Krispy Kreme Renovations

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Rainbow Luncheonette progress

Krispy Kreme Renovations

Seaboard Wine Tasting 12/7

Row homes coming to St. Marys Street

Empire buys Kimbrell’s building

Developer selected for GoTriangle project

Cameron Village Post Office finds a new home

Crafty Crab coming to old Applebee’s spot?

We have a new Mayor and City Council members

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Progress On Rainbow Luncheonette

More than two years after renovations kicked off on the historic Rainbow Building at 911 N. West Street, work is underway on the building’s titular restaurant. Permits were recently issued for the Rainbow Luncheonette, a small, old-school diner that will offer breakfast and lunch all week, and dinner on the weekends.

Jason Howard, of The Cardinal and The Atlantic Lounge, told us in an exclusive interview (we called him on the phone) that the luncheonette will be a “25-seater” offering standard breakfast and lunch fare. He indicated that the menu would be “short order grill type food.”

“I’m not trying to win a James Beard award. I want to bring normal food back to Raleigh’s food scene,” he said. Howard was more tight-lipped about the weekend dinner offerings, saying it would be “something special,” that he wants to keep under wraps until the space opens.

The Rainbow Luncheonette will be open from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm every day. On Friday and Saturday they will also be open for dinner from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

While there’s no set opening date – Howard said it could be anywhere from 90-120 days or more – he did note that he’s planning to open another adjacent business at the same time – The Pink Boot.

“It’s a mini-modern honky-tonk type bar,” Howard said, “or at least my take on one.”

And that’s not all: Howard told us he had signed a lease to open “Friendship BBQ” at the Topps Building at 303 North West, a move that would solidify him as West Street’s premier restaurateur.

Krispy Kreme Preps For Renovation

Your downtown doughnut experience is about to get a whole lot nicer. Permits were recently issued for a $112,000 interior alteration to the 2,050 square-foot Krispy Kreme location at 549 N. Person. This is the first major renovation to the space in nearly 10 years.

The property came under new ownership last year when Krispy Kreme’s parent company sold the building to a New York-based real estate investment firm for nearly $5 million. We were the first to investigate.

Despite fears that downtown would lose a historical icon, it was announced not long after the sale that Krispy Kreme had signed a lease to remain in the space through 2038.

The renovation work is being handled by Squared Corners Construction of Raleigh and appears to include the installation of a new, 4′ LED exterior wall sign as well.

Seaboard Wine Tasting 12/7

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village will host a tasting on 12/7 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm featuring Iberian Peninsula Wines with Andoni Uroz. He’ll be pouring a selection of Spanish and Portuguese store favorites, all discounted 25% off by the case mix & match today!

Seaboard Wine’s 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Cameron Crest Row Homes Coming To St. Marys Street

Six high-end row homes are coming to St. Mary’s Street near Glenwood South. The project, known as Cameron Crest, is being built out by Edinburgh Development. 

An exclusive press release put out by Edinburgh stated that Cameron Crest will be a “mix of urban sophistication and traditional southern comfort,” and “reflect a timeless marriage of classic and contemporary styles, complementing the historic charm of the surrounding neighborhood.”

Per the press release, each home will stand four stories tall, average over 2,700 square feet, include a garage with tandem parking, and feature a large rooftop terrace with a spacious fourth-floor loft area.

Back in February of 2018, we reported on plans for a new six-unit townhome project on the same parcel of land that Cameron Crest is being developed. The company that filed those plans sold the land to Edinburgh back in July and does not appear to be playing a role in Cameron Crest.

The press release from Edinburgh noted that work is underway on these homes. City and County records showed that some preliminary utility and site work permits had been applied for. We’re glad to see that these lots – which have stood vacant since around 2016 – are finally being developed.

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Empire Buys Kimbrell’s Building

The Kimbrell’s Furniture building recently became the latest downtown property to be acquired by Empire Properties. Built in 1954, the two-story, 30,870 square-foot building at 210 Fayetteville Street started as a W.T. Grant department store. It was acquired by the Kimbrell Investment Company in 1977, at which point it was turned into the Kimbrell’s Furniture Store.

The Kimbrell’s building was not one of the properties to fall under the recent rezoning case allowing several buildings along the 200 block of Fayetteville to be developed up to 40 stories. Of the ten buildings included in that rezoning case, Empire owns three – Boylan Pierce at 216 Fayetteville, the Carolina Trust Building at 230 Fayetteville, and the Odd Fellows Building at 19 W Hargett.

While looking through the records for this story, we discovered that Empire owns quite a lot of buildings in Raleigh. Most, but not all, of these properties are owned by subsidiaries that use “Empire” in their name. Empire’s Greg Hatem gets a lot of credit for helping to breathe life back into downtown, but really, his true genius seems to lie in naming these LLCs. For example, Kimbrell’s Furniture was acquired by “Ottoman Empire.”

A few of our other favorites:

1810 Fayetteville Street (the historic Bain Waterworks Building): Aqua Empire

1001 Wade Avenue (the old Occidental Life Insurance Building): Empire in the Occident

416 S Dawson (the old Dr. Pepper Complex): Ten Two and Four LLC (Dr. Pepper’s slogan in the 1920s-1930s was “Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2, and 4”)

We’re not sure what’s next for the Kimbrell’s building, but we’ll keep you posted.

Developer Selected For GoTriangle Project

GoTriangle recently announced that a developer had been selected for their new bus terminal and mixed-use development, known colloquially as either RusBus (meh) or ITBus (preferred). 

The transit company’s board of trustees voted to authorize the agency’s interim CEO and president to begin negotiations with Hoffman & Associates, a Washington, DC-based developer that is also redeveloping Seaboard Station.

The ITBus project, which GoTriangle described in a press release as “transformational” will include “a street-level bus transfer facility topped by up to 40 stories of market-rate and affordable housing options, office and retail space, and perhaps a hotel.”

Per GoTriangle’s interim CEO and president Shelley Blake Curran, “This project has incredible potential to connect critical transit access to housing and jobs and educational opportunities in ways we haven’t seen in the Triangle, and the proposal that Hoffman & Associates submitted best captures our vision.” 

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Cameron Village Post Office Finds New Home

Our friends at York Properties shared the news that the U.S. Postal Service office that was once located in Cameron Village is now open in the back of Oberlin Baptist Church. The Post Office was previously located at 505 Oberlin Road. In 2018, WakeMed announced plans to redevelop that property into a medical office building.

Crafty Crab Coming To Former Applebee’s?

Will a seafood chain out of Florida finally be the one to break the curse of the former Hillsborough Street Applebee’s? Our friends over at the Triangle Food Blog recently reported that a “Coming Soon” sign had appeared in the window of the longtime Applebee’s at 3625 Hillsborough Street. The sign was for Crafty Crab, a chain with a focus on seafood fare that currently operates about 14 locations in five states.

Since shuttering in December 2017 as part of an effort by an Applebee’s franchisee to close down underperforming restaurants across seven states, the site has already been home to two more failed ventures.

TLC Wings & Grill Sports Bar was the first, and lasted only a few months after opening in the middle of 2018. That was followed by the Eastern Gate Cafe, a hookah bar/cafe that opened in October 2018 and closed around October of 2019. 

A cursory search of business licenses and LinkedIn seems to show that both these ventures were run by the owners of Peace Street’s Sahara Cafe, but we weren’t able to confirm this. County records indicate that the building itself has been owned by the same real estate holding company since Applebee’s closure in late 2017. 

While the Raleigh location isn’t listed on the chain’s list of “Coming Soon” locations, it does appear poised for a larger expansion into NC with spots set to open soon in both Winston-Salem and Concord.

Other News

New Mayor and City Council Members Sworn In

Photo: City of Raleigh

We’d like to welcome our new Mayor and City Council members, who were sworn in and held their first meeting this week. Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, who previously served on the council from 2007 to 2017, was sworn in Monday night at a ceremony held in Union Station. She was joined by returning council members Nicole Stewart, Corey Branch, and David Cox, along with newly elected members Jonathan Melton, Patrick Buffkin, Saige Martin, and David Knight.

We’re excited to see what this group has in store for Raleigh. However, we aren’t going to go easy on them just because they have expressed a lot of ideas we agree with. We will be closely monitoring where they stand on important issues like the downtown canal and bringing dinosaurs to Dix Park.

We would also like to thank former Mayor Nancy McFarlane for her leadership and for replying to us on Twitter.

You can view the meeting below. It starts around the 7:30 mark.

Here are a few highlights:

Poole’side Pies Open For Lunch Weds/Thurs/Fri

James Beard award-winning chef Ashley Christensen shared the news that Poole’side Pies will be open for lunch from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Wednesday through Friday.

Trophy On Morgan Gets A Green Roof

David Meeker shared a photo of the progress on the green roof that is being installed at the Morgan Street location of Trophy Brewing.

Union Station Adds More Trains

Union Station will be home to the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club’s N Scale Model Railroad Display every weekend through the end of December, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This display is family friendly and free to the public.

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Development Beat: City Market Renovations, East End Coming To Five Points

in Development by

Brought to you by York Properties

Renovations For City Market

East End Market Coming Near Five Points

BBQ Coming To Gateway Plaza

Seaboard Wine Thanksgiving Picks and Tasting 11/30

Work Begins On Bloc 83 Parking Deck

Aunt Betty’s Gin and Absinthe Bar Opens At Morgan Street Food Hall

Work Begins On Raleigh Beach

Paint The Joel Lane House Red

Outdoor hockey at Carter-Finley?

Union Station Adding More Trains

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Renovations For City Market

Two historic and currently vacant buildings at City Market could soon be home to a restaurant, care of longtime owner Hakan Market Properties, Inc.

An administrative site review plan was recently filed that would allow for the storefronts at 220 and 224 East Martin Street to be renovated and potentially combined into a brand-new restaurant. Those properties were previously home to a Subway restaurant and the Cofre Consignment Boutique.

Built in the 1920s, both two-story brick buildings have been in the hands of the Hakans since the mid-90s. We reached out to Hakan Market Properties to see if they could shed light on their plans, and quickly heard back from none other than Michael Hakan himself.

“The plan at the moment is to do a complete renovation of the interior, a gut rehab,” Hakan said. “No suite layouts have been finalized, but the plan includes the activation of both the basement, first and second floors, and the rooftop for “Assembly” type uses.”

Assembly use is typically defined as “places used for people gathering for entertainment, worship, and eating or drinking,” so it sounds like a restaurant is definitely in the cards, although nothing has been finalized yet.

Hakan said they would have a better idea of what’s going in the space by January. He noted that the process is “complex and challenging” due to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance and the location in one of Raleigh’s premier Historic Districts.

City Market first opened in 1914, and currently offers a mix of retail, restaurant, event, and gallery spaces.

East End Market Coming Near Five Points

On November 13, 2019, we speculated on the types of tenants that would move into a new development near Five Points. One such tenant was Co-WorkOut. To quote ourselves, “Co-WorkOut – Raleigh has some great co-working spaces that provide office space for a variety of businesses. But none of these spaces provide exercise equipment. We also have a plethora of fitness options, from barre classes to spin classes. Again, why has no one combined the two? Co-WorkOut would provide office space and fitness classes under the same roof.”

It turns out our prediction was almost exactly right, we were just 1.2 miles off. East End Market, a new mixed-use project near Five Points, has announced the addition of Common Desk, a Dallas-based co-working company. According to the Common Desk website, “We bring together the key things you experience in any given workweek– office space, coffee, and fitness– and power them with our hospitality-oriented staff, culture, and technology.” Not to brag, but awards for this type of prediction journalism don’t even exist yet.

As for the project itself, East End Market will be a redevelopment of an industrial space near Lynnwood Brewing on Whitaker Mill. The project will include 65,000 square feet of mixed-use space for offices and restaurants. Common Desk has signed on for over 28,000 square feet of that space.

We reached out to our friends at Atlas Stark and SLI Capital, both Raleigh-based firms, who are partnering on the project. Trey Adams, Managing Partner at Atlas Stark, spoke to us about the project.

“The vision for East End Market is a historic but trendy infill lifestyle neighborhood. The project will be a destination with authentic spaces, dining, and entertainment — similar to West Midtown and Fourth Ward in Atlanta, Germantown and 12 South in Nashville or Union Market in DC. We believe it will provide a vibe and amenity base not currently present in Raleigh.”

SLI Capital and Atlas Stark purchased the property for over $3.5 million in 2018. Construction should begin early next year and is expected to be complete by the fall. Catherine Easter with Atlas Stark is handling lease inquiries for the project.

BBQ Coming To Gateway Plaza

Wyatt’s Whole Hog Barbecue is coming to Gateway Plaza, according to Ashton Smith’s newsletter, according to Triangle Food Blog, and according to Jennifer Noble Kelly. 

This will be the second restaurant from Picnic’s Wyatt Dickson. Wyatt’s Whole Hog Barbecue will be located in Gateway Plaza and should open in the fall of 2020.

Seaboard Wine Thanksgiving Picks And Tasting 11/30

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village have released their highly anticipated wine selections for Thanksgiving. They’ll also be hosting a tasting on 11/30 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Melinda Kate Callaway from BFR Distributing will be pouring some store favorites for the holidays (and post-Thanksgiving leftovers) from Austria and France, all discounted 20% off by the case mix & match, including:

Hillinger Pinot Gris; Burgenland, Austria
Pascal Bonhomme Viré-Clessé; Burgundy, France
Steininger “Young” Sparkling Rosé; Kamptal, Austria
Anton Bauer Zweigelt; Wagram, Austria
Hillinger Pinot Noir; Burgenland, Austria
Chateau Platon; Bordeaux, France

Seaboard Wine’s 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Work Begins On Bloc 83 Parking Deck

Two months after Whiting-Turner began building out Tower 2 for Hillsborough Street’s Bloc 83 development, the contracting firm has started work on the project’s West Parking Deck.

We first reported on plans for this parking deck, which will include ground-floor retail, back in October of 2018. The new 8-story parking deck (or should it be “parking dec”?) will be located at 701 Hillsborough Street, a site that was for years home to Allen’s Automotive.

Site review plans filed last October described a 267,333 square-foot structure that would stand nearly 90′ tall and provide 693 parking spots. Four retail spaces totaling 8,472 square feet will be located on the ground floor.

A closer look at the renderings reveals where the four retail spaces are planned, as well as the existence of a “Trash Room.” Seems like the developers thought of everything on this one.

This parking deck is the fourth structure that’s part of the Bloc 83 project. While the name might sound like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, it’s apparently part of an overall rebranding meant to pay tribute to the number assigned to this group of properties back when the city was divided into blocks in the days of yore.

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Aunt Betty’s Gin and Absinthe Bar Open At Morgan Street Food Hall

Morgan Street Food Hall welcomed a new addition last week. Raleigh’s newest gin and absinthe bar is Aunt Betty’s. We learned from an exclusive press release that Aunty Betty’s will celebrate the history of gin, promoting its Dutch roots and vast ties to North Carolina. Founder, Niall Hanley, named the bar after his Irish Aunt Betty. 

The bar will feature unique gins and distinctive tonics. Original blends will include ingredients such as Fentimans Pink Grapefruit and Botanical tonics, and Hayman’s Old Tom gin. The artisanal cocktails will be created by Gregory Ewan, managing partner. Aunt Betty’s is located next to Iyla’s Southern Kitchen, with an additional entrance on Morgan St.

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Work Begins On Raleigh Beach

More than four years after plans were filed for a new apartment complex in East Raleigh, work is finally underway on the Villages at Raleigh Beach.

A group of 33 permits were issued to the Halle Building Group earlier this month for the construction of 17 multifamily buildings, nine garages, a car wash, and a trash compactor for a 58 acre site along Raleigh Beach Road. 

The Halle Building Group is also the project’s developer, and one of the firms behind the latest round of plans for the Olde Towne development in Southeast Raleigh.

The most detailed information we could find comes from the 2015 site plan, and we imagine a lot has changed since then. Those plans detailed a total of 392 residential units, the majority of which will be one-bedrooms, although a 2017 report from Colliers International states that the Beach Road apartments will have a whopping 486 units. 

We’ve reached out to Halle for additional details and will keep our eyes peeled for any additional permits issued for this new complex. 

Paint The Joel Lane House Red

Raleigh’s oldest house is about to get a new coat of paint. Best known as the man who sold North Carolina’s general assembly the 1,000 acres that would become the state capital, Colonel Joel Lane was also the owner of what was then known as “Wakefield” – the largest residence in what was then known as Bloomsbury (currently the intersection of Morgan Street and South Boylan.)

“Wakefield,” now known as the Joel Lane Museum House, was eventually relocated to West Hargett Street in 1927, where it has been maintained as a historical structure ever since. 

New research by the home’s present-day owners (the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina) revealed that “250 years ago, Joel Lane chose a rich, distinctive, dark red – almost garnet – for the siding of his new house. Tan trim highlighted the drama of the unusual hue. The result is a handsome facade, fitting for a home reportedly called the “Best House for 100 miles.”

The society announced last week that the house will be restored to its original 1796 colors, as part of a “major restoration that will begin in the coming weeks.”

Per a press release, “The research that revealed the original colors is the result of a major preservation project made in conjunction with the house’s 250th anniversary. JLMH embarked on a mission to replace the house’s current, failing paint in order to save the wood beneath.” 

Exhaustive research (you can read more here) into the house’s countless layers of paint was conducted before some samples “revealed as many as twenty-six layers of paint, representing all 250 years of the house’s history.”

“In the winter of 2019-2020, we will undertake an enormous preservation effort: to remove the old paint, repair and stabilize the wood beneath, and refresh the house’s appearance with a new coat of protective paint. With our newfound information, we will be able to restore the original color the Lane House wore in 1796. The oldest house in Wake County will be red once more.”

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Outdoor hockey at Carter-Finley?

Carolina Hurricanes fans have been dreaming of watching outdoor hockey for years. The picture below made the rounds on Twitter and led many to speculate that an outdoor hockey game might soon be a reality. Yahoo! Sports picked up the story, but it doesn’t sound like there’s any official news at this point.

Union Station Adds More Trains

Union Station will be home to the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club’s N Scale Model Railroad Display every weekend through the end of December, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This display is family friendly and free to the public.

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Development Beat: Trophy Expansion Now Open

in Development by

Brought to you by York Properties

Trophy expansion on Morgan Street opens

Midtown Exchange plans unveiled

Seaboard Wine Tasting (11/23)

Oak City Market at Skyhouse closes

High Horse opens in City Market

Mordecai Beverage Company updates

Cameron Village holiday open house Nov. 21

Plans change for Crabtree development

Shop Local Raleigh Christmas Parade Nov. 23rd

Downtown Raleigh tree lighting Nov. 23rd

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Trophy Expansion On Morgan Street Opens

Trophy Brewing has completed their expansion on Morgan Street and is now open for business. Known for producing the best two beers in America (Trophy Wife and Cloud Surfer), Trophy has operated in their 827 W. Morgan Street location for the last seven years. They have now expanded into the neighboring space, which was previously a laundromat and convenience store, and added more outdoor seating. 

Chris Powers, one of the inventors of Trophy, shared the following message on the popular photography website Instagram.com: 

“We opened our brewery on Morgan St in 2013. We started brewing on 3bbl system in a Bailbondsman Office and quickly realized we couldn’t brew enough beer in such a small space. So, we started to think about how and where to grow. We built a larger brewery on Maywood Ave to help our business grow and build our brand. Eventually we moved our little brewery to @trophyonmaywood, but we have always missed it. Morgan St has always been a home to us and the heart of Trophy Brewing Company. So tomorrow, we are bringing Fermentation back to Morgan St. At 4pm we are kicking open the doors and welcoming neighbors, friends and family in to help us start the newest chapter in our history. We owe a huge thanks to everyone that has supported us over the last 7 years, brought their friends and families through our door and made the “Morgan St Squeeze” to get past the bar and get into our dining room. Tomorrow we welcome fermentation back to Morgan St, and we share what we have been working on.”

They’re also adding 2,000 square feet of green roof and 54 solar panels. The original space will now be renovated to match the design of the expansion. Construction should begin shortly and the renovation should wrap up some time early next year.

Midtown Exchange Plans Unveiled

DeWitt Carolinas announced plans for what may be Raleigh’s most ambitious mixed-use development to date: the $1 billion (with a B) Midtown Exchange.

The nearly 40-acre development is set to include everything from apartments, condos, and townhomes to “world-class workspaces, a premier convention center, an upscale hotel, central green space, high-end shops, and restaurants.” There’s even an “underground speakeasy in honor of Isaac Hunter’s Tavern” which was originally located on the property.

Most importantly, it appears that there will be a WATER FEATURE. Finally, Camp Sea Gull and Seafarer attendees can practice their sailing skills 365 days a year.

Through its subsidiary holding company St. Albans Holdings LLC, DeWitt owns 900 and 1010 St. Albans Drive, along with 3450 Quail Hollow Drive, which total a little over 38 acres.

DeWitt began assembling the land in 1998, starting with roughly 15 acres that would become the site of their One Renaissance building, which was completed in 1999. They have begun the necessary paperwork to start construction on the site, including a zoning verification letter and an extensive Site Permitting review process that includes evaluations of the project’s stormwater, urban forestry, public utility plans, and more.

The mostly-vacant land is situated up the street from North Hills. According to a press release issued by DeWitt, the site will include the following:

• 790,000 square feet of Class A office space

• A convention center with rooftop dining and entertainment, featuring exceptional views of downtown Raleigh

• Over seven acres of green space with water features and park amenities that will tie into the city’s existing greenway

• 125,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space

• 300 hotel rooms

• 1,275 apartments, condos, and townhomes

• 300 senior living units

We’ll keep you posted as the project progresses.

Seaboard Wine Tasting 11/23

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free wine tasting this Saturday, featuring Thanksgiving picks with Ariel from Advintage Distributing. Stop by from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and sample some great wines, including:

Cristia Cotes du Rhone Blanc; Rhone Valley, France
Perrachon Beaujolais Blanc; Burgundy, France
Montinore Borealis White; Willamette Valley, Oregon
Millet Menetou-Salon Pinot Noir; Loire Valley, France
Domaine Chantepierre Lirac; Rhone Valley, France
Lapis Luna Zinfandel; North Coast, CA

Seaboard Wine’s 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Oak City Market At Skyhouse Closes

Oak City Market at Skyhouse has shut down. The deli/grocer was opened in 2016 by Taiseer “Taz” Zarka, best known for his downtown convenience store Taz’s Supermarket One, located at the corner of South Wilmington Street. Its parent company, the Hussain Corporation, filed bankruptcy earlier this year.

Taz’s convenience store also filed for bankruptcy in March of this year, according to the Triangle Business Journal.

Having had the pleasure of meeting Taz on several occasions – he could frequently be found manning the register at Taz’s Supermarket – I was sorry to hear of his troubles then, and am even sorrier now to hear that Oak City Market was forced to close. Like the TBJ in March, we had no luck in reaching Taz for comments, although we hope this isn’t the end of his downtown presence.

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High Horse Opens In City Market

High Horse opened at 208 Wolfe St. last weekend. The wood-fired concept is from top Chef Katsuji Tanabe. According to their website, 

“High Horse Founder, and celebrity Chef Katsuji Tanabe is known across the nation for his signature playful style and unique culinary combinations of Mexican, Japanese, and American flavors. With an upbringing in Mexico City, and successful restaurants stretching from Los Angeles to Chicago, he aims to provide all of his patrons with a unique dining experience that is engaging and affordable for all.

Through his restaurant, High Horse (which pays homage to the stables that once occupied the City Market area) Tanabe invites diners to leave pretentions behind and enjoy a “fun dining” atmosphere for all. With unique combinations of flavors, and a menu original to High Horse, we’re sure you’ll experience meals like you never have before.”

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Mordecai Beverage Company Updates

York Properties recently shared a tenant highlight of Mordecai Beverage Company in Gateway Plaza Shopping Center.

“With its Edison bulbs, leather sofa, metal shelving and wood accents this brewery/taproom/bottleshop has what we can only describe as a cozy “industrial farmhouse” feel to it. (Is that even a thing?) The iconic tree art above the bar was done by sculptural artist Meleah Gabhart.

Check them out sometime soon – you’ll be glad you did. Oh! And if you like hard cider we can highly recommend @stemciders Chile Guava. Nice kick!”

The shop is located in Gateway Plaza, which has undergone quite a transformation thanks to Loden Properties.

Cameron Village Open House Nov. 21

The Cameron Village Holiday Open House will be held on November 21, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Raleigh’s hottest holiday open house has everything, a visit from Santa, REAL snow sledding, a Ferris wheel, music, and much more. Attendees will receive a $25 Cameron Village Gift Card when they spend $100. (Limited to the first 500 guests)

Plans Change For Crabtree Apartments

Back in April, we reported on a plan to bring yet another apartment complex to the crowded Crabtree Valley Market: the 149-unit Cresleigh. It looks like those plans have been scrapped, and a new developer has stepped in with a plan of their own: a 230-unit apartment complex that will also include 15,000 square feet of restaurant and retail.

A recently-filed administrative site review application indicates that Silver Hills Development out of Ohio acquired the land at 5201 and 5301 Homewood Banks Drive (located behind the mall and near the McDonald’s) last month. They will likely begin building the new five-story project and accompanying four-story parking deck sometime next year.

Other News

The ABC 11 Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh Nov. 23

The greatest parade in the history of Christmas is returning to downtown Raleigh to celebrate its 75th year. Sponsored by ABC 11 and presented by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and Shop Local Raleigh, the parade telecast airs from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm.

The Raleigh Christmas Parade, has been presented by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association since 1944. The parade is the largest single-day event in Raleigh, attracting an estimated 60,000 spectators from across the state and reaching more than 250,000 through television and live video streaming. Many people often refer to ITBlake and JDog’s coverage of the parade as the single greatest moment in Christmas history.

Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Nov. 23

Join the Downtown Raleigh Alliance for the annual Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, November 23, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The event will include live performances, a Marbles Kids Museum Booth, local food vendors, downtown retail, local beer and wine, and free activities for every age!

Most importantly, Mayor Nancy McFarlane will light the holiday tree.

Pic of the Week

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Development Beat: Retail Planned For Five Points

in Development by

Brought to you by York Properties

Five Points mixed-use development planned

Forty stories approved for Fayetteville Street

Seaboard Wine Tasting (11/16)

Taco Roos coming to Raleigh

Caswell Square demolition

Wade Avenue exit to shut down for two years

Jones Sausage development

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Mixed-Use Coming To Five Points

Over three acres of an old warehouse development near Five Points could soon be transformed into a mixed-use project that will include office and retail use. 

The site at 1501 Sunrise Avenue was acquired in September by 5 Points Railyard LLC, which was formed in July by Capital Associates, a full-service commercial real estate company based in Raleigh. The LLC recently filed an “administrative site review application” describing their scope of work as “Conversion of existing warehouse facility to office, retail, and warehouse facility with associated parking and site improvements.” 

A real estate listing describes the property as consisting of “two parcels totaling 3.02 acres. The warehouse building sits on 2.35 acres and was constructed in 1954. The building is 98-percent leased and features first floor warehouse space and basement spaces. Both parcels are zoned IX-3 and allows multiple uses including multi-unit living, office, medical, retail, warehouse and distribution, and light industrial/manufacturing.”

The property is located near Larry’s Coffee, Neuse River Brewing, Nickelpoint Brewing, and the CubeSmart Storage facility that almost caused a neighborhood riot a few years ago. What type of office and retail can we expect? We’re still investigating, but we have some theories based on what the surrounding area would support.

Bed & Brewery – while Trophy Brewing, Montfort Hall, and Guest House Raleigh are great additions to Raleigh, why has no one combined the two ideas? There has GOT to be a young couple in Raleigh that’s ready to turn this quaint warehouse into a bed and breakfast that’s also a brewery. Guests would learn more about the brewing process 24/7, as their beds would be located inside the brewing facility. You can’t truly understand how beer is made until you smell the fermentation process at 3:00 am.

Co-WorkOut – Raleigh has some great co-working spaces that provide office space for a variety of businesses. But none of these spaces provide exercise equipment. We also have a plethora of fitness options, from barre classes to spin classes. Again, why has no one combined the two? Co-WorkOut would provide office space and fitness classes under the same roof.

If you are interested in opening your own Bed & Brewery or Co-WorkOut, please contact our attorney Stacy Miller for franchising opportunities.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more about what is actually planned for the space.

Forty Stories Approved On Fayetteville

City Council approved a rezoning case that will allow a historic block along Fayetteville Street to be developed up to 40 stories in height. 

The request was filed by the Morningstar Law Group on behalf of a group referred to as the “Fayetteville Block Owners.” They sought to rezone nine parcels comprising about 1.27 acres from Downtown Mixed Use with a height cap of 5-7 stories, to Downtown Mixed Use with a height cap of 40 stories. In 2015, the City Council had capped the height of buildings in that area of downtown to no more than seven stories for some properties, and five for others.

The parcels in the rezoning request include a number of historic buildings such as the Briggs Hardware building, Kimbrell’s Furniture, and the Boylan-Pearce. All of these buildings will be destroyed immediately. Before you go and start an online petition and social media accounts to save them, we’re just kidding. One of the conditions on the rezoning states that the existing facades on the historic buildings be kept in place.

The newly approved rezoning includes the buildings at 208 Fayetteville, 218-234 Fayetteville, as well as 19 W. Hargett and 14 W. Martin. No redevelopment plans for any of these sites have been filed, although now that the rezoning has been approved, we imagine it won’t be long before the site plans start flowing.

Seaboard Wine Tasting 11/16

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free wine tasting this Saturday. Stop by from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and sample some great wines.

Seaboard Wine’s 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Taco Roos Coming To Raleigh

A mysterious new taco restaurant, whose plans to open shop in Wilmington have sparked numerous conspiracy theories and even a write-up in the Wilmington Star News, has set its sights on Raleigh.

We were recently sent over some architectural documents for a project named “Taco Roos” that’s set to open in the home of a former KFC at 1221 New Bern Avenue. The documents list the project’s owner as a representative from North Carolina’s own Cook-Out.

Per that Wilmington Star article, the Roo’s location near UNC Wilmington was described as a “breakfast diner and Mexican fast food” restaurant. The article states, “A corporate official from Cook-Out who handles media relations said the company is in the midst of a “media blackout” on the subject of Taco Roo’s, and said he could not “confirm or deny anything.”

The Wilmington location is set to open in November, and may shed some light on what we can expect for the Raleigh location. The building at 1221 New Bern was originally built in 1998, and was acquired in 2018 by an LLC tied to Cook-Out.

We imagine work will start on the renovation within a few months, and it’s possible the restaurant could be open as early as the Spring of 2020. Whatever sort of restaurant Roos ends up being, its connection, however tenuous, to Cook-Out has already got our mouths watering. 

Caswell Square Demolition

It’s been a few months since we last wrote about the planned demolition of several historic buildings at Caswell Square in Downtown Raleigh. The State is now seeking a demolition contractor to come in and finish the job. 

In a bid put out last month, the North Carolina Department of Administration announced it would accept proposals through December 10 for the “demolition of two buildings on Caswell Square at the corner of N. Dawson and Lane Street.” The two buildings are described as the Old Steam Plant and the Old Film Library.

In 2016, talks were underway for the site to be redeveloped, although this eventually fell through. Leo Suarez at the Raleigh Connoisseur did a great writeup on Caswell Square at the time.

There are currently no plans for the site that we know of, and the demolition solicitation only notes that the site will be “graded and sodded” following the teardown.

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Wade Avenue Ramp Closed For Two Years

The Wade Avenue 500 is about to get even more intense. The ramp from 440 West to eastbound Wade Avenue is closed, and will remain closed for TWO MORE YEARS. Drivers will be directed to exit onto Hillsborough Street, which isn’t really a solution. Our prediction is that this project will actually take 3 to 10 years, based on the DOT’s track record.

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Jones Sausage Development

An Alabama-based developer plans to bring a new retail outlet to a vacant site on Jones Sausage Road. Site review plans were filed for a new 6,700 square-foot “retail sale” building to be built at 3900 Jones Sausage Road. 

The plans don’t go into great detail on the future of the 3+ acre site, although it does sound like the developer, Capital Growth Buchalter, will act more as a landlord than a tenant. If you build it, they will come, etc. 

We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any permits that help shed light on who will be moving in.

Other News

ITBlake Learns How To Wash Cars And Be A Penguin Mascot

Attention: I'm pleased to launch our new series "ITBlake tries to find a job." In our first episode, ITBlake washes my car with LaCroix and wears a penguin costume from Spiffy. Our friends at Spiffy – On-Demand Car Care are offering $20 off a full wash or detail, or $10 off oil changes when you use code "ITB" at checkout. Be sure to give ITBlake a rating of 1-4 beltlines. Here's the full story: http://www.itbinsider.com/itblake-learns-wash-cars-penguin-mascot/

Posted by ITB Insider on Monday, June 11, 2018

Congrats to Spiffy on their recent acquisition of Your Location Lubrication. While we’re glad to see them grow, we’re really just covering this as an excuse to post the video of ITBlake in a penguin mascot suit.

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Development Beat: Glenwood Village Harris Teeter Renovations, New Condos For DTR

in Development by

Brought to you by York Properties

Glenwood Village Harris Teeter renovation

Condos and retail planned for Peace Street

Seaboard Wine Tasting (11/9)

The Nash condos coming to Nash Square

Wine & Design in Union Station

The Enclave Apartments coming to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Updates on The Wade

Crabtree food court upgrades

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Renovations For Glenwood Village HT

The grocery store wars have escalated. In what some consider a direct retaliation against the new Wegmans, the Glenwood Village Harris Teeter will undergo significant renovations. Based on preliminary construction documents, it appears that the renovations will be extensive.

Work will include a new canopy, concrete work, interior demolition, new flooring, painting, renovations to the loading dock, and extensive HVAC and electrical repairs. At this time, we are unable to confirm the existence of an express lane for La Croix, White Claw, and Elmo pouches.

Work is expected to begin in January 2020 and finish 16 weeks later. The work will take place overnight, allowing the store to remain open during the renovations. You can view plans for the project online, which is taking bids until November 13.

Our only hope is that they add some sort of educational programming related to proper shopping cart return etiquette.

Condos And Retail Planned For Peace Street

A mixed-use development with 24 condos and 1,500 square feet of retail is planned for the corner of Peace Street and Boylan Ave. Back in 2017, we reported that the property at 615 W Peace Street was slated to be a boutique hotel. We don’t know why those plans fell through, but they did provide some entertaining debate between the City Council and the hotel developers over what the definition of a rooftop was. MJM Group was hoping to open their hotel by 2020.

None of that matters anymore. Lock7, a D.C. developer, announced the following on social media last month:

“Lock7 is headed down #South! We’re excited to announce our expansion into the #Raleigh, NC market with the acquisition of 615 W Peace Street. The development, located right off of Glenwood Avenue, is planned to offer 24 units and over 1,500 sq ft of retail space.”

It seems that our friends at New City Design will be working on the project, as they posted about it on Instagram as well. The project should begin construction in 2020 and is expected to be finished in 2021.

Seaboard Wine Tasting: Italian Tour 11/9

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free wine tasting this Saturday. Manuel Magnani and Elia Gentili from Sunrise Wine Importers will be pouring a delicious selection of wines from Italy. Stop by from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, sample some great wines and meet two of the nicest gentlemen (and best dressed) in the business!

Seaboard Wine also announced their 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting, which will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Friday, November 8th – there are ONLY TWO bar seats left for the Cru Beaujolais class. Call the store at 919-831-0850 for reservations.

The Nash Condos Coming To Nash Square

An upscale condominium project overlooking Nash Square in downtown Raleigh will begin construction next year. The Nash will have more than 100 homes as part of the Nexus mixed-use development that’s being built at the former site of The News & Observer.

Nexus will include office, residential, hotel, restaurant, retail and entertainment spaces surrounding a plaza and overlooking Nash Square.

The Nash will offer a variety of floorplans, ranging from one bedroom homes to penthouse suites, and will feature hotel-style amenities, including concierge services, that cater to urban lifestyles.

The architect for The Nash is Elkus Manfredi out of Boston. Brasfield & Gorrie will serve as the general contractor. Dogwood Properties has been selected to handle sales and marketing for the condominium project. For more information visit www.thenashraleigh.com.

“The Nash is reimagining what it means to live in Downtown Raleigh,” said Theo Highsmith, a principal at Dogwood Properties. “The amazing location and sophisticated amenities are an unbeatable combination that will appeal to longtime Raleigh residents and newcomers alike who want to enjoy the perks of downtown living without sacrificing their lifestyle.”

A Look At Wine & Design At Union Station

Wine & Design showed off their new studio space at Raleigh’s Union Station. From the exclusive video that we obtained via Instagram, we can report the existence of a popcorn machine, easels (for painting), paint, and an incredible view.

The 2,700 square foot Union Station location (managed by our good friends at York Properties) is the new home of both their corporate headquarters and an expanded retail event space. They’re now taking reservations for November pARTies.

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The Enclave At MLK

A new apartment project is planned for 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Developed by AD3, the Enclave at MLK will consist of 82 one- and two-bedroom “contemporary flats that are a 3-wood from Raleigh Country Club, a quick bike ride from Wake Med, and a relaxing GoRaleigh commute from downtown.”

Those 82 units will be spread across eight three-story buildings on the vacant 8+ acre site. The developer is promising “floor-to-ceiling windows and open floor plans…custom kitchens and living rooms…private balconies…spa-like master baths with standup fully tiled showers and freestanding tubs.” The website also lists covered basement parking with electric car charging stations, bike storage, a dog wash station, and a fenced pet park.

The Enclave looks to be coming in mid-2021 with pre-sales beginning in the first quarter of 2020.

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Updates On The Wade

We can now confirm that the final grading and landscaping work is being done at The Wade, our favorite condo project and the future home of ITBlake the intern. We’ve been meaning to acquire a drone, but haven’t had the time to take all the classes and learn the FAA rules. However, we were able to get this shot by attaching ITBlake to a crane and then airlifting that crane onto the top of The Wade (he’s fine). Contact Beacon Street Development for more information.

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Waking up to The Wade!

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Crabtree Food Court Upgrades

More changes are in store for Crabtree Valley Mall’s food court to allow for more seating. This seems like an odd choice, given that we can count on one hand the number of times there hasn’t been available seating in the food court.

The project will include new floor and wall finishes, along with ceiling, skylight, and lighting improvements in the general food court area. Work on the food court’s aesthetic upgrade will likely begin early next year, and is expected to wrap up by the end of Summer 2020. Sadly, we have not heard of any plans to add a Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Parlor.

Other News

Carpenter Development Group released some new renderings of their SoHi Raleigh project. Thanks to Ashton Smith’s Raleigh, over-easy newsletter for sharing.

Art Walk Nov. 7th

On Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6:00 p.m. the Christ Church Episcopal Church Women will host their biennial Art Sale. The silent auction event will take place in the Christ Church Commons at 120 E. Edenton Street.

There will also be a raffle for the painting, “Raleigh Skyline,” by artist Shade Maret. Tickets are $20 if purchased by Nov. 4, or $25 at the door. Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five tickets for $100. Get tickets here.

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Development Beat: Nexus News, (ish) Update, Rosewater Opens

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Updates on Nexus development

Progress on (ish) Delicatessen

Seaboard Wine Tasting (11/2)

Rosewater opens in North Hills

Flying Mayan coming to Fayetteville St.

Work on BREW at Gateway Plaza

Hilton Hotel planned near PNC Arena

NC Museum of History Halloween Party October 31st

Steakhouse chain coming soon near Crabtree

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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News On Nexus In DTR

We now know a little bit more about one of downtown Raleigh’s newest developments. A pre-leasing flyer from Foundry Commercial, the exclusive leasing agent for the office portion of the property, has shed some light on plans for Nexus.

In February, California-based Acquisition Group announced plans to develop a 1+ million square foot mixed-use project. Nexus includes a 20-story office tower and residential and hotel towers. 

The flyer describes plans for a 250-room hotel, 48,000 square feet of ground-floor retail that will include a grocery store, approximately 300 apartments, and 100 condominiums.

Formerly the home of The News & Observer, Nexus will be located at 215 S. McDowell Street. Designed by Gensler and built by a joint venture between Barnhill Contracting Company and Brasfield & Gorrie, construction on Phase One is expected to begin in early 2020.

Progress On (ish) Delicatessen

Back in January, we reported that the downtown Days Inn would be replaced by the boutique Longleaf Hotel. As part of this new development, the existing NC Deli would be replaced by (ish) Delicatessen. 

Site plans have been filed for (ish), indicating that the current one-story, 1,320 square foot structure will be torn down. The new structure will stand two stories tall and encompass a total of 5,633 square feet. 

The plans don’t reveal much else about the space, but we do know that it will be run by Matt Fern, formerly a beverage director for James Beard award-winning chef Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants. 

Fern told The N&O in January that, “We want it to be something really informal and playful, allowing us a lot of creative freedoms, but to be able to riff on the classic deli dishes and be able to throw the South into the mix as well.”

Seaboard Wine Tasting 11/2

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free wine tasting this Saturday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. They also announced their 23rd Annual Champagne Tasting, which will be held on December 4th and 5th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm or 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. They will be sampling Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world. Admission is $39 per person. Visit their Eventbrite to reserve your date and time.

Friday, November 8th – there are 4 bar seats left for the Cru Beaujolais class. Call the store at 919-831-0850 for reservations.

Rosewater Opens

Rosewater is now open in North Hills. In 2018, it was announced that local restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias would be opening Rosewater, his 12th restaurant. The Mediterranean restaurant will be “rooted in seasonality and responsibly sourced ingredients that bring to life the charm and intimacy of the village lifestyle.”

The restaurant is located in the former home of Bruegger’s at North Hills. There was speculation that the property would be turned into a surf shop, but that fell through.

Flying Mayan Coming To Fayetteville Street

The Flying Mayan plans to open in December on Fayetteville Street. Billing itself as a place where “the Southwest meets the Southeast,” the Flying Mayan specializes in “fresh, made from scratch sauces, salsas, and menu items that have their roots in both regions.”

The Flying Mayan is being developed by the same team behind the Flying Burrito, located on Grove Barton Road. We could write about the recent restaurant closings on Fayetteville Street, or we could watch this incredible promotional video for the Flying Mayan: 

According to the video, this place is full of “food, fun, and friendship” for everyone. We look forward to trying it out.

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Work On BREW In Gateway Plaza

Work has begun on bringing one of our favorite local coffee shops to Gateway Plaza. Permits were issued earlier this month for BREW Gateway, which will be about 5 times the size of the shop’s Seaboard location and feature a full liquor bar in the evenings. 

According to social media posts, the space is designed to transition smoothly from daytime to evening crowds: a coffee shop during the day, and a bar at night. The shop may also feature a wide range of events, including yoga, movie nights, and coffee and liquor classes.

The 6.8 acre property that houses Gateway is owned by Loden Properties and managed and leased by York Properties. Work on the 5,525 square foot space is being handled by the Northgate Group.

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Hilton Hotel Planned Near PNC Arena

A Hilton hotel is being planned for a property near the PNC Arena. Site review plans were filed earlier this month for the Hilton Garden Inn Wade Park. Plans describe a 7-story, 165 room hotel that will be built on a mostly vacant 2.6-acre parcel of land at 5410 Wade Park Boulevard.

The hotel is being developed by a subsidiary of the Malcolm Bryant Corporation out of Kentucky, and will reportedly feature a rooftop restaurant and bar alongside the typical hotel amenities such as conference spaces, ballrooms and more. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2021.

NC Museum Of History Spooktacular Soiree

Reminder: The Spooktacular Soiree will be held at the NC Museum of History on Thursday, Oct. 31st from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm.

The event will feature a costume contest in the following categories: most historically accurate, funniest, and scariest. Attendees will enjoy live music, food, beer, and a speciality cocktail. More info available here.

Tickets are $35 for members of the museum ($45 for non-members). Use code ITBINSIDER for $5 off tickets. Money raised from this event directly supports the NC Museum of History.

Steakhouse Chain Coming Soon Near Crabtree

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille will soon open its first North Carolina location in Raleigh near Crabtree Valley Mall. The restaurant will be housed on the ground floor of the newly built Crabtree Terrace development at 4509 Creedmoor Road (RIP Soleil Center). The interior fit-out of the 13,132 square foot space is being handled by In Motion Builders out of Florida.

Perry’s, which currently operates more than a dozen locations, got its start as a Houston butcher shop that was eventually turned into a restaurant in 1993. While their slogan “Rare and well-done” is pretty clever, it’s hard to say how much the restaurant differs from other high-end steakhouse chains. You can read their own self-aggrandizing description that sounds like it was written by Billy McFarland and decide for yourself:

“Perry’s excels at the unexpected. Our standout style impresses from start to finish with Flaming Desserts and exquisite celebratory touches. Extraordinary service professionals uphold our tradition of excellence, creating a rare experience.

Here, steakhouse mainstays are enhanced to the finest detail. Perry’s prime USDA-aged steaks are of unparalleled quality, with exceptional marbling for the best texture. And on our menu, you’ll find your favorite additions – from double cut slab bacon to lobster tail halves – for quintessential steakhouse dining that’s well done every time.”

Other News

Art Walk Nov. 7th

On Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6:00 p.m. the Christ Church Episcopal Church Women will host their biennial Art Sale. The silent auction event will take place in the Christ Church Commons at 120 E. Edenton Street.

There will also be a raffle for the painting, “Raleigh Skyline,” by artist Shade Maret. Tickets are $20 if purchased by Nov. 4, or $25 at the door. Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five tickets for $100. Get tickets here.

Raleigh Little Theatre Halloween Event
Check out You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Raleigh Little Theatre this Thursday.

Johnson Street Yacht Club Opened

The NC Courage Won The NWSL Championship, Again
Congratulations to the NC Courage on winning their second straight NWSL championship! They destroyed the Chicago Red Stars 4-0 on Sunday in front of the largest crowd in NC Courage and NCFC history.

This was also the final game for the Courage’s Heather O’Reilly, one of the best players the sport has ever seen (3 Olympic gold medals, a World Cup victory, 2 national championships at UNC).

ITB Living State Fair Edition
The latest issue of ITB Living is out.

Blount Street Preservation Celebration Nov. 7

Preservation North Carolina will host a tour of the Blount Street historic district which will feature six newly restored houses. Enjoy a reception at the Norris House (1879) – a 2018 PNC Carraway Award Winner – featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, and local craft beer.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here. Attendees will also tour five more houses that have been carefully renovated for a variety of new uses:

Lewis-Smith House (1855) – renovated as offices for Hobby Properties

Higgs-Coble-Helms House (1878) – renovated by Blount and Dargan Williams as a health and wellness clinic

Russ-Edwards House (1901) – renovated for Gallery C

Francis-Shepherd House (1903) – renovated by the Francis Law Firm

Lamar-Brown-Arthur House (1896) – renovated by Matthew Brown as a private residence

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ITB Living: State Fair Edition

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Use code ITBINSIDER for $5 off tickets

Welcome to the newest edition of ITB Living. Our team of experts spent weeks coming up with the definitive guide to the North Carolina State Fair. We’ve covered everything from foods that won’t ruin your Keto diet to how to get powdered sugar out of your Barbour. Get your exclusive copy today by following @ITBInsider on Instagram and reading this post.

This edition of Raleigh’s premiere digital magazine cover includes:

Fair Foods That Won’t Ruin Your Keto Diet (thanks to the ITBroads for their hard work and research on this one)

Fair Fashion: Matching Flannels For The Fam

Arteries: Do You Really Need Them?

How To Get Powdered Sugar Out Of Your Barbour (Buy A New One)

Red Cross Adds Luxury Suite For “Missing” Dads

Know Before You Go: TSA PreCheck Doesn’t Work On The Ferris Wheel

Avoid An Amber Alert: How To Microchip Your Kids

Cash Is King: Your CCC Member PIN Ain’t No Good Here

Step Right Up! New Fair Game Guesses Your Income Based On ZIP Code

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We're proud to present the State Fair edition of ITB Living. Our team of experts came up with the definitive guide to attending the North Carolina State Fair. We’ve covered everything from foods that won’t ruin your Keto diet to how to get powdered sugar out of your Barbour. Get your copy today by simply reading this post! ⠀ This edition of Raleigh’s preeminent digital magazine cover includes:⠀ ⠀ Fair Foods That Won’t Ruin Your Keto Diet⠀ ⠀ Fair Fashion: Matching Flannels For The Fam⠀ ⠀ Arteries: Do You Really Need Them?⠀ ⠀ How To Get Powdered Sugar Out Of Your Barbour (Buy A New One)⠀ ⠀ Red Cross Adds Luxury Suite For “Missing” Dads⠀ ⠀ Know Before You Go: TSA PreCheck Doesn’t Work On The Ferris Wheel⠀ ⠀ Avoid An Amber Alert: How To Microchip Your Kids⠀ ⠀ Cash Is King: Your CCC Member PIN Ain’t No Good Here⠀ ⠀ Step Right Up! New Fair Game Guesses Your Income Based On ZIP Code

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High-Resolution Cover:

About ITB Living

This cutting-edge media property addresses the rapidly growing market of people who don’t have time to read magazines. As a carbon negative media empire, ITB Insider realizes how detrimental magazines are to the environment. We save thousands of trees by not publishing an entire magazine. Each carefully curated edition of ITB Living is posted to the @ITBInsider Instagram account and paired with a blog post on ITBInsider.com.

Previous Editions:

ITB Living Thanksgiving ’18

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The latest issue of ITB Living is out! Our team of experts came up with the definitive guide to having the best Thanksgiving ever. Get your copy today by simply reading this post! This edition of Raleigh's premiere digital magazine cover includes: The Kids' Table: Rite Of Passage Or Blatant Ageism? • From Side Piece To Side Dish: Introducing Bae To The Fam • Ladyfingers Ham Rolls: The Rolls-Royce Of Rolls • Tip: DON'T Put The Platinum Rimmed China In The Microwave • 12 Steps For Dealing With Drunk Uncles • How To Survive The Drive To Angus Barn Just To Get Cheese And Crackers And Chocolate Chess Pie • The Real Cause Of Your Turkey Coma (It's Liquor) • Seaboard Wine's Picks That Pair Well With Your In-Laws @seaboard_wine Loud Chewers: Why It's Ok To Stab Them With Your Butter Knife • Quiz! Should You Go To Crowley's Even Though It's Closed? (Duh) • Full story on ITBInsider.com

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ITB Living: Halloween ’18

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Our newest ITB Living cover has everything you need to survive Halloween, whether you're roaming the streets of Country Club Hills with a liquor drink in a YETI tumbler or pulling a toddler in a Radio Flyer wagon through the alleys of Cameron Park. Including: Science: Egyptian Cotton Pillowcases Hold The Most Candy • Quiz: Which neighborhood gives out the best candy? Spoiler: It's Country Club Hills • The Best Trick-or-Treating Wines From @seaboard_wine • Pumpkin Carving Monograms Guaranteed to Get 100+ Likes • Costumes That Won't Offend Anyone (JK, That's Impossible In 2018) • Tiny Pumpkins: How many is too many? #porchgoals • Trunk-or-Treating: Are we really doing this now? • Don't stress about eating all your child's Halloween candy. #candycarbsdon'tcount • Full story on ITBinsider.com.

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The Debut of ITB Living

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Welcome to the debut issue of ITB Living, the world's first digital magazine cover publication. Our inaugural cover has everything you need to prepare for another glorious Deb Ball weekend. Including: The Science Behind Why Raleigh Has The Most Debs Every Year • How This Is SO Like An Episode Of The Crown • Hot (But Still Classy) Dresses Under $25,000 • What Your Deb Stool Monogram Font Says About You • Quiz: Will Your Escort Be Your First Husband? Spoiler: Nope • Tips On Surviving A Pellet Gun Wound The Night Before The Deb Ball • Best Mini Bottle Hiding Spots At CCC • Eggshell, Cream, Ivory: Picking The White Gloves • Playlists For The Tweener • Which Dress To Wear If Your Body Type Is Pear, Hourglass, Or Pizza (this headline was written by a former deb, so no, we aren't pizza shaming) • How To Not Throw Up At The Morning Dance • Full story on ITBinsider.com

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Almost the Worst Halloween Ever

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Development Beat: Brewery Bhavana Team Plans New Restaurant At The Dillon

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Brought to you by York Properties

Team behind Brewery Bhavana and Bida Manda plan new restaurant at The Dillon

Site sells on Cabarrus

Seaboard Wine Tasting (10/26)

Renovations near Moore Square

SmokeStacks Cafe grand opening

Zambrero coming to One Glenwood

Work begins on Standard Beer and Food

Hope Jam Benefit Concert at North Hills this Thursday (10/24)

NC Museum of History Halloween Party October 31st

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Luang Prabang Coming To The Dillon

Make your reservations now, Raleigh. The team behind Brewery Bhavana and Bida Manda are planning to open a new restaurant in the Warehouse District next year. The N&O’s Drew Jackson reported on the team’s plan to open Luang Prabang, a Laotian grill and garden bar, on the ninth floor of The Dillon.

Vanvisa and Van Nolintha and business partner Patrick Woodson (head brewer at Brewery Bhavana) shared the following details about the new project:

“Our menu celebrates the lush flavors of Northern Laos, the centerpiece of which is a traditional charcoal grill, honoring the adventurous eats found at the night market along the jasmine-scented streets of Luang Prabang. It is a love letter to the place we come from and a celebration of the curiosity found in the heart of a mindful traveler.”

Luang Prabang, named after the Nolintha’s hometown in Laos, will have a 5,000 square foot dining room, along with a large terrace bar outside. An Instagram account for the restaurant @luangprabang.us already has over 1,300 followers.

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October 21, 2019 Good morning family and friends, It is with hopeful and grateful hearts we share with you that we are embarking on a new journey—Luang Prabang, our Laotian grill and garden bar, at the stunning rooftop terrace of The Dillon! Thank you for the generosity, love, and trust you have nurtured us since our door first opened at Bida Manda many years ago. We are humbled, inspired, and so excited to share this moment with you. Named after our hometown along the Mekong River where our journeys began, Luang Prabang is an inviting gathering place, overlooking the open horizon of our city. A celebration of the hopefulness, passion, and spirit of the people who make up Raleigh. Our thoughtful bar menu is a balance of creativity and restraint. Each drink is about the places we love, the people we care about, and the inspirations we try to live by. Whether it is a 19th-century cocktail recipe or one of our own whimsical creations, we hope our offering serves as an invitation to many conversations and moments of connection between you and the people you love. Our menu celebrates the lush flavors of Northern Laos, the centerpiece of which is a traditional charcoal grill, honoring the adventurous eats found at the night market along the jasmine-scented streets of Luang Prabang. It is a love letter to the place we come from and a celebration of the curiosity found in the heart of a mindful traveler. Luang Prabang is not just a place, but a state of mind. We look forward to having you at our rooftop garden for a drink, a meal, and a conversation. We can’t wait to hear about your Luang Prabang. With love and gratitude, Vanvisa, Patrick, Van, and your entire Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana family🙏🏾 (Please follow our journey including our trip to Luang Prabang to visit our family and to gain inspirations at @luangprabang.us) Stunning sunrise shot by @oakcitydylan

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In the words of Bonner Gaylord, we could not be more excited about this.

Cabarrus Site Sells to Maverick Partners

A Durham developer has bought up property on Cabarrus Street in Raleigh’s growing Warehouse District. A subsidiary linked to Maverick Partners paid just under $3 million for the three parcels at 401 W. Cabarrus, 505 S. West Street, and 510 S. Harrington. 

City Council approved a rezoning case for the site back in July that increased the number of allowed stories from five to twelve. The case was filed by the developer of the nearby Fairweather condos, who ended up selling the property.

While Maverick has not announced their plans for the site, the rezoning case noted that a mix of hotel, residential, and some small retail with 3-4 levels of parking was planned. We wouldn’t be surprised if they stuck with those plans.  

Seaboard Wine Tasting 10/26

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free wine tasting this Saturday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm featuring special guest Neal Thornton from Sour Grapes Importers.

Wednesday, October 23rd, they’re hosting a Brunello Class with owner Alberto Passeri from Fattoria La Gerla in Montalcino, Italy. The class starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are $20. Reservations can be made here.

Friday, November 8th – there are 4 bar seats left for the Cru Beaujolais class. Call the store at 919-831-0850 for reservations.

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Renovations Planned for Historic 135 E. Martin

The owners of a 119-year-old building across from Moore Square plan to spruce up the exterior. The proposed renovations include altering the storefront, adding new canopies, expanding the second-floor lobby, and a new coat of paint. 

The two-story brick building at 135 East Martin was first constructed between 1910-1914, and has been home to a variety of tenants over the years, including the Martin Street Pharmacy (1920s), Capital Furniture & Appliances (1960s), O2 Fitness (2010s), and now the Bordeaux Construction Company. 

Per the application filed with the Historic Development Commission, it remains typical of many buildings in the Moore Square District: “simple, two-story painted brick with a projecting cornice over the storefront alluding to the Italianite influence.”

Designed by Clearscapes Architects, we imagine that, should the plan be approved by the City’s Historic Development Commission, the aesthetic upgrades will serve as an excellent companion to the newly renovated Moore Square. 

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SmokeStacks Cafe Open In Oakwood

A new restaurant featuring smoked meats recently held its official grand opening in Oakwood. Located at 701 E Lane, SmokeStacks features full-service brunch and dinner, which can be enjoyed either indoors or on the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

There will be a variety of smoked meats available, along with wine and cheese. If you’re unfamiliar with smoked meats, here’s Mark Zuckerberg with more info.

For a full breakdown on the restaurant, including the history of the brother and sister pair behind it, check out Convergence’s writeup. 

Zambrero Coming Soon To One Glenwood

Work is now underway on the latest tenant for the One Glenwood development: the quick-service Mexican chain Zambrero. 

The restaurant, which centers around “fresh and healthy” ingredients, features vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. The menu options won’t surprise anybody: burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas and the like, but we’d be lying if we said the website’s featured photos didn’t have our mouths watering. 

Interior completion work for the space is being handled by local contracting firm Culver Building Company. We aren’t sure of an exact opening date, but would guess work should be done by early 2020.

Work Begins On Standard Beer And Food

A little over a year after the April 2018 closure of Standard Foods, a popular restaurant/grocery and butcher shop, it was announced that the owners of Bond Brothers would be re-opening the space as Standard Beer and Food. 

In June 2019, the News & Observer reported that Whit Baker and Andy Schnitzer had been looking for a location adjacent to “communities [that would] support it.”

“We’re getting rid of the market and adding the brewery function, but we’re keeping the philosophy of regional producers and artisans,” Schnitzer told the News & Observer at the time. “The food program will not be the same. It’ll be more casual, but not your traditional brewpub.”

The pair said any renovations to the space at 205 E. Franklin Street would be minor; adding some brewery equipment, a new coat of paint, etc. As minor as that work may be, it still required permits to proceed. Those permits were issued earlier this month to G&G Builders. We expect the new space will be open by the first quarter of 2020.

Hope Jam Concert At North Hills Oct. 24th

Hope Jam Raleigh will host a benefit concert featuring Mama’s Love THIS Thursday at North Hills. Local bands Midnight Snack and Steamroom Etiquette will kick off the show, which starts at 6:00 pm at the Coastal Credit Union Midtown Park.

The concert will support Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian. Note: Billy McFarland IS NOT INVOLVED with this. Hope Jam was created by Raleigh residents Kallie and Locke Walker and is run by a board of local young professionals who were struck by the devastation in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.

Tickets to the concert are on sale now at HopeJamRaleigh.com for $25 ($30 at the door). All proceeds go to the Caribbean Youth Network. This is a family-friendly concert where kids under age 10 are admitted free of charge. Alcohol will be available for purchase during the event and food trucks will offer a variety of dinner options.

NC Museum Of History Spooktacular Soiree

Reminder: The Spooktacular Soiree will be held at the NC Museum of History on Thursday, Oct. 31st from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm.

The event will feature a costume contest in the following categories: most historically accurate, funniest, and scariest. Attendees will enjoy live music, food, beer, and a speciality cocktail. More info available here.

Tickets are $35 for members of the museum ($45 for non-members). Money raised from this event directly supports the NC Museum of History.

Other News

ITBroads Review State Fair Food
Our new correspondents attended Media Day at the State Fair. Check out their journalism in the Instagram post below:

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💁🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️: Really? Pineapple Dole Whip won Best New Fair Food. At BEST it’s a palate cleansing sorbet. The Chickenator (fried chicken breast nestled in a cinnamon bun, topped with pepper jack cheese and crispy bacon, drizzled with a zesty honey sauce) clearly should’ve won. The ITBroads demand a recount. And while it doesn’t align with our brand, the JoCo HoHo is worth driving to JoCo to get. Fortunately, you only have to drive to the State Fair, which runs today through Oct. 27th. Note: We were the only media members to stand on our chairs to take pictures of the food. That’s Fair coverage you can ITBelieve in. Swipe to see our favorites. Comment below with how many #WW points you think Coco used on the JoCo Hoho. #wheelbigview #statefair #ITBroads

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Jack The Radio Releasing New Album

Jack the Radio is putting out a new album after taking a four year hiatus. The Raleigh based band has set up a Kickstarter to help with creating their fourth studio album. They’ll spend the next few months recording and mixing the album with a planned release date of May 2020.

From the Kickstarter: We need your support to follow through with creating our fourth studio album with inspired new tunes about change, resilience, and rebirth. We’re back after a nearly four year hiatus with a new four-piece line-up. The band has spent the last few years working on other projects, but we are finally ready to introduce you to our new rhythm section and bring you into the process of making the new album, CREATURES.

We are excited to have you join us as we enter a new era of Jack the Radio. George has been busy writing new material, and we are all set to bring the songs to life with the band. The band has started recording with seasoned engineer Al Jacob at Warrior Sound in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition we’ll be bringing in some amazing guest musicians and guest singers for some never-before-heard collaborations.

Over the years, its been amazing opening for bands like Hall & Oates, George Thorogood, and The Avett Brothers in the past, and hearing our music on TV shows and commercials like Modern Family, Boardwalk Empire, and No Reservations. We can’t wait to see where CREATURES takes us next and we are thrilled to have you join us on this musical journey!

New food coming to RDU

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Development Beat: Fixing Up Fallon’s, Kane Scales Back On Cabarrus

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Fixing Up Fallon’s Flowers

Kane scales back Cabarrus project

FastMed coming to former Father and Son Antiques building

Seaboard Wine Tasting (10/19)

The Cookie People coming to Mission Valley

City Market is getting a Top Chef

Updates on The Wade

Pullen Park train upgrades

Hope Jam Benefit Concert on Oct. 24th

NC Museum of History Halloween Party October 31st

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Fixing Up Fallon’s

Broughton’s corsage supplier and one of Raleigh’s oldest florists is getting a facelift. Located at 700 St. Mary’s Street, Fallon’s Flowers is undergoing work that includes an exterior facade repair, new lights, fencing, and retaining walls. The work is being handled by the local firm Bannerman Contracting Company. 

County records indicate the 5,965 square-foot, single-story brick building was constructed in 1950, and underwent its last major remodel in 1964. The property had been owned since 1928 by the Walton Family, who eventually sold the land to the owners of Fallon’s Flowers in 2017 for just under $3 million.

Fallon’s Flowers, which got its start on Fayetteville Street in 1920, now operates two Raleigh locations. In addition to the St. Mary’s spot, they have a location at 2731 Capital Boulevard. 

Kane Scales Back Cabarrus Project

Kane’s newest Warehouse District development is going to be a lot smaller than originally planned. Nearly a year after introducing plans for a mixed-use development on West Cabarrus Street, the company has scaled back on the project.

The rezoning case, filed in 2018, was withdrawn last month. It would have created a development with up to 500 residential units, 350,000 square feet of office space, and 50,000 square feet of commercial/retail space on the 6-acre property.

A recently filed administrative site review case calls for three six-story buildings that would house a mix of office, residential, and retail uses. Administrative site review cases go through a much simpler approval process than a rezoning case.

The site review case proposes a total of 330 residential units (marked as “single family” rather than apartments on the application); 270 of which would be one-bedroom, 55 two-bedroom, and five three-bedroom. About half of these units would be completed in 2021, with the remainder built out in 2022.

FastMed Coming To Former Father And Son Antiques Building

The former home of Father and Son Antiques will soon be home to a FastMed Urgent Care clinic and corporate office space, according to an exclusive announcement we obtained last week.

Located at 107 West Hargett Street, the historic building housed Father and Son Antiques for over 20 years. The building has been expanded to five stories and includes 25,500 square feet of office and retail space.

NAI Carolantic broker John Hibbits represented FastMed in the deal. According to the exclusive press release that we obtained via Twitter, FastMed expects the new downtown clinic and office to open by fall of 2020. FastMed Urgent Care operates over 100 locations in Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas.

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Seaboard Wine Tasting 10/19

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting special guest Jeremy Reiter with Empire Distributing this Saturday, October 19th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Jeremy will be pouring a selection of new arrivals and store favorites for your fall festivities, including:

Fratelli Povero Roero Arneis; Piedmont, Italy
Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc; Sonoma, CA
Chateau Tour de Graves Blanc; Cotes de Bourg, France
Cantine Povero Dolcetto; Monferrato, Italy
Chateau de Javernand Chiroubles; Beaujolais, France
Concannon Vineyard Petite Sirah; Livermore Valley, CA

On October 23rd, they’re hosting a Brunello Class with owner Alberto Passeri from Fattoria La Gerla in Montalcino, Italy. The class starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are $20. Reservations can be made here.

Their next fall Wine Class is on October 18th, and features South African wines. Classes are $39-$45 each and last from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm. You can buy tickets here.

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The Cookie People Coming To Mission Valley

Gourmet home made cookies are coming to Mission Valley, according to our friends at York Properties.

The Cookie People (owners Darrin and April Morey) have been baking cookies and operating out of the State Farmer’s Market since 2008. They also operate a food truck and are available for catering.

The company uses the finest quality ingredients, including some from North Carolina. According to their website, “Our over-sized, soft and chewy, grandma-style cookies are nothing like store-bought. Our cookies start with dough we make locally from-scratch, minus additives and preservatives and using only the highest quality ingredients.”

City Market Gets A Top Chef

Instagram: @katsujitanabe

Chef Katsuji Tanabe, an award-winning chef and popular contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef” cooking show, plans to open a “live-fire” restaurant in City Market.

Tanabe, who currently owns six restaurants in the United States, told the News & Observer that his Raleigh restaurant will cook everything on wood-fired grills. The kitchen will house no stoves or ovens.

Fortunately for Tanabe, the space on Wolfe Street is already a near-finished restaurant, as the wood-fired concept Hearth Kitchen had begun construction before plans fell through. Tanabe’s restaurant should open by year’s end or early 2020.

Updates on The Wade

We can now confirm that exterior painting has begun on The Wade, our favorite condo project and the future home of ITBlake. Evidence gathered from Instagram also indicates that the cornice at the top of the building is almost complete. We should have more details on the rooftop amenity in the next few weeks. Contact Beacon Street Development for more information.

Going Off The Rails Of Pullen Park Train

Is Pullen Park getting high-speed rail? Anything is possible. For now, Raleigh is on track to make some improvements to the Pullen Park Railroad.

The job will require a lot of work, including removing asphalt and replacing it with concrete, removing and repairing railroad track, and much more. Judging by the bid documents, it looks like the work will need to be done by a firm that specializes in building and repairing railroad tracks, and not just a contractor who does standard road or steel work. Due to child labor laws, the City will unfortunately not be able to utilize the immense amount of free labor that roams the park each day. (The over/under on the number of complaints we get about that joke is set at 4. Place your bets before next week.)

We weren’t sure at first, as the specifications don’t indicate the need for a “specialty” contractor, but the Division 9 work (which usually deals with finishes to walls, floors and the like) details the need for ASCE Steel Rail. Only the finest for the smock-wearing 2-year-olds demanding that the train “go faster”. Work on the project isn’t likely to get underway until 2020. 

Hope Jam Benefit Concert At North Hills Oct. 24th

Hope Jam Raleigh will host a benefit concert featuring Mama’s Love on Thursday, October 24th at North Hills. The group has partnered with the Caribbean Youth Network to support Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian. Note: Billy McFarland IS NOT INVOLVED with this. This is a great organization that is simply raising money for victims of a devastating hurricane.

Local bands Midnight Snack and Steamroom Etiquette will kick off the show, which starts at 6:00 pm at the Coastal Credit Union Midtown Park. We still aren’t sure why the venue isn’t called “Bonneroo”.

Hope Jam Raleigh was created by Raleigh residents Kallie and Locke Walker and is run by a board of local young professionals who were struck by the devastation in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.

Tickets to the concert are on sale now at HopeJamRaleigh.com for $25 ($30 at the door). All proceeds go to the Caribbean Youth Network. This is a family-friendly concert where kids under age 10 are admitted free of charge. Alcohol will be available for purchase during the event and food trucks will offer a variety of dinner options.

NC Museum Of History Spooktacular Soiree

As a proud sponsor of this event, we’d like to remind everyone of how incredible it will be. The Spooktacular Soiree will be held at the NC Museum of History on Thursday, Oct. 31st from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm.

We’ve received word that The Five Nines are practicing a cover of “Murder On The Dancefloor” which was made famous by the Felson’s (RIP) dancefloor. They also recently released an EP.

The event will feature a costume contest in the following categories: most historically accurate, funniest, and scariest. Attendees will enjoy live music, food, beer, and a speciality cocktail. More info available here.

Tickets are $35 for members of the museum ($45 for non-members). Money raised from this event directly supports the NC Museum of History.

Other News

New Exhibit Opens at Gregg Museum This Week
Art’s Work in the Age of Biotechnology: Shaping Our Genetic Futures opens this week at NC State’s Gregg Museum. Their website describes it as “a visually stunning and thought-provoking exhibition aimed at raising awareness about genetic engineering, biotechnologies, and their consequences through the lens of art and design.”

A multi-site exhibition, Art’s Work is shown at the Gregg, in the physical and digital display spaces of the NC State University Libraries, and on the grounds of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Raleigh Beer Garden and Wicked Weed Attempt World Record
Wicked Weed Brewing will partner with Raleigh Beer Garden to attempt a Guinness World Record for Largest Tap Takeover on October 19th.

Raleigh Beer Garden will be closed to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. while Guinness judges verify the total taps. Two ticket packages are available: General Admission and Rooftop VIP.

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Hops for Hope; an event that raises funds for Children’s Flight of Hope. CFOH is a 501c3 organization providing air transportation for children to access specialized medical care. Get tickets here.

“While Raleigh Beer Garden already holds one Guinness World Record, we cannot wait to claim yet another,” said Raleigh Beer Garden owner Niall Hanley. “We are excited to welcome the Wicked Weed team and their amazing brews to Raleigh with open arms!”

Oxygen Levels Plummet After Raleigh’s Giving Tree Is Murdered In Broad Daylight

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Oxygen Levels Plummet After Raleigh’s Giving Tree Is Murdered In Broad Daylight

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Oxygen levels in Raleigh dropped significantly after a historic oak tree in Nash Square was cut down. City officials were forced to murder the tree, located across the street from the former Sprague Law Office and Berkeley Cafe, after discovering that it had some sort of tree disease.

As the tree trunk was being chainsawed to death, residents lined up around the block to get their hands on a piece of history. “I’m hoping I can salvage some of its oxygen. I didn’t even know this tree was being murdered until the AQI on my Apple Watch shot up to 360,” said Norman Larson, referring to the watch’s Air Quality Index feature, which determines air quality on a scale from 0 to 500. Anything above 301 is “hazardous” and considered an emergency.

Some residents saw the demise of the tree as an opportunity. “I’ve got enough tree here to make a dozen cutting boards, a set of coasters, and a small end table. If they let me get a piece of the base I could easily make a headboard or a dining room table,” said Alex Hutton. He added that he plans to sell those items on a private Facebook group where the users would, “go nuts over this stuff, especially once I offer a monogramming option.”

Tree regulatory officials are now concerned with fraud related to the sale of “authentic” pieces of the Nash Square tree. “It happens more than you think. A historic  tree or building is demolished and people see an opportunity for exploitation,” said Eric Clay, a tree regulator. “We’ve already caught one landscaping company that was offering to spread “authentic Nash Square wood chips” in yards on Marlowe Road. It turned out to be regular wood chips from Logan’s.”

Residents are encouraged to hire a carbon dating expert or an ITB mom from garden club to ensure any Nash Square tree products are authentic. If fraud is suspected, please contact Stacy Miller at the offices of Miller Law Group.

The crowds eventually subsided, as dozens of tree removal specialists continued to clear the area of mangled limbs. One bystander asked, “Why didn’t they use one of those helicopter saws? Seems like that would’ve been a lot easier.”

Vest Season Delayed, Again

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Development Beat: Bloc 83 Progress, Cameron Village Turns 70

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Work begins on Hillsborough Street’s Bloc 83

Cameron Village celebrating 70th birthday

Seaboard Wine Tasting (10/12)

NC State’s master plan for athletics

NC Museum of History Halloween Party October 31st

Pullen Arts Center expansion underway

Hyperloop coming to Raleigh this week

Apartments coming to Trailwood

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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Progress On Bloc 83

Allen’s Automotive is gone and construction is underway on Bloc 83’s Tower 2. The project includes office and retail, an urban courtyard, and a 655-space parking garage. Located at 615 Hillsborough Street, the project is being developed by Heritage Properties and designed by Gensler Architects. 

Tower 2 is, oddly enough, the third phase of the Bloc 83 project, which also includes One Glenwood and the Origin Hotel. The project will include 159,940 square feet of office space, 1,400 parking spaces, and ground-floor retail.

Permits valued at more than $41 million were issued last month to the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. Those permits list the total number of stories at 11, while the project’s website lists the number at 10.

While each component of the Bloc 83 project is impressive, our favorite planned feature is “Raleigh’s largest urban courtyard,” which will feature “a band stage, projection screens for community gatherings, and a designated fitness zone for yoga/group workouts.”

Cameron Village Celebrating 70th Birthday

The greatest retail destination center in Raleigh is turning 70. Cameron Village will celebrate with a party on Saturday, October 12th from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Be sure to follow @shopcameronvillage on Instagram for more details.

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Seaboard Wine Tasting 10/12

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting special guest Pierina Bianchini, export manager for Raìna, a biodynamic winery located in Montefalco, Umbria. They will be sampling four of her wines plus a few other surprises from Italy on Saturday, October 12th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

On October 23rd, they’re hosting a Brunello Class with owner Alberto Passeri from Fattoria La Gerla in Montalcino, Italy. The class starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are $20. Reservations can be made here. 

Their next fall Wine Class is on October 18th, and features South African wines. Classes are $39-$45 each and last from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm. You can buy tickets here.

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NC State Athletics Seeking Makeover

NC State is about to get a makeover. The university is embarking on a planning process to improve the facilities housing all 23 of the school’s varsity sports programs. 

The university is currently seeking a design team to oversee the planning process, which will focus on improving student-athlete success and well-being, the recruitment of student-athletes and coaches, and the overall fan experience. Although, when a school serves chicken and waffle cones at its football games, we’re not sure how it’s possible to improve upon the fan experience.

The focus of the plan is on the next 10-15 years, with an “identification of immediate needs” during the first five years. The design team will assess in greater detail Carter-Finley Stadium, Doak Field, Case Academic Center, and their respective, associated facilities. The study will likely result in improvements to, and possibly the replacement of, some of these facilities. Could Carter-Finley support 100,000 fans? We’ll have to see what the study says.

A pre-design meeting was indicative not only of the level of interest in this process – there were more than 40 attendees – but also the high level of talent that’s being attracted, which included representatives from Moseley Architects, the Beck Group, Kimley-Horn, SEPI, HKS, and a number of other prestigious firms. 

The budget for this master planning process is between $150,000 and $250,000.

NC Museum Of History Spooktacular Soiree

The NC Museum of History is hosting a Spooktacular Soiree on Thursday, Oct. 31st from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm. ITB Insider is a proud sponsor of this event, held at 5 E. Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh.

The event will feature a costume contest in the following categories: most historically accurate, funniest, and scariest. Attendees will enjoy live music from The Five Nines (who opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers and also recently released an EP), food, beer, and a speciality cocktail. More info available here.

Tickets are $35 for members of the museum ($45 for nonmembers). Money raised from this event directly supports the NC Museum of History.

Pullen Arts Center Expansion Begins

Work is now underway on the expansion of the Pullen Arts Center, thanks to a set of permits issued to Focus Design Builders out of Wake Forest. Located at 105 Pullen Road, the arts center houses a wide range of programs including: pottery, painting, jewelry, printmaking, summer camps for children, and more.

The permits, valued at more than $2.6 million, describe a 22,410 square-foot addition to the existing center that was originally constructed in 1958. 

According to the City, the expansion is just one part of a multi-purpose construction project that also includes a renewal of the North Pullen Park campus, an upgrade to the sewer lines, roadway and pedestrian improvements, and the addition of accessible parking and emergency services access for the theatre, arts center and ballfields. 

The overall project is estimated to cost around $6 million, which was allocated from the 2014 Parks Bond Referendum. Construction is expected to wrap up by the fall of 2020.

Hyperloop Coming To Raleigh

Is Raleigh getting a hyperloop? Don’t worry, we didn’t actually know what a hyperloop was until we spent hours researching the topic. According to Wikipedia, Virgin Hyperloop One is an American transportation technology company that works to commercialize the high-speed technology concept called Hyperloop. Virgin’s XP-1 will be on display at the Triangle J Council of Governments’ Regional Summit in Pittsboro, North Carolina this week.

The pod will be on display on Oct. 10th at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. On Oct. 11th, the pod will be at the Research Triangle Park at The Frontier (800 Park Offices Dr, Research Triangle, NC 27709).

We aren’t sure if Raleigh’s inclusion on this hyperloop road show means we’re definitely getting one. If we had to guess, the chance of a hyperloop being built here is lower than Felson’s returning to Cameron Village.

Apartments Planned For Trailwood

A new batch of what looks to be student housing is planned for the intersection of Avent Ferry and Trailwood Drive. Dubbed the Trailwood Apartments, the 122-unit project will be situated at 901 and 921 Trailwood Drive, just south of NC State. 

A breakdown of unit types notes that there will be 23 “2-bedroom roommate” units; something typically found only in college housing. There will also be 11 studio units, 66 one-bedrooms, and 22 regular two-bedrooms. The preliminary design work was done by none other than Finely Associates (Ed. note: no relation) and reveal a pretty standard, three-story stick–built complex.

Other News

ITBlake ran for mayor
ITBlake the politician launched his Raleigh mayor campaign less than a week before the election. He has since been called a “national treasure” and is now being considered a legitimate political candidate.

Here are just a few of his campaign promises:

View this post on Instagram

The latest from ITBlake.

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Raleigh was ranked in a report
The “Emerging Trends in Real Estate®” outlook report from the Urban Land Institute ranked “Raleigh-Durham” number two in its “Overall Real Estate Prospects” list, and number one in its “Homebuilding Prospects” section.

RIP Nash Square Tree
One of Nash Square’s oldest and most beloved trees will soon be cut down due to disease and rot. A statement from the City: 

The Willow Oak stands on Martin Street across from the Berkeley Café. This magnificent tree is 90 feet tall and has graced the park for more than a century. Sadly, old age and disease have taken their toll, and we have to say goodbye. Thank you to everyone who has taken time over the years to stop and appreciate the tree’s strength and beauty.

Progress on The Wade
The Wade, our favorite condo project and the future home of ITBlake, is nearing completion. Contact Beacon Street Development for more information.

Vest Season has been delayed, again

Vest Season Delayed, Again

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Vest Season Delayed, Again

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Vest season has been delayed due to unusually high temperatures in Raleigh. Residents who have been conditioned to wear vests during the usually cool month of October are struggling to adapt. “What the hell am I supposed to wear to a tailgate in October?” said Sutton Nichols III.

Many parents are concerned that it will not be cool enough to wear fall attire while taking pumpkin patch pictures with their children. 

“It’s so hot that I’ll be dressed for picking strawberries but we’ll be surrounded by orange and that’s going to clash. I don’t care what the weather is, I’m wearing my damn Barbour vest,” said Mary Elizabeth Williams.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the 80s for at least another week. Shares of Patagonia and Barbour are trading at all-time lows as a result. 

This isn’t the first time residents have had to deal with these issues. A Five Points couple, and their Cavalier King Charles, once struggled with what Barbour jackets to wear during an unusually hot February in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Five Points Couple Struggles with Barbour Choices Amidst Record-Breaking Weather

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Development Beat: The Disappearance Of The Cameron Village McDonald’s

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An investigation into the Cameron Village McDonald’s

Wegmans now open in Raleigh

Wine tasting at Seaboard Wine (10/5)

Ashley Christensen’s chicken sandwich restaurant coming to Raleigh

Union Station Phase II Approved

Apartments planned for Glenwood

City Council elections are October 8th – more info. here

Barktoberfest on October 5th

Updates on The Wade

Other News

To be featured in the Development Beat, contact business@itbinsider.com.



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The Disappearance Of The Cameron Village McDonald’s

It’s been months since the golden arches at the Cameron Village McDonald’s went dark. We received numerous questions about the topic, so we decided to investigate.

We assumed the location, like many others across the city, had simply shut down for remodeling. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into a month with no sign of a permit application, we wondered: what’s going on? Let’s start with the basics. 

Raleigh’s so-called permit database has no record of any issued or applied-for renovation permits for the McDonald’s at Cameron Village, although these applications do sometimes fall through the digital cracks. 

The most recent activity at the location was a complaint filed June 28, 2019 claiming that “Pipes bursts [sic] inside the building and water is flowing into the main place they make food.” So THAT’S why the McFlurry machine was always broken. 

McGone but not McForgotten

The complaint was determined to be “Unfounded” when the City investigated a few days later. Odd, but not unusual, coming from a corporation that still has a terrifying clown as a mascot in 2019.

Wake County ownership records for the property at 416 Oberlin Road pointed us in two different directions: Regency Centers, which owns Cameron Village (our friends over at York manage the center), and a company out of Cary named “The Richards Advantage.”

Richards Advantage appears to be a former McDonald’s franchisee. An archived version of a website tied to the company lists the same phone number as the Facebook page for McDonald’s of Cary. The Facebook page for the Cameron Village location has not been updated since May of 2018. Their last post indicates they were, “laying down 100% fresh beef and cooking it right when you order.”

It appears Richards Advantage once operated seven McDonald’s locations in Cary, plus one on the campus of Duke University, and most likely the Cameron Village location.

Unfortunately, the only phone number we could find for Richards was disconnected, and while the McDonald’s of Cary Facebook page still lists the old Richards Advantage phone number, the moderator of the page let us know that a new franchisee had acquired the seven Cary locations in October 2018. 

So where does that leave us? Well, the Regency Centers page for Cameron Village lists the McDonald’s parcel (B0246) as vacant and available. At this point, we can only assume the Cameron Village McDonald’s has served its last Happy Meal.

Of course, the “why” of it all is the most interesting question. Sure, McDonald’s has been shuttering some of its locations. According to 24/7 Wall St. the number of McDonald’s franchises went from from 15,828 in 2016 to 13,948 in 2018. But you rarely see one close, especially in a location as desirable as Cameron Village.

While we don’t know what the future holds for this piece of premium real estate, there are rumors that ITB Insider plans to lease the property to launch a new co-working space. If WeWork can create a company out of thin air, then so can we.

Wegmans Opened And ITBlake Was There

Wegmans has opened in Raleigh. We haven’t seen a frenzy like this over a grocery store since the Cameron Village Harris Teeter avocado shortage of 1989.

ITB Insider was the first media empire to get an exclusive look inside the store last week. We can only assume that the ensuing hysteria was due to our reporting.

On Sunday morning, the N&O’s Brooke Cain provided the following coverage of the grand opening for Wegmans.

Pictures like this began to go Raleigh-viral on social media. The response ranged from cyber-bullying to others sharing their excitement for the new grocery store.

Instead of dunking all over these people on social media, we chose to see the beauty in people willing to wait in line for hours for a grocery store to open.

According to an inside source, Wegmans did over 13,000 transactions on Sunday. Other media outlets have reported that 30,000 people visited the store. We’re glad to see the addition of another grocery store in the area, but the Cameron Village Harris Teeter still reigns supreme.

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Tasting at Seaboard Wine 10/5

Our friends at Seaboard Wine at HighPark Village are hosting a free tasting this Saturday (10/5) from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Ariel from Advintage Wines will be pouring a selection of whites and rich reds to help us transition from summer to fall, if the weather would ever actually get cooler.

Seaboard Wine is also hosting a fall Wine Class series. Their next class is on October 18th, and features South African wines. Classes are $39-$45 each and last from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm. You can buy tickets here.

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Five Points Dad Teaches Son To Ride Peloton

Ashley Christensen Opening Project Xtra Crispy In Raleigh

Move over Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, Raleigh’s James Beard award-winning chef Ashley Christensen is getting into the chicken sandwich game. In July, Christensen revealed that her new fast casual fried chicken restaurant would be coming to Cary and Durham.

A website and social media accounts created for “Project Xtra Crispy” indicate “expertly-crafted chicken sandwiches and flavorful sides” will be the focus of the restaurant.

As if the opening of Wegmans didn’t generate enough buzz for the new SOJO (Midtown East) shopping center last week, Christensen announced that the center will be home to her newest concept.

According to the website, they are opening three locations: SOJO (Midtown East) in early spring 2020, University Hill in Durham in spring/summer 2020, and Parkside Town Commons in Cary in late 2020. We’ve already sent ITBlake out to start waiting in line.

Union Station Phase II Approved

The second phase of the Union Station project, which includes a bus station and up to 40 stories of mixed-use development, took a step forward this week. The RUS Bus, as people are calling it, will incorporate private development above the public transportation facility that will include mixed-income housing. We hereby propose changing the name to “ITBus” (short for “It’s The Bus”) because “RUS Bus” sounds like we’re supporting Russia.

Raleigh City Council approved a rezoning case that will allow GoTriangle to move forward with the project located at 200, 206, and 210 West Street. The 1.76-acre site is currently occupied by two-story warehouse buildings and was described in the rezoning application as a brownfield site.

Last December, the project received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Running and maintaining the project once it’s completed is expected to cost about $250,000 a year. In a cost/benefit analysis commissioned by GoTriangle, it was estimated that by 2053 the project will have netted more than $224 million in profit.

The rezoning case had received recommendations of approval from the Planning Commission, the Raleigh Historic Development Commission, and the local Citizens Advisory Council. However, the Raleigh City Council delayed their approval by two weeks so that additional conditions related to affordable housing could be added.

Among others, they added the following condition, “The property owner will dedicate no less than 20 units or 10% of units, whichever is greater, as affordable for households earning 80% area median income or less for a period of no less than 15 years.”

Another SkyHouse Coming To Glenwood?

The developers behind SkyHouse Raleigh are seeking to expand their Raleigh portfolio with a new project on Glenwood Avenue………not far from Crabtree Valley Mall.

A recently filed subdivision application for the project indicates that the development will include a total of 248 units spread across two four-story buildings. This will include 36 studio apartments, 136 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedrooms, and 16 three-bedrooms. A third building housing an office/clubhouse is also depicted on the preliminary site plan drawings. 

The property at 5715 Glenwood Avenue is currently home to a four-story 1970s-era office building that serves as a corporate office for AT&T. The subdivision application is described as “pre-acquisition” and county records indicate that the developer, the Novare Group out of Georgia, has not yet acquired the land. Southern Bell, also based out of Atlanta, has owned the land since 1973. The Site Review plan does include a purchase agreement between Southern Bell and Novare, but County records do not reflect an actual sale yet.

City Council Elections Oct. 8th

City Council elections are October 8th. The polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm on Election Day. Early voting goes through Friday, October 4th. You can also vote absentee by mail. 

You can check your registration and preview your ballot. If you need to register or update, you can do that at early voting but *not* on Election Day. You’ll need to bring proof of residence. Details here.

Other News

Oak Heart Veterinary Hospital is opening another location in Raleigh. They’re also hosting a Barktoberfest on October 5th. The Oktoberfest-themed event is open to the public from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at 1600 South Saunders Street. For information about the event, and to RSVP, click here. You can also RSVP on Facebook.

The Wade, our favorite condo project and the future home of ITBlake, is coming along nicely. Contact Beacon Street Development for more information.

Downtown Raleigh Alliance is hosting another outdoor office week at Union Station. It’s like WeWork, except it’s free and their valuation isn’t plummeting.

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Five Points Dad Teaches Son To Ride Peloton

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A Five Points dad hit a parenting milestone this week, sort of. Sutton Nichols III successfully taught his son, Sutton IV or “Little Sutton,” to ride a Peloton. The popular stationary exercise bike, which offers live and recorded streaming fitness classes led by virtual instructors, has become a staple of homes inside the beltline. 

What is normally a memorable moment between parent and child was somewhat bittersweet, as Nichols wasn’t physically present to teach his son how to ride the Peloton. “Look, I’m a Vice Executive President Associate Partner at a big commercial real estate firm. I don’t have time to teach my kid to ride a Peloton. My wife was on my case about not spending enough time with the kids, so I took care of it,” said Nichols.

Nichols had his assistant contact Peloton with an offer. He would pay the company to digitally insert him into a series of classes as the instructor, an idea he got from spending a significant amount of time watching YouTube.

“Have you seen these deepfake videos? They’re insane. These nerds figured out how to use computers to put a person’s face and voice on someone else. It’s like photoshop but for a video. It’s actually kind of scary,” said Nichols. 

He was referring to the recently popular deepfake videos, which use machine learning to superimpose existing images and videos onto source videos. In the example below, actor Bill Hader appears to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, and Seth Rogen.

When used maliciously, these videos also have the potential to end democracy. So there’s that.

We asked why Nichols had concocted such an elaborate and expensive scheme when he could have just become a Peloton instructor, or taught his son to ride a normal bicycle. “I make way – and I cannot emphasize this enough – too much money to become a real Peloton instructor,” he explained.

Since money did not seem to be an issue for Nichols, we asked why he didn’t buy a second Peloton to take the classes with his son. “And risk losing my dad bod? I worked too hard pounding cases of White Claw and Old Tuffy at the club this summer,” he scoffed.

We spoke to nearby residents and learned that Nichols was not the only one using the Peloton as a teaching tool. “I wish I’d thought of that deepfake idea. I travel all the time for work and figured I’d teach my kid to ride a bike by using the Peloton. It turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life. After six months of classes, my kid started to think that Vince the Peloton instructor was his actual father,” said a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.

I worked too hard pounding cases of White Claw and Old Tuffy at the club this summer.

Sutton Nichols III

Nichols didn’t just pay Peloton to digitally insert him into their courses. He also had to find a time when the Peloton was not being used by his wife, Mary Eton Nichols. “She’s on that thing constantly. I don’t even know how she has time to tell the housekeeper and the sitter what to do.”

The competition among Peloton riders was one of many reasons why Mary Eaton didn’t want to let Little Sutton become a user. “This is my life. I’m out here every day climbing up the leaderboard. Have you heard about the PED ring in Hayes Barton? They’re all doping to gain an advantage. It’s absurd that Peloton isn’t drug testing,” she said, insinuating that riders are using performance enhancing drugs to become better at riding a stationary exercise bike.

“I thought about contacting Stacy Miller to sue another rider that I KNOW is cheating. Unfortunately, I don’t have impulse control and I just called the person out in our Peloton Facebook group,” she added.

Nichols convinced his wife to let Little Sutton use the Peloton from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, while Mary Eton was attending her daily barre class.

Mary Eton had mixed feelings. “I mean, yeah, it’s great that he taught Little Sutton how to ride a bike that doesn’t move, but how am I supposed to post that on Instagram? It’s almost fall and getting a shot of Big Sutton holding Little Sutton’s seat as he wobbles down White Oak with the leaves changing colors in the background was going to be the PERFECT beginning of fall post. What the hell am I supposed to do now?!” said Mary Eton. 

While there are still some issues to work through, the couple is proud to see the progress Little Sutton has made. “He started dead last on the leaderboard, but he’s working his way up. We’ve scheduled him in classes with a few other kids his age, so he’s also making friends.” 

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