RALEIGH, N.C. — The Raleigh City Council poured through a number of high-profile projects Tuesday.

The City Council gave its final stamp of approval for Crabtree Valley Mall's

expansion project

. The project includes adding 74,000 square feet of new retail space, along with restaurants and a two-story parking deck. The addition will go up near Barnes and Noble and add 164 new parking spaces.

The council also canned a proposal to tax downtown to help rebuild downtown, especially the Fayetteville Street Mall area. The concept would have created a new property tax in downtown Raleigh, then funnel the revenue into revitalization projects.

Council members said the proposed tax would unfairly pull business owners into city projects.

The city council voted Tuesday to keep a

pilot curbside garbage program

up and running, but council members were willing to look at alternatives.

The most popular proposal would offer recycling service once a week, instead of every other week. It would also give people the choice to have curbside or backyard pickup.

The council plans to vote on a collection plan in two weeks.