Raleigh delays decision on Hillsborough Street high-rise

Raleigh, N.C. — The fate of part of Hillsborough Street’s Stanhope development has been put on hold for another three weeks. Developers seem to be bending to the will of neighbors who want to see a five-story building instead of seven.

Attorney Robin Curin Tuesday asked Councilors to delay their vote until their next meeting, allowing the developer to revise the conditions that would limit the 79-foot-tall building to five stories. A Raleigh City Council committee last week rejected a proposal for a seven-story building of the same height on the site.

The future building on Hillsborough and Concord streets is part of a three-section Master Plan for the area. Developers originally wanted to build an 86-foot-tall building on the corner, but came down to 79 feet as a compromise with the neighborhood.

The 79-foot-tall building would be on the same visual level as the 74-foot Kerr Drugs building proposed for Hillsborough Street and Friendly Drive.

While neighbors seemed to agree on the physical height of the building, they opposed anything more than five stories, saying it would add too much density to an area already plagued by traffic problems.

Curin said in previous meetings the developer was unwilling to commit to a five-story limit because it would hinder his ability to find a user for the space. Curin said the developer had immediate interest in a seven-story building.

A final vote could come at the Council’s regular meeting at 1 p.m. Feb. 5.

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Hillsborough St is not downtown. You'd have to live down here to get that. Val Valentine has already destroyed half of the Stanhope neighborhood by making it into gravel parking lots. This "development" is where small small victorian and colonial revival houses once stood. This whole development is creating a situation next to the rest of Stanhope that makes it undesirable to live there. You would not stand for this in Fuquay or Holly Springs, so all I ask is to put yourself in these people's shoes. I promise you, Val does not care about anyone but himself and his bank account.

drjones74
January 18, 2013 11:46 a.m.

no scubagirl, the developer had already compromised previously and was going to build the 7 story at 79 feet. the council gave them 79 feet, but would only give them 5 stories.

archmaker
January 18, 2013 10:33 a.m.

7 story 86 feet

5 story 79 feet

reading is fundmental

Scubagirl
January 18, 2013 9:54 a.m.

There isn't much that could make this block of Hillsborough Street look worse than it already does. If someone wants to build anything here, be thankful and let them do it.

kdawg
January 18, 2013 8:02 a.m.

It is difficult for me to understand why the neighborhood located in an urban area near downtown is opposed to a 7 story building. Give me a break! It's about time some people that live here realize Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle is considered a "major metropolitan area". My guess most of the people that oppose the building size aren't transplants. The City Council needs to look forward an do what is best for the City's growth. The difference between 5 and 7 stories isn't much. Years ago the Council approved the now defunct Westin Hotel project off of Glenwood Ave. That building would have been higher than the one in question now. Not to mention it would have stuck out like a sore thumb in Crabtree Valley. My recommendation to the Council members is start acting like Raleigh is a major City.

rhess2
January 17, 2013 7:15 p.m.