A new 37-story building planned for Glenwood South will have more floors than any building in downtown Raleigh, even more than the PNC building, which is 32 stories tall.
The new building, called The Creamery, will be located at the site of the old Pine State Creamery, a former dairy products factory at 414 Glenwood Ave. The plans preserve the creamery building and its history, but the high-rise will dramatically change the feel of the neighborhood.
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Plans for The Creamery call for more than 41,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. Pine State Public House and Sullivan's Steakhouse have already signed on as tenants in the historic creamery building, along with Milk Bar, a nightlife venue.
The developer of The Creamery told WRAL News crews hope to break ground by the end of 2024.
There will also be residential space, including a fitness center, pool and recreation room with golf simulator, according to the website.
Glenwood South is special to longtime residents like Larry Miller, who loves the area's walkability and how much has changed over the past decade.
“The neighborhood has a lot of unique different buildings," Miller said. “You have the combination of different buildings and facades, and it just makes it interesting when you’re walking around.”
Glenwood South has seen multiple rezonings over the last few years for taller buildings, including at the site of the original Raleigh Char-Grill, where a 20-story development has hit a number of roadblocks.
Apartments are also popping up. Will Gaskins with Downtown Raleigh Alliance said there are 1,800 apartment units currently under construction in downtown Raleigh.
Like many downtown developments, The Creamery site will include office space -- even as other office buildings in Raleigh sit empty with many post-pandemic workers electing to do their jobs from home. In January, Wells Fargo announced it would abandon its 29-story iconic downtown Raleigh tower, relocating corporate employees to other locations across the area.
Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David recently outlined the challenges downtown Raleigh is facing to fill vacant office space.
“We don’t want it to turn back into a sleepy government capital city," Adams-David said. "We want it to be thriving. We feel like, at least from the local government lens, that getting people back into the workplace is critical.”
Earlier this year, corporate real estate brokers told WRAL News they expect other companies to move out of downtown Raleigh for suburban locations or office space in areas like North Hills.
Several downtown developments in Raleigh are on hold because of financing as large developers wait for rate cuts by the Federal Reserve to make projects more financially sound.
Miller said he knows change is necessary, and he hopes it’s all for the better.
“People are moving here, so you can’t stagnate," he said. "It’s going to change, so you want to make it a good change.”