Locals, developer debate several 40-story buildings proposed for North Hills

Some people who spoke with WRAL said they welcome the change as this area in the North Hills off Six Forks Road looks much different than it was years ago.

If built, those 40-story buildings would be the tallest buildings in Raleigh, including PNC Plaza downtown.

The meeting, held virtually, was for the people who live in the North Hills area near where the buildings would go. Traffic, public safety and property values were the most important factors to people in considering the project. Also worth nothing is that a fire station is nearby and added traffic could make going out for calls more difficult.

"I think it's a good thing," said Chad Whichard. "It's good for property values."

The realty company for this project, Kane Realty, plans to submit a rezoning application to allow the structures to be built. A Kane representative emphasized the proposed project, including the two proposed 40-story buildings, would require a traffic study be done to address any additional congestion in the area.

As for public safety, speakers during the event said Raleigh police and Kane's security team would still access the area.

One person voiced concern for the potential lowered property value of some neighboring homes if traffic continued to be a problem, but a Kane Realty representative said they didn't foresee that being the case.

The next step in this process is for Kane Realty to submit its rezoning application to the city. The application, if approved, would allow Kane to build two towers up to 40 stories tall, one up to 30 stories and another up to 12 stories. Currently, the tallest building in Raleigh is the 32-story PNC Plaza downtown.