Development Beat: Inside The Wade

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.)

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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