Category: Downtown & Main Street
Student Corner: The State of the Debate: Two-Way Street Conversion
In recent years, cities across the country have chosen to convert their one-way street networks into traditional two-way streets. This blog post will explore the roots of this widespread planning trend, its potential impacts on city streetscapes, as well as some common counterarguments to this movem … Continued
Student Corner: University Contributions to Municipal Service Districts in NC
One tool that local governments utilize in order to promote revitalization and growth in communities across North Carolina involve the use of Municipal Service District (MSD) taxation revenue. MSDs are designated areas, usually within a municipality’s central business district or other area of inter … Continued
Maintenance of vacant or neglected commercial buildings: options for NC local governments
UPDATE 2021: Some statutory provisions referenced in the original post were relocated to new Chapter 160D of the North Carolina General Statutes, effective January 1, 2021. This post has been updated with the new statutory references. The downtown buildings in the Town of Old Well have “good bones.” … Continued
Student Corner: Downtown Revitalization Achieved through Transit Development: Raleigh’s Union Station and the Warehouse District
In October 2017, travel, entertainment, and food website Thrillist ranked Raleigh’s Warehouse District among “12 neighborhoods across America that are about to get crazy popular.” Matt Meltzer wrote, “Next year, the $80 million Union Station opens up, turning the warehouse district into Raleigh’s tr … Continued
Student Corner: How Asheville Revitalized its Downtown: Part II
Asheville, North Carolina is increasingly lauded for its mountain views, restaurants, craft beer, and art scene. It seems like Asheville is always on a “best” list – most recently, it was touted as the number one best place to visit in the US in 2017 by Lonely Planet. But just what factors explain … Continued
Student Corner: Multiplex in Morganton: The Mimosa Theatre
At the corner of Union and Green in Morganton’s historic downtown sits the Marquee Cinemas Mimosa 7 multiplex movie theater. You would be hard-pressed to find a 7-screen first-run downtown movie theater in this day and age in a North Carolina town with a population of about 16,000. You would also be … Continued
Student Corner: How Asheville Revitalized its Downtown: Part I
Asheville, North Carolina – “New Age Mecca,” “San Francisco of the East,” “Land of the Sky,” “New Freak Capital,” and “America’s Happiest City.” These are just some of the nicknames that Asheville enjoys, due to its more recent prominence in the social, economic, and political domains of North Carol … Continued
Student Corner: The Grasshoppers’ Stadium is a Homerun for Downtown Greensboro
When the Greensboro Grasshoppers threw out their first pitch at their new stadium on April 3, 2005, it was still uncertain what the impact of the stadium would be on the greater downtown. The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro took a leap of faith in building the $22.5 million stadium … Continued
Student Corner: An Innovation District in Downtown Durham: Will It Mean Gentrification? Not Necessarily…
On March 16, 2017, Longfellow Real Estate Partners, in partnership with Duke University and Measurement Inc., broke ground on the first phase of new construction on the Durham Innovation District, or Durham.ID, in downtown. Durham.ID describes itself as “1.7M square feet of possibility nestled among … Continued
Student Corner: The Challenges of Movie Theater Redevelopment
In the age of video-on-demand and digital projection, many movie theaters across the world have found themselves stuck in the past, struggling to adapt to the advancements in technology and consumer reference. With the costs associated with transitioning theaters into fully functioning digital cinem … Continued