Just wishful thinking.

The problem with combining is that you're still stuck with the 16-unit limit before you start having to provide on-site parking. The provision in the UDO allowing the first 16 units to be built with no parking is the linchpin that has made all these small-scale apartment projects possible and affordable to build on Hillsborough street.

If you DON'T combine, and the properties are developed separately, there could be 32 units across both lots without any parking. If you DO combine, then you either have to provide parking, stick to 16 units (=> less profit), or get special council approval for reduced parking requirements (=> good luck).

You can still make a profit if you spread the cost of structured parking out across a larger number of units but for smaller scale buildings it's not always practical. I suppose they could do 32 units with 16 surface parking spaces but it's cheaper to exclude parking altogether.

[Edited on October 22, 2015 at 11:42 AM. Reason : Blah]

10/22/2015 11:37:12 AM

Quote :

"In other words, argument by satire can be effective, but it is very prone to straw man arguments. You don't have to look very far to find out that this fallacy is pervasive. Take for example: -Monorail is parodied in the Simpsons so therefore rail transit must be stupid. -Republicans are parodied by Stephen Colbert so they must be stupid. -Redevelopment is parodied in South Park so it must be stupid."

maybe to a very small group who aren't able to get nuance, but a majority of the fans of your examples (especially Colbert and the Simpsons) are intelligent enough to get the joke and the different aspects of the joke. The Monorail episode really had nothing to do with Monorails specifically, it was just a placeholder for a larger theme.

those ideas for damn sure don't trickle their way up to policy makers and law makers

[Edited on October 23, 2015 at 12:00 AM. Reason : and those who make those strawman arguments tend to be the ones who laugh for all the wrong reasons]

10/22/2015 11:56:01 PM

I prefer Ctpatown



http://southpark.cc.com/clips/ismjlq/ctpatown

10/23/2015 11:33:45 AM

Hangover Grill to replace Get Baked.
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/morning_call/2015/11/hangover-grill-coming-to-raleighs-hillsborough.html

Insomnia Cookies now has a monopoly on late night cookie delivery on Hillsborough. Let their reign of terror begin.

11/3/2015 7:45:29 AM

Insomnia brought us a free dozen the other day. They were really good.

11/4/2015 11:20:57 PM

The renderings of the new restaurant at the former Hillsborough St. Textbooks looks promising. It's interesting to look at the pics of renovations underway, as it may have been better suited for a music venue.

11/5/2015 8:30:12 AM

Music venues need parking. And acts. There are enough music venues in Raleigh at the moment.

11/7/2015 5:52:55 PM

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/morning_call/2015/11/old-varsity-theater-on-raleighs-hillsborough.html

The inside of that place looks way bigger from what I remember the couple of times I bought textbooks there. Should be a pretty awesome addition to Hillsborough, the only bar/restaurant on that area of the street is McDaids.

11/7/2015 7:38:43 PM

and one of the two best bars/restaurants on Hillsborough, Mitch's

11/8/2015 12:10:27 PM

I honestly always forget about Mitch's. Only went there two or three times during college.

11/8/2015 9:11:35 PM

Quote :

"The renderings of the new restaurant at the former Hillsborough St. Textbooks looks promising."

The bones look good... but I dunno about those colors til i see 'em in person.

P.S. Is anyone ever going to make the Alley fix that abomination of a facade they created?

11/9/2015 9:11:54 AM

Quote :

"Is anyone ever going to make the Alley fix that abomination of a facade they created?"

I'd be more interested in someone making them fix their shitty lanes.

11/9/2015 10:07:07 AM

i don't have to look at their lanes when i drive by

11/9/2015 10:43:37 AM

Something is happening at the Carolina Equipment Company / Lulu building. They just applied for rezoning to allow 5 story mixed use development and the application talks about residential, retail, and parking decks. If I were to guess, they are going to move all their parking into a structure and develop the rest of the parking lot into student apartments.

The amount of change happening up on seedy old Hillsborough Street is unreal.

11/9/2015 9:13:20 PM

Quote :

"I'd be more interested in someone making them fix their shitty lanes."

their lanes are historic... gives character to the game... you never know what your ball is going to do when you roll it!

11/10/2015 11:51:35 AM

I love bowling - bowled in a league for years. I can't bowl at Western Lanes - my hook just goes straight into the gutter like 10 feet before the rack. It's like bowling on sandpaper. Add to it that you have to keep your own score and it's no wonder nobody wants to go there.

What are they doing with that huge bar near the warehouse district? Used to be a Jillians or something then was a college bar I can't remember the name of - huge space with the outdoor volleyball court, etc.

They should turn that into a bowling alley like Ten Park Lanes in Charlotte or 710 in Myrtle Beach.

11/10/2015 2:03:56 PM

I love keeping my own score, but the lanes there have gone from ok to "how is this place still open?" over the last few years. Fucking boards popping up all over the place, ridiculous left--->right or vice-versa issues etc

11/10/2015 2:48:45 PM

I think I read that their lanes are the only real wood lanes left in the triangle area. Haven't bowled there in 10 years, even back then the lanes weren't great but at least it was still fun. Maybe now they're getting so old that it is about time to modernize.

11/10/2015 2:58:53 PM

I enjoy the challenge of trying to figure them out

some of the best games I've ever bowled have been there

11/10/2015 4:55:40 PM

^ you've been there recently?

I too enjoy a challenge, but when you can't throw the ball left enough to compensate for the left to right action, it detracts from the fun for me.

11/10/2015 10:33:28 PM

Any idea what they're putting up ontop of Sylvia's bones?

11/10/2015 10:46:46 PM

My biggest wish for the Alley (aside from fixing the shitty looking panels across the front of the exterior) would be for them to put some $ in the bar/food area. It's a pretty big area that's totally wasted.

I remember my last couple years of college when people would just kind of end up there on the Hillsborough Hikes because it was the only place with room enough to fit all the people out that night. They shut down the bar two separate times I was there because there were too many people trying to get drinks at once.

With Mitch's, the place going in the old movie theatre, McDaids & whatever will be going on the street level of the apts going up in the old Two Guy's spot, all being right in that area, it'd be nice for the Alley to finally do something with their place.

11/10/2015 11:35:07 PM

McDaids is living on borrowed time. I've never seen more than 4 tables occupied in there. they picked a bad time to open a faux-Irish pub.

and they have invested a majority of their money into the bar area, not sure the last time you checked it out. I know I'm a bit older but it's a lot different from when I took part in the Hike and ended up in there.

Quote :

"you've been there recently? I too enjoy a challenge, but when you can't throw the ball left enough to compensate for the left to right action, it detracts from the fun for me."

haven't been in a few months, but used to go every Monday for more than a year. can't imagine they've gotten that much worse in the past year or two.

11/11/2015 12:40:19 AM

Quote :

"Any idea what they're putting up ontop of Sylvia's bones?"

Check one page back.
message_topic.aspx?topic=416339&page=48#16276707

11/11/2015 5:59:24 PM

Quote :

"I too enjoy a challenge, but when you can't throw the ball left enough to compensate for the left to right action, it detracts from the fun for me."

synapse is the kind of guy to show up to a friendly bowling outing with a bowling bag, complete with shoes, wrist guard, bowling themed hand towel, personal score sheets, and a custom-made 80s themed bowling ball. Then bowls a 120.

11/11/2015 6:07:02 PM

Lol naw I bowl like once a year with the alley's shit, and am happy with a 120...but those lanes were fucked a few months back. Maybe they've fixed them.

11/11/2015 7:21:46 PM

Quote :

"What are they doing with that huge bar near the warehouse district? Used to be a Jillians or something then was a college bar I can't remember the name of - huge space with the outdoor volleyball court, etc. "

It was Jillians and then changed to Buckhead back in 2007 but it closed shortly after in 2009 or 2010. The problem with that space is that it's massive, it's 15000 sqft and the property owner wants $16/sqft/year. So basically they want 20k/month rent.

I think investors are having a hard time figuring out what to do with all that space, that'll make their money back. It's been shown bars have a hard time there. And those that went there when they were open know that it wasn't because of lack of people going because it was usually packed. I think unless someone comes in and breaks the building into separate units somehow and get mixed use out of it, I don't see anything going there for a while.

It's a shame too, as the location is in a great spot and I would love for something to go there. There's been word that the land flying saucer is on is working to be rezoned and bought out. If that happens maybe flying saucer and another business could go there.

Here's a link to it if you have the cash to throw something in there.
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18128074/411-W-Morgan-St-Raleigh-NC/

[Edited on November 12, 2015 at 12:08 PM. Reason : .]

11/12/2015 12:03:32 PM

yeah $16/sf is pretty high for a space like that. I'd love to see the bowling/adult recreation thing come to fruition but it would costs millions. I could also see a production brewery going in there - like a national micro-macro like Sierra Nevada / New Belgium opened in Asheville.

Quote :

"I think I read that their lanes are the only real wood lanes left in the triangle area. "

This is true. May even be the only ones in the state. But bowling alleys switched to synthetic for a variety of reasons - it's not a "they don't make 'em like they used to" type of thing, hardwoods suck.

I don't mind the decor and keeping with a classic theme. They literally could leave it exactly the way it is and just get new lanes and a scoring system (hell, even iPads with a scoring app) and I'd start going up there often, maybe even for league. Scoring your own card is cool and all, but I can't imagine more than 10% of bowlers really knowing how to do it easily.

11/12/2015 2:58:30 PM

I mean, it's simple math

if anything it's good for people to use that part of their brain if they don't use it on a regular basis

11/12/2015 3:28:58 PM

Yah that part is a draw for me...plus if someone messes it up you can always accuse them of cheating

11/12/2015 3:34:43 PM

are there not a million scoring apps for iOS and Android?

11/12/2015 3:38:05 PM

I'm sure there are, but for groups who want the normal systems they're a pretty piss poor substitute.

11/12/2015 4:55:45 PM

Quote :

"The problem with that space is that it's massive, it's 15000 sqft and the property owner wants $16/sqft/year. So basically they want 20k/month rent."

I'm told the landlord refuses to spend any money on it and the systems are all shot. So 20k/month rent + new HVAC + new roof +all interior upfit. It's going to stay empty until someone makes a huge offer on it. Based on the sale of the Citrix building across the street I'm sure that owner thinks it's worth $5 million.

11/12/2015 7:48:10 PM

i think their /sf rate is reasonable but only if it comes with some allowance for TI

11/13/2015 12:56:58 PM

^^if that's true, it sounds like the owner just wants to be bought out and doesn't want to deal with having tenants.

11/13/2015 1:38:35 PM

Curious what's going to happen to the strip of shops next to the Sylvia's Ghost / New City Design building when that's open. It's amazing that the little clothing shop there is open.

Good luck to anyone living there that doesn't want to get yelled at by Slim every day until he goes back to jail again.

11/15/2015 4:16:02 PM

Lulu building being torn down so an out of town developer can throw up some shitty looking student housing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/real-estate/2015/11/redevelopment-plans-surface-for-raleighs-lulu-hq.html

11/18/2015 5:52:40 PM

Seriously, is there some student housing shortage I'm not aware of?

11/18/2015 6:14:40 PM

near the university there is a shortage for sure, most of the student housing that's been built in the past 20 years is a commute away

11/19/2015 1:10:06 PM

I wonder how all the new apartments on Hboro has been affecting the hamster housing enclaves south of Gorman x Avent Ferry. Lack of housing drove up demand there, but the area sucks. I know that if I had the option to be on Hillsborough St. I would have gone for that. Prices are a lot higher though I suppose.

11/19/2015 1:23:44 PM

When they came for Jackpot, I was like "meh."
When they came for Sadlack's, I was like "I'm okay with that."
When they came for the N.C. Equipment Company, I was like :cry: :cry:

11/19/2015 1:39:30 PM

Quote :

"I wonder how all the new apartments on Hboro has been affecting the hamster housing enclaves south of Gorman x Avent Ferry. Lack of housing drove up demand there, but the area sucks. I know that if I had the option to be on Hillsborough St. I would have gone for that. Prices are a lot higher though I suppose."

If you are talking about Lake Park Condos I can tell you its not predominately students there anymore....but they still rent out by the room.

11/19/2015 1:49:10 PM

that area has been a crime-ridden shithole for like 10 years now

11/19/2015 3:23:51 PM

Quote :

"Lulu building being torn down so an out of town developer can throw up some shitty looking student housing. "

motherFUCKER

The sign has to be saved at the very least.

11/20/2015 10:01:17 PM

If they tear down the building, they can't put it on top because it doesn't conform to sign standards. Most likely outcome is that they incorporate it into a larger decorative piece in the lobby.

11/23/2015 5:31:48 PM

Oh I realize it doesn't conform to sign standards. What if they incorporate it into the facade or onto the top of the building as art--could that pass? Assuming the building has some other proper "sign" so it's not a de facto sign?

</amateur architect>

12/1/2015 8:52:48 PM

You can get the board of adjustment to approve non-conforming signs. Pretty easy with historic precedent. Or call it art instead of signage and sidestep the whole thing.

Though I'd be surprised if an out of town student housing builder gave a shit.

12/2/2015 8:45:59 AM

Trophy should have gone in the old Buckhead instead of the new location for the brew efforts.

12/17/2015 6:39:42 PM

Breweries need cheap space. That's why most production sites are in old industrial buildings in not great parts of town.

12/18/2015 1:40:12 PM

https://www.facebook.com/hstreetkitchen/

New renderings/pictures of the place going up in the old movie theater space.

A place with that much space right in the middle of the street could do really well on Hillsborough.

12/27/2015 7:31:45 PM