Another step in the right direction.

Quote :

"City leaders ponder more Hillsborough Street improvements Raleigh, N.C. — City leaders want to take a fresh look at one of the most talked about – and slowest – projects in the capital: the renovation of Hillsborough Street. City Council members will debate creating a business-improvement district along Hillsborough Street at a meeting Tuesday. "People recognize that we need to do something to improve the first impression of Raleigh," Councilwoman Mary Ann Baldwin said. More than 200 years ago, Hillsborough Street was built as a thoroughfare to the Capitol. It still serves as a gateway to Raleigh, through North Carolina State University. However, the roadway's highlights include boarded-up buildings, overgrown grass and a maze of power lines. "It's dirty. Some of the buildings are decrepit," Cup a Joe manager Kim Jones said. The creation of a business-improvement district would allow property owners to make collective contributions to the maintenance and development of the area. Planners said it could help rejuvenate Hillsborough Street and get rid of some the empty storefronts. "I think if the city makes its contribution, the private sector will come forward," Baldwin said. The district would extend nearly 2 1/2 miles from St. Mary's School, a block east of Morgan Street, to Meredith College, near Interstate 440. Jones expressed some impatience with the pace of rejuvenation efforts by the city, saying conversations about improvements have been going on for nearly five years. "I don't believe anything that they say they're going to do, because so many things have been said, and nothing's really been done," Jones said. In October 2007, the City Council approved a street design for Hillsborough Street, including the construction of at least two roundabouts, adding more than 200 on-street parking spaces and burying power lines in a five-block area. The outlines for that plan were first proposed in 1999. Despite her impatience, Jones said she hopes the city keeps up its efforts. "It's never too late," she said."

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2835574/

5/5/2008 7:40:22 PM

less pondering more digging

5/5/2008 7:42:44 PM

Quote :

"It's an interesting point he makes about the facility being a high-rise when the trend is toward apartment-style housing, but I think if they plan it correctly (i.e. individual bathrooms or 2-room suites like UT, but with a shared living area as well as bath) it will work despite being a high-rise. While they may be against the current trend, they're space-efficient, while traditional 2 to 4 story apartment buildings, not so much. The more urban the campus gets, the less space they'll have to work with, and they're going to have to have somewhere to put on-campus students. I've yet to see what's on the drawing board to replace Sullivan and Lee, and those buildings could certainly stand to be replaced, but I'm wondering how they're going to replace ~1500 beds with a low-rise building (s) sharing a similar footprint to what's there now... Also, sidenote but I'm a bit curious--does anyone know why Sullivan and Lee are first up for replacement, rather than the tri-towers? Bowen/Carroll/Metcalf are about 10 years newer, but they've got smaller rooms, an odd suite layout, and other than being convenient to a tunnel seem to be largely unloved. Maybe it's that they'd have even less space to deal with than over on West campus... And for that matter, why are they not replacing Bragaw when they do the other 2 west dorms? It's the oldest of the three by a few years. Maybe the fact that it's not a high-rise saves it? Maybe they want to keep the X marking the spot in aerial photos? Hmmm. "

from the article linked before yours . . .

Quote :

"900 students in two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments"

and I believe that Sully and Lee are being torn down because they aren't ADA compliant (have to use stairs once you get off the elevators) and it is cheaper to tear down and replace than to fix all all the problems.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so I haven't been keeping up withall the changes. What is the end goal that the city is looking for with the street besides making it look better. Are they looking to increase traffic flow or to make it more pedestrian friendly . . . those two idea don't seem to go together overly well. It seems that they want business to come there and yet maintain the traffic volume that goes through there now.

IMO, traffic moves too fast and there is too much of it for it to get much consumer spending in the area. My solution would be to bury the power lines, make it 1 lane in each direction with diagonal parking, have a median with grass and trees, and make the speed limit like 25, have traffic lights on the short lamp poles with no traffic circles, and of course get rid of the bums. This would obviously change traffic from how it is now, but teh area won't grow without ample parking and being pedestrian friendly which you don't get wiht 45 mph traffic.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 9:10 PM. Reason : ]

5/5/2008 8:59:54 PM

dude they have been talking about this since like my freshman year, and that was like almost a decade ago.....it wont happen anytime in the near future. im not saying it wont happen, just dont hold your breath for it.

5/6/2008 2:51:29 PM

the thing marko posted at the end of the last page makes me think of another college inn...god i hope its not another college inn type place

5/6/2008 2:54:56 PM

We've gotten too damn spread out over the last 60 years, and zoning laws don't help with keeping urban areas alive. When everything is separated according to use (residential, office, industrial, retail), people have to drive all over everywhere for their needs and create more traffic congestion. This creates the need for wider roads and more parking spots, which eats up land that could be used for living, working, and retail space.

What works nicely is what they do in European cities, which is mixed-use buildings: retail space on the ground floor, accessible from the street, and living or office space on the upper floors. There would still be a demand for suburban homes for people who want quiet, private living space, so maybe we could disperse small neighborhoods of private single-family homes within an urban area, so that residents could have the quiet, private neighborhood feel while still being able to walk to stores, restaurants, etc.

Bigass parking lots and decks aren't exactly attractive to people, for aesthetic and safety reasons. A sea of cars is not only ugly, but its absence of human life and numerous hiding spaces for muggers makes people feel isolated and vulnerable. The presence of bums and muggers also keeps people away, but I don't know what urban planning can do about that. Maybe increase police or private security patrol, but at whose expense? Maybe if we legalized all recreational drugs, there would be less violent crime because drugs would be cheap and plentiful.

While there are some apartment buildings here and there on Hillsborough street, there's not much around them that the tenants would want to walk to... no grocery stores or pharmacies or department stores or anything. Just gas stations and convenience stores.

Most of this is just wishful thinking, we've pretty much screwed ourselves from 60 years of short-sighted planning.

5/9/2008 12:07:25 PM

Yeah, I think mixed use buildings on Hillsborough would be a really good idea. My friend went to college in Vermont, and on their version of Hillsborough Street, almost all of the buildings were mixed use. The first and sometimes 2nd floor would be shops, everything above that would either be offices or studio apartments. They also did the one lane, diagonal parking like mentioned above.

6/29/2008 12:22:58 AM

diagonal parking is supposed to be more dangerous

6/29/2008 1:03:47 AM

I saw last week that the old Starcade building is up for sale at $3.5 million.

Loan me some cash, tdub.

6/29/2008 3:20:29 AM

All you need to know about Hillsborough revitalization is as follows:

Many years ago, the yellow house next to the former Gumby's was a fucking amazing guitar shop with nothing but vintage stuff called Hillsborough Street Music. It closed because the building's owners said they were going to tear it down and build something new and hip. Same went for the warehouse that used to be behind those buildings.

The warehouse got torn down to make way for unpaved Valpark, and the yellow house is still there, albeit boarded up.

On the upside, there's a new guitar shop between Cup-a-joe and Nice Price that's owned by two guys who build their own customs.

6/29/2008 4:43:57 AM

Wow, I had forgotten about that guitar shop. I always wondered why it closed down.

6/29/2008 7:27:14 AM

http://www.hillsboroughstreet.org/project.htm

the original plans have been abridged a lot, the only roundabouts being built now are Pullen, Oberlin, and an extended Pullen/Oberlin.......and H'boro will be 2-lane from Oblerlin to Gardner, or something like that

6/29/2008 11:51:50 AM

Quote :

"marko Tom Joad 62117 Posts user info edit post I'll believe it when they start digging and everyone starts complaining about the construction. 6/22/2006 6:04:29 PM"

6/29/2008 11:12:48 PM

Because I have no life, I just looked at all the design plans on that website. I have to admit, if they do what they say they're going to do it should look quite nice.

6/29/2008 11:20:00 PM

Quote :

"On the upside, there's a new guitar shop between Cup-a-joe and Nice Price that's owned by two guys who build their own customs."

Huh. I'll have to check that out sometime.

6/30/2008 11:42:11 AM

Quote :

"Council OKs Hillsborough St. Revitalization Plan By Chad Austin, News Services A resolution aimed at revitalizing Hillsborough Street received unanimous approval by the Raleigh City Council last week during the group's July 15 meeting. By a 7-0 vote, the council approved the establishment of a municipal service district (MSD) – also known as a business improvement district (BID) – on the stretch of Hillsborough Street running from Meredith College near the Beltline to St. Mary's School near downtown. (Click here for map.[pdf]) http://www.downtownpros.com/hillsborough/downloads/map_proposed_boundaries_031708.pdf Hillsborough Street Hillsborough Street is scheduled to get a major facelift in the near future. BIDs are funding mechanisms that provide revenue to property owners within the district for additional city services such as business recruitment, marketing, maintenance and security. The city already has a BID in the downtown area. Funds for the BID will come from a special assessment levied on property owners located within the district boundaries. The special assessment will take effect on July 1, 2009 and is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2014 unless extended by the city council. Property owners within the Hillsborough Street BID will pay 10 cents per $100 of their assessed property value. The money collected through the BID would be directed back into the BID neighborhood to fund various enhancement projects. “Hillsborough Street is one of the front doors to NC State and is an important place for our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Chancellor James Oblinger. “Several members of our campus community, including students, staff and faculty, have taken a leadership role in the efforts to revitalize Hillsborough Street, and the establishment of the business improvement district is a major step forward.” Academic institutions, non-profit and charitable organizations, churches, and other tax-exempt entities would be exempt from the BID, but may voluntarily contribute funds to the district. Because NC State has a vested interest in Hillsborough Street, university officials plan to make a financial contribution to the BID effort and encourage other entities to do the same, according to Ralph Recchie, the university's director of real estate who also served as chairman of the Hillsborough Street BID steering committee. "We're big supporters of the plan, so we expect to make a generous contribution," Recchie said. "We'll also take a leadership role in soliciting additional voluntary contributions from other exempt members within the district." Although the amount of the university's contribution has not been established, the contribution would come from non-state-appropriated funds, Recchie said. The BID steering committee included representatives from NC State, Hillsborough Street business owners and residents located within the proposed district. The group presented their plan to the Raleigh City Council during a public hearing on July 1, two weeks before the council approved their resolution on July 15. The BID proposal was developed following the passage of a transportation and streetscape enhancement package by the city council on Oct. 2, 2007. The goal of that project – tentatively scheduled to commence this winter – is to streamline traffic flow, increase parking, promote pedestrian access, and beautify the landscaping and sidewalks along the street. Recchie said he hopes the BID can offset some of the growing pains businesses will experience during the construction time, which will last between 18 and 24 months. "One of the urgencies of having the BID in place was to help retain and recruit businesses that are going to suffer during the construction period," Recchie said. "We want to promote and market the street to make sure people know the merchants are open for business even though construction is taking place. "We want people to still be in the habit of coming to their favorite Hillsborough Street locations once the construction project is complete and the improvements are made.""

http://www.ncsu.edu/bulletin/archive/2008/07/07-25/hillsborough_bid.php


Hillsborough Street Business Improvement District Web Site
http://www.downtownpros.com/hillsborough/

Hillsborough Street Business Improvement District Map (pdf)
http://www.downtownpros.com/hillsborough/downloads/map_proposed_boundaries_031708.pdf

Hillsborough Street Redesign Information
http://tinyurl.com/6omjcn

[Edited on July 25, 2008 at 1:39 PM. Reason : +]

7/25/2008 1:38:28 PM

lets just keep it sketchy. we need a couple more solid bars tho.

7/25/2008 2:04:23 PM

I wish they'd straighten out that weird spot where Morgan Street splits off, just past the Jade Garden. It makes no sense the way it's arranged.

7/29/2008 12:01:49 PM

Quote :

"I wish they'd straighten out that weird spot where Morgan Street splits off, just past the Jade Garden. It makes no sense the way it's arranged. "

are you talking about that weird curve? hehe i love that curve cuz its like an S curve with an incline. i like to get my rally racing on.

7/29/2008 12:15:49 PM

^^uhhhh...look at the plans. Its been talked about all over this thread.

[Edited on July 29, 2008 at 12:17 PM. Reason : ^'s]

7/29/2008 12:16:40 PM

Quote :

"Store owners face economic downturn Hillsborough Street restaurant owners raise prices, absorb cost fluctuation Caitlin Greene & Alison Harman Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Features It might not be obvious, but higher prices have hit Hillsborough Street. Business, especially those that are locally owned, have faced the economic downturn -- which results in, among other effects, comparatively higher prices for goods and oil -- in either of two ways. The first option restaurant owners have is to raise their prices, allowing their customers to make up the profit margin lost when the same raw goods come with higher price tags. This method maintains an owner's profit margin but tacks on additional charges to an item. The other option restaurant owners have is absorbing the higher cost of products so that customers do not have to pay more for an item. Michelle Royals, a co-owner of Ningyo Pearl Bubble Tea House, said the restaurant is doing a little bit of both. "It's been a struggle financially," Royals said. "We don't want to price ourselves away from Hillsborough Street. We can't not give customers what they want just because they can't afford it." Doug Pearce, a professor and department head of economics, noted that price increases are a slippery slope -- although energy costs are higher, businesses have to watch how much they increase prices. "It is a ripple effect," said Pearce. "It comes down to how much of a price increase you can pass on when NCSU students possibly have less to spend." Royals and co-owner Nathan Phillips have raised the prices of their spring rolls by 30 cents and have added to their menu specialty milkshakes that cost $4.99. These milkshakes, Royals said, were added mainly to help absorb the profit loss from regular bubble tea products, which now cost more to make but which the owners still sell for the same price -- $3.15 for a regular size and $3.65 for as large. By Royal's calculations, most of the increase in price started in June. What they once paid for spring roll wrappers when Ningyo Pearl opened in January -- $1.79 -- is now $2.09. For avocados they paid $4.48 in January and started paying $5.88 in June. That's a 24 percent increase in price. Phillips said most price increases came from shipping costs accrued through purchasing products from their supplier in California, Lollicup, a provider that ships its products from Taiwan before selling them to stores throughout the U.S. However, seasonal fruits and vegetables that should cost less because they're shipped locally, not internationally, in the summer have not changed in price. "It's just like an increase in food prices," Phillips said. Shipping costs account for about 30 percent of the amount paid for products, Royals said. Although Royals and Phillips have figured that buying in bulk can cut overall shipping costs, their profit margin has already decreased by 10 to 15 percent. Royals said they will try to absorb the extra costs for as long as they can, but "when your profit margin starts to get to 20 to 30 percent less, you don't have many options." "We try to give people what they want for fair market prices," Royals said. "$3.39 is enough for tea ... Hillsborough Street is a fickle market anyway." Its location at the heart of N.C. State, Pearce said, could help ward off price increases. But he said restaurants on Hillsborough Street are not exempt from economic slowdown. "Small stores do not have much of a cushion in capital which can lead to problems if business slows down," Pearce said. "There is a lot of turnover on Hillsborough, which is just common with small businesses." And students, the street's primary customers, may start spending less money. "One easy way to economize is to eat out less," Pearce said. "Students may decide to eat in their dorms." This makes restaurants "pretty susceptible" to slows in the economy, Pearce said. Yet, despite this fact, he said he has not really seen a big price increase on Hillsborough Street. "Stores try to attract customers with lower prices but with different items," said Pearce. Even if store owners have raised their prices, Pearce said it can be difficult to measure price increases because restaurants can adjust portion sizes, refills and other variable items on a menu. "The big problem is that businesses have cost increases that they want to pass on but at the same even though NCSU and Raleigh is stable, it clearly experiences slower growth than in the past," Pearce said. "And demand and competition makes it difficult to pass these extra costs on." Andrew Strong, a junior in civil engineering and a frequent patron of Hillsborough Street, said he has not noticed any price increases at the local restaurants and stores. Noting ease of location, Strong said he goes to shops on the street very often since he lives just one block away, well within walking distance. "As a Hillsborough Street resident, I shop and eat at various establishments multiple times throughout the week," said Strong. But even if prices did increase, Strong said he would continue to frequent Hillsborough Street "simply because it is too expensive to drive anywhere.""

http://tinyurl.com/5tgpsn

9/3/2008 9:31:34 AM

small bump

Quote :

"Roundabout plan is meeting topic RALEIGH - Raleigh residents tonight will be able to get information and express their opinions about a roundabout proposed for the intersection of Morgan and Hillsborough streets. The city will hold a public meeting about the project at 6 p.m. in the Glass Room at Pullen Park Arts Center, 105 Pullen Road. City staffers and representatives of the engineering design consultant, PBS&J, will be available to review the proposal and answer questions until 6:30 p.m., when a formal presentation begins. The city has proposed the single-lane roundabout as part of the conversion of Morgan Street to two-way traffic. "

10/14/2008 1:11:27 PM

heres a great video on the project

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=792094901425946031&ei=M4b1SKq4L6P0qALzl4zeDg&q=hillsborough+street+revitalization

10/15/2008 1:57:57 AM

bttt

12/23/2008 12:32:33 AM

so is this a serious attempt to work on hillsborough st? b/c i heard they were going to "fix-up" since my freshman year in 2000, and even then it had been talked about for years before

12/23/2008 10:41:07 AM

Quote :

"Hillsborough Street renovations set to begin Business owners are not sure if these renovations will help the area James Cox Staff Writer Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 © 2008 NCSU STUDENT MEDIA The project to revitalize Hillsborough Street is set to begin in the late spring or early summer, according to George Chapman, the chair of the Hillsborough Street Partnership. Currently, Hillsborough Street has two lanes traveling in each direction and one parking lane on the business side. Once the renovation is complete, the road will look much different, according to Chapman. "The new format of the street will have one lane of traffic in each direction with a lane for parallel parking on each side, and each side seperated by a median," he said. The renovations will result in less opportunities to make left turns along the street. "The left turning movements that currently choke up the street will be eliminated by going to a net roundabout and essentially make a u-turn," Chapman said. Once the project is completed, motorists will not be able to turn left down the side streets when headed from Dan Allen Drive to Oberlin Road. While many feel the renovation will bring positive changes, not everyone is optimistic. Nathan Phillips, the owner of Ningyo Pearly Bubble Teahouse, said that every few months the developers say that something is going to happen, but it never does. In Phillips's opinion, there are three things that could happen. "One, with economy the way it is [the city] won't spend the money. Two, there [will be] no point in the project if [students] don't use the street as a resource," Phillips said. "Or three, the city continues to drag its feet or create so many pre-conditions...something doesn't get done." Phillips said that if the latter option turns out to be the case, Hillsborough Street won't be able to survive. And even if the project is completed, some people, after looking at the plans for the project, can see traffic problems brewing even with the new street design. Alan Lovette, the owner of Melvin's wondered about the use of parallel parking. "Why not angled parking," he asked. "Most people don't know how to parallel park." Lovette also said that he expects traffic to slow to a crawl. Phillips thinks that traffic will be so bad it will deny pedestrians the ablility to cross the street. But despite the problems he forsees, Lovette is ready for the project to begin. "If it happens, it will give the street a second chance [to thrive]," he said. Lovette warned that businesses must have the things students need, or students will not be drawn to Hillsborough anyway. However, Lovette said that even though it will take time to make the street a place students want to come to, that time should be now. "It's time to make [Hillsborough Street] the students' place to go. We just want the students to come back to the street," Lovette said. Pei Wen Thor, a senior in engineering said that she went to Hillsborough much more this semester than she used to. "I never used to go there for the past three years." She said. And after she has been there much more often and seen how the street functions, she agrees with the assessment that traffic will be worse, but thinks that the extra parking will be a plus. "It will be good in terms of parking because it's always hard to find parking," Phillips said. "One of the things Franklin Street has that Hillsorough doesn't is parking." One final problem that the street will face is closure to traffic while construction on the street is ongoing. This worries Phillips. "My fear is that my business won't survive if the street is closed for any length of time," he said. But no matter what is done, Phillips knows that the relationship between the businesses and students has to improve in order for the street to survive regardless. "There is a real tension between the residents of the community, college students and in turn business," he said."

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/hillsborough_street_renovations_set_to_begin

Quote :

"marko Tom Joad 64562 Posts user info edit post here we go again 6/21/2006 9:32:20 PM"

1/8/2009 9:05:40 AM

Quote :

""The new format of the street will have one lane of traffic in each direction with a lane for parallel parking on each side, and each side seperated by a median," he said. "

So traffic is going to get backed up while some noob tries to parallel park their SUV? This sounds awful.

1/8/2009 9:22:15 AM

Quote :

""Why not angled parking," he asked. "Most people don't know how to parallel park.""

That's exactly how the city fucked up Fayetteville Street.

1/8/2009 9:23:29 AM

I thought the original plans called for 2 lanes with angled parking on one side (as opposed to 2 with parallel on each side). Seems like that would have been better.

1/8/2009 9:37:05 AM

if you cant parallel park you might has well not be driving.

1/8/2009 9:40:36 AM

you would think a school with a Traffic Engineering program would be able to get their main street right, its pretty damn embarassing

1/8/2009 9:42:15 AM

Nah, we should just do some crazy off the wall shit like figure-8s instead of roundabouts.

1/8/2009 10:02:14 AM

things i thought from the technician article

which i actually read on the website first, then logged into tww and saw:

the 1 lane each way thing is gonna really suck, and traffic is gonna be slow imo

the angled parking woulda been better than parallel parking

where are these roundabouts? cause the article says we are gonna have to drive around the roundabout just to be able to make left turns now a days- so basically we gotta backtract and waste time?

that being said, i dont want this to go on...for the simple fact that theres GOT to be a better idea, and at some point they are going to HAVE to "revitalize" hboro st- so why not wait for a better idear

plus the economy rabble rabble rabble

1/8/2009 10:11:27 AM

Well, one of the ideas of this I believe is that they want traffic to be slow. They want people to stop using Hillsborough street to commute to and from downtown, and use Western instead. That's part of trying to make it more pedestrian friendly. Since I commute to Wade Ave. from Hillsborough street every day, that's kind of annoying to me.

1/8/2009 10:23:10 AM

Exactly. If the traffic is continually a bitch, people will eventually stop using Hillsborough to get downtown. I like the idea of a median in the road ... but the angled parking thing would've been the way to go. Much quicker in and out.

1/8/2009 1:13:29 PM

The median island is a great idea. Makes crossing the street about 50% easier.
I see two sides to the parallel parking thing. Most people suck at parallel parking, and it's embarrassing to watch them take 5 minutes to get it. On the other hand, backing out of diagonal spots is much more dangerous than exiting from a parallel spot.

Quote :

""The new format of the street will have one lane of traffic in each direction with a lane for parallel parking on each side, and each side seperated by a median," he said."

Really, Technician? Really? (well, it is in a quote, so maybe the guy pronounced it like that...)

1/8/2009 3:13:48 PM

^Good point about the backing out.

Hopefully they'll do some nice landscaping stuff in the median, as opposed to just making it some off-colored concrete slab. Some grass and nice plants/trees would go a long way towards making Hillsborough Street look less dumpy.

1/8/2009 4:49:53 PM

Quote :

"On the other hand, backing out of diagonal spots is much more dangerous than exiting from a parallel spot."

Debatable. If traffic and speed limits are both reduced I don't see it being much of an issue. I'd rather have to slam on the brakes to avoid some idiot backing up instead of having to wait 8 minutes while a Meredith girl tries to parallel park her Jeep Compass.

1/8/2009 4:55:01 PM

Quote :

"Debatable. If traffic and speed limits are both reduced I don't see it being much of an issue."

they can't magically make either of these things happen. people don't follow the speed limit as it is and lots of people will never understand that you should use wade or western unless you want to go to something specifically on hillsborough.

i am glad that it seems they won't be doing the bypass lane at the morgan street roundabout so that there won't be multiple blocks with no stoplights. that will make that area a little safer. but from the presentations i've seen on some of these topics, i buy the safety issues with backing out of diagonal spots. not to mention, that means that the road/sidewalk would have to be narrower as well.

1/8/2009 6:38:22 PM

Quote :

"Phillips said most price increases came from shipping costs accrued through purchasing products from their supplier in California, Lollicup, a provider that ships its products from Taiwan before selling them to stores throughout the U.S."

I know this has nothing to do with this thread but, it seems like if they would skip the middle man and find a direct supplier that might help some of their problems.

1/8/2009 7:33:37 PM

I dont see the big deal with one lane in each direction since at night its like that anyways since you can park on the lane closest to the sidewalks.

But, ghetto Hillsborough street will always have a place in my heart, both as a student during the ghetto era (before a bunch of new stores came in over the last few years) and also as a Raleigh kid who grew up here remembering the ghetto Hillsborough

1/8/2009 8:56:50 PM

they should first put worthwhile shit to do on hillsborough first.

1/8/2009 8:59:22 PM

first they need to get rid of the neighborhood association

1/8/2009 9:01:26 PM

Quote :

"But, ghetto Hillsborough street will always have a place in my heart, both as a student during the ghetto era (before a bunch of new stores came in over the last few years) and also as a Raleigh kid who grew up here remembering the ghetto Hillsborough"

1/9/2009 1:59:27 PM

1/22/2009 8:25:45 PM

It appears that we get increasingly pasty white as the future progresses.

But man I can't wait to drive down Hillsborough in a hover-car.

1/22/2009 8:39:54 PM

With the stoplights switching to traffic circles, this alone would improve the flow of the street. I have yet to understand why the powers that be insist on streetside parking. To me, it would be more efficient to build a parking deck or two a block or so away and use the space in the ROW for travel lanes and wider sidewalks. Hillsboro street will not "revitalize" until there is a reason and a way (I.e. Parking) for the general public, not only students and faculty, to want to patronize. In my time at State, I rarely went anywhere on Hillsboro, mainly because there was nowhere to go.

1/22/2009 8:57:18 PM

agreed. they should make hillsborough worth revitalizing first.

the whole parking deck thing is probably a cost vs. return scenario that's been weighed and overruled.

1/22/2009 8:58:59 PM

chicken or the egg?

1/22/2009 9:47:20 PM

Quote :

"Schoolkids moving down the street Record store to relocate closer to Bell Tower Alex Vaughn Staff Writer Published: Thursday, January 22, 2009 Updated: Friday, January 23, 2009 © 2009 NCSU STUDENT MEDIA The front window of Schoolkids Records has a sign announcing that it will move. Schoolkids is planning to move from its current location near Gumby's to another location near Buddha's Belly on Hillsborough Street for a smaller store size. Photo by David Mabe Schoolkids Records is moving to 2114 Hillsborough Street Sunday in an effort to reduce overhead and increase traffic. The store will close its present location alongside Kinkoís and Gumbyís on Hillsborough Street and reopen in what was formerly half of Buddha's Belly on Monday. Ric Culross, Schoolkid's general manager since 1991, said the move is due to the lower rent at the new location and the increased visibility to both the traffic at the intersection it will face and students on foot. "Our toes need to touch some form of student life itself," he said. Located on Hillsborough Street for 37 years, Schoolkids may be one of Raleigh's last independent record stores. The Chapel Hill location closed last year due to decreasing sales, which Culross said was due in part to the online streaming music service available to UNC-Chapel Hill students. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers, an industry trade group, stated album sales decreased 14 percent in 2008, to 428 million, in a report on its Web site. Eric Tschudi, a senior in communication who has worked at the store for three and a half years, said the shopping center where Schoolkids has been located for the past five years was not a good fit. "This used to be a drug store, it never really had a great vibe to it," he said. "I think the new location will have more character, it will feel more like a record store." Culross said the shopping center the store is moving to is already a "counter cultural area," which is favorable for the store"s success. Having a pawn shop which specializes in musical instruments two doors down is also a plus, he said. The new site, located directly across from the Bell Tower, should also make students more aware of the store's presence, Tschudi said. While students are now more likely to buy concert tickets and posters than compact discs at the store, high profile releases such as the recent Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy CDs are still in demand, Tschudi said. "People know how to download music, but they still want to buy products," Tschudi said. Many younger music fans now download a copy of an album to listen to on their iPods and buy the vinyl LP to play at home, he said. "A lot of people are moving towards that, which makes a lot of sense," he said. Culross said vinyl sales at the store increased 133 percent in 2008 and he would like for the store to focus more on vinyl in the future. According to NARM's website, vinyl sales set a SoundScan record in 2008 at 1.88 million units sold. Mikey Perros, a senior in biology and a DJ at WKNC, said he thinks Schoolkids is vital for students interested in local music and said he's glad it will remain on Hillsborough Street. "It's the only place in Raleigh where you can find local stuff," he said. "I've been going to Schoolkids for half my life, ever since I started listening to music.""

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1/23/2009 11:26:01 AM