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Brier Creek Village Center

By Jeff on March 15, 2007

The Brier Creek Village Center is beginning to take shape with construction on the Village Main Street recently going vertical.  The Main Street is part of a 300 acre plan that includes residential and commercial development as well as Brier Creek Elementary School and a WakeMed medical facility.

The cross-section drawing of the Main Street looks promising with wide sidewalks and landscaped promenades on either side.  The plan encourages multi-storied buildings with the south side of the street being used for high-density residential and the north side for commercial development.  The goal is “a high intensity urban development pattern.”

This is the kind of development that is needed if Brier Creek is to truly be one of three regional centers as city planners have designated it.  But, while Brier Creek has mastered big box retail and chain restaurants, will a manufactured urban design concept be successful there?

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Posted in , | 18 Responses

  • RaleighRob

    Eh….they can call it an urban design all they want, but it will still all just be more suburban sprawl to me.

  • RaleighRob

    Eh….they can call it an urban design all they want, but it will still all just be more suburban sprawl to me.

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com/ Matt

    What are the other 2 urban centers? Is Glenwood South one? If so, what’s the third?

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com Matt

    What are the other 2 urban centers? Is Glenwood South one? If so, what’s the third?

  • TSnow

    I guess “urban” in this sense means a large parking lot with stuff built along the perimeter. It takes about 40 minutes to get here from downtown Raleigh. In my opinion, this will only be urban when Raleigh and Durham become so large that they grow together. See ya in 20-30 years.
    At least they kept a lot of the trees. Well, some of the trees. A few of the trees? A tree?

  • TSnow

    I guess “urban” in this sense means a large parking lot with stuff built along the perimeter. It takes about 40 minutes to get here from downtown Raleigh. In my opinion, this will only be urban when Raleigh and Durham become so large that they grow together. See ya in 20-30 years.
    At least they kept a lot of the trees. Well, some of the trees. A few of the trees? A tree?

  • Jeff S

    Urban would seem to mean anywhere they can attract a lot of cars. Why else would you build an “urban center” on the edge of town?
    Developements like this make me sad. I will save everyone the rant on why…

  • Jeff S

    Urban would seem to mean anywhere they can attract a lot of cars. Why else would you build an “urban center” on the edge of town?
    Developements like this make me sad. I will save everyone the rant on why…

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com/ Matt

    While Brier Creek is too far “out there” for me, I do appreciate the idea that the city planners have of creating “urban centers.” I believe the three “UCs” are Glenwood South/Downtown, Brier Creek and then White Oak in Garner. (or is it North Hills?) The problem is that, aside from Glenwood South, those other two UCs are built around major interstates and highways, which means congestion which means traffic. I applaude the idea of BC in trying to set up a village-type setting where people can theoretically live and shop and eat, but does anyone really live within walking distance of shops at Brier Creek?

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com Matt

    While Brier Creek is too far “out there” for me, I do appreciate the idea that the city planners have of creating “urban centers.” I believe the three “UCs” are Glenwood South/Downtown, Brier Creek and then White Oak in Garner. (or is it North Hills?) The problem is that, aside from Glenwood South, those other two UCs are built around major interstates and highways, which means congestion which means traffic. I applaude the idea of BC in trying to set up a village-type setting where people can theoretically live and shop and eat, but does anyone really live within walking distance of shops at Brier Creek?

  • Jeff

    The three “regional centers” are downtown, Brier Creek, and Triangle Town Center.

  • Jeff

    The three “regional centers” are downtown, Brier Creek, and Triangle Town Center.

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com/ Matt

    Ah. Thanks for the clarification. That makes more sense.
    I will say that the idea of these is good: make people not feel like they have to drive 20-30 miles everytime they need something.

  • http://raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com Matt

    Ah. Thanks for the clarification. That makes more sense.
    I will say that the idea of these is good: make people not feel like they have to drive 20-30 miles everytime they need something.

  • http://www.raleighmsa.com/ Ernest Pecounis

    I heard that this project was moving forward, but I had no idea how it will look like when they are done. I have seen one rendering – it looked great – but I doubt seriously that the final product will look anything close to that.
    Brier Creek has proven to be a missed opportunity, in my opinion. There are some good elements that separate this “community” from the rest of the new stuff, but nothing to write home about. Still, it may be a step to the right direction, and I do not wish to sound pessimistic. Maybe 10-20 years down the road we’ll look at this development as something great. Even as is, Brier Creek is a far cry from all those crappy subdivisions from the 80′s and 90′s.

  • http://www.raleighmsa.com Ernest Pecounis

    I heard that this project was moving forward, but I had no idea how it will look like when they are done. I have seen one rendering – it looked great – but I doubt seriously that the final product will look anything close to that.
    Brier Creek has proven to be a missed opportunity, in my opinion. There are some good elements that separate this “community” from the rest of the new stuff, but nothing to write home about. Still, it may be a step to the right direction, and I do not wish to sound pessimistic. Maybe 10-20 years down the road we’ll look at this development as something great. Even as is, Brier Creek is a far cry from all those crappy subdivisions from the 80′s and 90′s.

  • http://www.johnrmcadams.com/services Bob Stills

    You are so right, and the developers and their hired land planners have to consider lifestyle when they work on this kind of thing.

  • http://www.johnrmcadams.com/services Bob Stills

    You are so right, and the developers and their hired land planners have to consider lifestyle when they work on this kind of thing.