Hello, Chris here. I’m posting this one for Dana as we get the kinks worked out here. Enjoy!
Is anyone having trouble getting the song "Rawhide" out of their head?
just wondering.
Anyways, let’s kick this thing off with a bang. I grew up near North
Hills Mall. A friend of mine and I personally kept the Woolworth’s
arcade afloat. But after the Dutch owners shoved all of the local
owners out (to Cameron Village), there really was no reason to go to
North Hills to shop. Everything there and more could be found at
Crabtree.
During the 90′s the mall became more and more desolate to the point
that Andy’s Pizza, Jersey Mikes, Taco Bell, and Scotty’s were the only
reasons to really go up there. But ultimately the Taco Bell didn’t
even make it. Eating among the tumbleweed. Sounds great, eh.
The New North Hills is a huge hit. I probably don’t need to tell you
that. And there is more to come with the acquisition of several
surrounding properties. We’ll touch more on that in the near future.
However, reflecting on my plan vs. the actual development, Kane hit
the nail on the head with several ideas. Placing Target under the
theaters was a fantastic move. Unfortunately JCPenney’s would not
budge on their 20-some-year lease and they had to be developed around.
Had JCP complied and seen the long run plan that could have been
achieved, JCP could have had a new store that would serve their
customers well. So, don’t expect to see me in there!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
September 7, 2001
Dear Mr. Kane:
I am ecstatic that you are interested in redeveloping the North Hills
Mall property. I grew up in the mall’s back yard and always felt that
it could do more for our area. It is GOOD to have local ownership
again!
I am troubled by the recent events with Neal Coker’s Oberlin project,
and fear the same from some of the similarly short-sighted neighbors
of mine in the North Hills subdivision. When I hear of residents
intending to treat the 100-foot buffer like a forest preserve, I worry
that logic is being trampled by an emotional fear of change. North
Hills Mall is a dump, and it is time to put something there that makes
Raleigh a better place to live.
One of the most cherished locations in the Triangle is Chapel Hill’s
Franklin Street. It amazes me that more people haven’t tried to
recreate that feel with other commercial properties. The area is
pedestrian-friendly, slow-moving, and tree-lined. Unfortunately
several developers in the area have blown opportunities to create
another charming destination by choosing to slap down big boxes and a
sea of parking spaces. A trip out Capital Boulevard reveals countless
instances of uninspiring, faceless properties that will offer Raleigh
no benefit in 20 years. You have the chance to develop a project that
will shine over all of those anonymous boxes.
Enclosed is map of the property. I have no idea if it is even close to
scale, nor do I know if the buildings portrayed are a workable size. I
am a dentist and admittedly have NO CLUE how much square footage of
rentable space it will take to make this work, nor do I understand any
existing contracts, zoning laws, or current environmental issues
concerning the property! However, this is an idea that can be far more
charming and successful than the laughably-neon Cameron Village.
The concept basically extends Currituck and Dartmouth into the
property and adds one street that extends from the back side of the
existing plaza straight through the mall property. In this example the
street is named after Isaac Hunter, whose land was near this property.
Of course, all existing buildings on the mall portion of the property
will be demolished.
The project incorporates two peripheral, yet convenient parking decks,
a large hotel, and 13 buildings of varying sizes and functions:
Buildings A-D: This is the heart of the village. The intent here is to
recreate a slightly urban version of the intersection of Franklin and
Columbia Streets in Chapel Hill. The existing driveway contains the
tree-lined vista that could be the cornerstone to the urban-town feel.
All four of these buildings should have street-level shops and
restaurants.
Building C is interesting. Its triangular shape can actually make it
an architectural centerpiece of the project. It’s presence could
easily be felt from the beltline, and would be a natural home to a
business wanting to display its name on the South side of the building
(a la Ernst & Young’s Highwoods presence). All of these buildings
could be from 3-10 stories, yet still maintain the charm found on
Franklin St. The street isn’t the only place a marquee restaurant
could be found. Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill has been a remarkable
3rd story success. A similar restaurant could easily be perched high
on building C (as shown) or building B.
Buildings A, E, G, F – These are more street-level shops, especially
buildings A and E. G and F could be whatever is needed from Barnes and
Noble to a multiscreen theatre (which ought to be named The
Cardinal!).
Buildings I, J, K – These are more street level shops with condos
upstairs. Two-story condos above the street-level shops featuring rear
balconies overlooking the beltline might be a big hit.
Building H – This could be a big-box store such as Target, Best Buy,
or J.C. Penney. Since none of these stores really fit in the urban
setting, this secondary location would work perfectly.
Building L – More street-level shops with offices or condos upstairs.
This is the current location of the U.S. Post Office building.
Building M – Existing shopping plaza with storefront parking.
Hotel – The hotel could be something as nice as a Ritz-Carlton.
Something on the order of 6 to 9 stories would work well. A hotel of
this caliber would have a restaurant of regional stature, a rooftop
pool on the back, and would make the North Hills project a focal point
for travelers to the entire Triangle. The front door and driveway
would be on the Hunter St. face of the building, and the alley between
the hotel and building B would offer quick access to the parking deck
for valet parking. The hotel would have a second floor access to the
parking deck.
Parking Decks – Certainly some street-level parking can be offered
throughout just as it is in some areas of Franklin Street. Parking
Decks are located within a block of anyone’s destination, and should
be easily accessible from these locations. Entrances to the D/H deck
could be from Hunter St. and directly from Six Forks Rd. The main
exits could be onto Dartmouth and Six Forks Roads. The B/Hotel parking
deck could be accessed from an alley between B and the Hotel (for
hotel customers only), from Currituck, or directly from Lassiter Mill
Road. A pedestrian tunnel from the B/Hotel deck directly to building C
can provide safe, sheltered, easy access for employees in the C tower.
The tunnel could also be used by shoppers who want to cross Dartmouth
safely. It is this kind of easy access (from parking to storefront)
that will make North Hills a viable shopping destination.
What will make the D/H Deck really shine is a pedestrian bridge
crossing Dartmouth over to building G. This would reduce the
pedestrian traffic in the fast-paced entry segment of Darmouth and, if
designed with charm, can be a fantastic gateway to the project from
Six Forks Rd.
Parking around buildings I, J, K, L, and M should be diagonal
storefront parking such as that found on Fairview Rd. approaching Five
Points. Residents of buildings I, J, and K could park on the back side
of those buildings.
Traffic Circle – There is a traffic circle at Hunter and Dartmouth. A
large fountain or sculpture in the middle of the circle could act as
yet another symbol for the project. Actually a circle could keep
traffic flowing better than a signal if estimations of the
Hillsborough Street renovations are correct. Also notice that the flat
faces of buildings A and C compliment each other, as do the notched
faces of buildings B and D. This architectural balance adds to the
intensity of the center’s focus. Imagine the sense of place one would
feel sitting at a sidewalk café in building B’s notch!
Service Access – All trucks could be restricted to Currituck Street
and the alley between E and F. This should provide adequate access to
all buildings quite well while providing a pedestrian-friendly,
truck-free zone on Hunter and Darmouth.
The two biggest political problems will be the approval by those
residents on Lassiter Mill Road and the overall traffic impact.
Putting the main height of the project across Lassiter Mill Road
should help minimize the impact on neighbors. If neighbors object to
the hotel’s location, building D and the Hotel could be swapped, as
long as the Dartmouth/Hunter face of the hotel still contains
street-level shops and restaurants. (The main garbage collection area
could be placed adjacent to Lassiter Mill Rd. if the neighbors
complain about the possibility of a hotel!)
Traffic flow should not be a problem. Because this is a truly
mixed-use development, there should be no particular swell in traffic
like that seen on Capital Blvd in the afternoon. Offices and stores
will cause much traffic during the day, while restaurants, bars, and
movies tend to generated nighttime traffic. Because tenants of the
project will be generating a mix of traffic flow throughout the day,
the distribution of the traffic load will be even. This project will
actually be safer than the existing situation because the additional
traffic signal at Hunter and Lassiter Mill would reduce the accesses
to Lassiter Mill Road in that area from the current 3 to 2.
There is growing resentment in the Triangle concerning the
proliferation of strip-mall lined arteries. Several Durham residents
already resent the plan for The Streets at Southpoint because they
feel it will mock the struggling Downtown Durham. The North Hills
project is different. It is not on virgin land, and it introduces a
mature, eroding area to a more responsible use of land. If the project
is architecturally charming, it could easily win over the hearts of Raleigh residents.
Regardless of what plan is enacted we will be excited to see the
continuing progress at North Hills. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Dana McCall
