Proposed tower in downtown Raleigh sparks concern from community: 'It's about Raleigh's future'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh's Planning Commission is scheduled on Tuesday to review a controversial rezoning near West and Peace Streets that could pave the way for a 30-story mixed-use development.

Those plans have sparked a months-long pushback from local homeowners concerned that the project is too close to the historic Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood and would set a precedent for future developments. Lawn signs protesting the rezoning have been set up along Glenwood and Wade Avenues in Raleigh.

"Raleigh needs to grow. It should grow. But how it grows matters," said Roy Attride, a local homeowner and the head of the grassroots group Raleigh Neighbors United.

Attride has lived in Raleigh for 25 years and said he supports denser development -- including along West Street -- but that the plans this potential rezoning would allow go against traditional urban planning principles.

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"It should be redeveloped. I think that what we would advocate for is urban planning principles that talk about transitioning down in height as you get to neighborhoods," he said. "So you engage those neighborhoods and you don't overshadow them. And so 20, 30 stories this close to a neighborhood is inappropriate."

Attride helped start Raleigh Neighbors United, which has organized around the proposed development and rezoning necessary to green light it. He said the towering development could carry implications for how the city handles its rapid growth moving forward.

"The fact that this would actually set a precedent that would allow that type and that size of a development to go next to any neighborhood. So it's not just about this neighborhood. It's about Raleigh's future and how we do development, where the large, tall buildings should be," said Attride.

For supporters of the rezoning, like Larry Miller, head of the Glenwood South Neighborhood Collaborative, it's exactly the type of development the city needs more of.

"There are not a whole lot of places that are left to develop in downtown Raleigh. And this is one that would be appropriate for that," Miller said.

Miller believes the massive project would emphasize downtown walkability and connectivity with the future Smoky Hollow Park. He also said the potential tax revenue generated by activating the currently sparsely developed plot -- and the $1.2 million affordable housing commitment from the developer -- are important to the discussion.

"That's a huge need here in the city of Raleigh. You know, it's been talked about over and over again. This would be a significant addition to the funds available for affordable housing," Miller said.

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