Future Planning + Public Investment With several thousand new residents and office workers coming to downtown over the next few years, the future is bright for downtown Raleigh. Today, downtown Raleigh looks very different with greater density and vibrancy than a decade ago. Downtown’s revitalization came together through a mixture of strategic public investments, pioneering developers, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, along with residents and business owners seeking to build a community in an urban core. The future of downtown looks to build off that base and create a true, vibrant center with its best years ahead.
$1.1 billion private development pipeline
$182+ million
$79.8 million new multi-modal transit
320 acres of parks being added plus another
Bike Share
New 10-year vision
with $850 million under construction or planned
station under construction
to add 30 stations and 300
bicycles around the city
in public investment
34 acres being renovated in downtown area
with Downtown Plan
RETAIL STRATEGY A major initiative of the Downtown Plan and DRA is a robust retail strategy. Improving the retail environment is one of the most important goals for the downtown community and the downtown plan highlights this need by building off of DRA’s existing retail efforts (outlined in the Shopping section, page 63). •E xpand on existing downtown Raleigh retail strategy to target local, authentic retailers.
• I dentify a toolkit for retail recruitment, such as a retailspecific grant or incentive, to assist new retailers. • Explore partnerships to recruit a grocery store or other neighborhood services. • Target specific locations for retail incentive area with streetscape improvements and improved wayfinding, public art and parklets. • Encourage pop-up shops, food trucks, and mobile vendors to activate more isolated parts of retail corridors.
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