Increased Density for Avent Ferry Corridor?
From the News & Observer...
“Seven-story buildings could one day replace the quaint Mission Valley Shopping Center in west Raleigh, under a new design proposal.
But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen: Property owners would have to be willing to sell to developers or redevelop the site themselves.
Even so, ideas for the future of the Avent Ferry Road corridor from Western Boulevard to Tryon Road are taking shape. Raleigh hired consultants who are putting together a plan based on public feedback that will serve as a guide for future land use, development and infrastructure projects.
The Avent Ferry Road Corridor Study aims to figure out how to better connect people to jobs, restaurants and entertainment, Lake Johnson and N.C. State University. More than 22,000 vehicles travel some portions of the road per day. ...
Located at the intersection of Avent Ferry Road and Western Boulevard, the Mission Valley Shopping Center includes chain and local restaurants, bars, retail outlets, a hookah lounge, a tattoo parlor and a small movie theater.
Built in 1972, the shopping center’s proximity to N.C. State University and downtown Raleigh make it a prime candidate for redevelopment.
The survey for the corridor study offers building-height options from fewer than five stories to more than seven stories. Respondents so far have had different ideas for how they envision the future of the site.
”This is the perfect place for very intense uses and taller buildings: Fantastic transit including the future (bus rapid transit), and across the street from campus,” one survey-taker wrote. “Twelve stories, maybe even more, could work here.” ...
The Avent Ferry Shopping Center, located at the corner of Gorman Street and Avent Ferry Road, is anchored by a Food Lion grocery store and includes other retail stores and a North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles office.
The survey asks whether buildings on the site should be three stories, five stories, staggered or some other combination. It also asks if buildings should be set back enough to make room for outdoor seating or sidewalks .
Some respondents said the shopping center should keep its multicultural, accessible vibe but add “more useful shops.”
Some people who commented on the survey said they worried about increased traffic, while others said the area should become more dense because it is so close to Interstate 40.
”Five (stories), we’re a city. Sprawl is for Cary,” one person wrote. ...”
Take the survey for yourself here.