Powerhouse Plaza Rendering Available
Jeffery Brubaker, of
The Raleigh Downtowner
, has a
nice article in the current edition
(.PDF) about downtown development. One feature in the article is the previously mentioned
Powerhouse Plaza
(across from 42nd Street Oyster Bar).
There is also a current rendering of the 10-story complex in the story. According to the rendering, the hotel portion will carry the Hyatt Place brand. The overall design is modern and uses much glass. Its decidedly modern look evokes visions of both the International styled 333 Fayetteville in its lower floors, and the Progress II building in its upper floors. The inconsistency of materials in the vertical elements and the setback for the hotel’s pool offer relief and give the impression that the building is more massive than it really is. On the street level, the building offers minimal setback, however restaurant facades could easily be inset to offer a cozy outdoor seating area.
The only flaw apparent at this point is the neighboring parking garage. According to the site plan (.PDF), the deck will extend fully to the sidewalks of Harrington and West streets, forever locking the Plaza as a pedestrian island. Had the parking been arranged to be totally internal, the possibility of future development continuing the pedestrian experience all the way to the railroad tracks could exist.
Functionally this project is a no-brainer. Downtown’s need for decent hotels is absurd, and the demand for office space in the Glenwood South area is not being met. While this is certainly not the final rendering, the building shows promise and hopes to finally give downtown some architectural variety.
Pack Football Featured on EngadgetHD
EngadgetHD
, the HD arm of the major tech toy news site,
Engadget
, featured the NCSU football team in
tonight’s article about HD football broadcasts
. The news is that ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
will broadcast all of their college football games this season in HD
. The season opener is the NCSU at South Carolina game, about which Engadget HD says,
Rest assured, we’ll be geared up for the network opener (August 28, 8:00PM on ESPN HD) as NC State shows South Carolina how it’s done down at Williams-Brice Stadium.
En Fuego
Should we talk about the weather? (
Hi. Hi. Hi
.) Nevertheless, this recent weather trends have been strange. We did not reach 90 degrees until June 1, an abnormally late time to hit the benchmark. However in the 9 days of the month so far, we’ve hit 100 three times, and been over 95 on five days. The photo was taken when I left work at 6:10pm last night.
With all of this heat, it is important to remember to water your lawn correctly and to play by the rules. Though Falls Lake remains above a “full pool” (still!), the City of Raleigh is under Stage 1 Water Restrictions . Refer to the following chart for current watering rules. Also remember to water only in the morning. Evaporation is a major waste factor in the afternoon.
Deflocked Hits N&O Comics
The News & Observer usually runs a guest comic strip in an attempt to keep the Comics pages fresh. One of the current comics is
Deflocked
, a series about four outcasts who are forced to coexist on a farm in suburbia. The series has been endorsed by Larry David and is associated with PETA. See what you think and
comment in the N&O’s forum
. The trial run of the strip only lasts through this week!
Del Negro To Coach Bulls
ESPN is reporting
that former NC State guard Vinnie Del Negro has accepted the head coaching job for the Chicago Bulls. Del Negro completed Senior season at NCSU in 1988 and had a fine career as an NBA player. Most recently he was the assistant GM for the Phoenix Suns.
Al Yeganeh To Make Rare Appearance at "SoupMan" Opening
The
Original SoupMan
opens its first Raleigh store on Wednesday. The store is a franchise extension of the famous Soup Kitchen International in New York City. For years people lined up on the street for Al Yeganeh’s incredible soup, but now one only has to go to Sutton Square for the delicious bowls.
The Soup Kitchen International was made famous when it was portrayed in one of the most popular Seinfeld episodes. While the personality of the store owner wasn’t accurate, the quality of the soups portrayed in the show hit the spot.
We were able to hit the SKI in 1999 and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Yaganeh was on hand, and was very reserved. I got a chicken/rice/barley soup that was fabulous. The soup portions were large and each came with a small baguette, a strawberry, and a chocolate.
While the food was incredible, the entire concept of the SKI is intriguingly bizarre. As one can see from therealsoupman’s website, lines formed daily down the sidewalk for a chance to access the SKI walkup window. Yaganeh’s hours were generally: late Fall through early Spring, lunch only, on weekdays. Thus, it was difficult for tourists to enjoy the soups. Yaganeh was infuriated by the portrayal of him by Seinfeld, claiming that his insistence on good customer behavior was only to promote an efficient line. A few years ago we heard that the SKI didn’t open one winter, then the next. The SKI website reads:
I SOLD NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS TO ORIGINAL SOUP MAN.
I LEFT UNITED STATES….ANY INQUIRY,CONTACT THEM: www.originalsoupman.com MARCH 11, 05 AL
Yet Al will apparently be on hand Wednesday at the store’s grand opening.
The store’s first 100 customers will get a bag of schwag, while one lucky customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of his or her life. The “Al’s Feed the Hungry Foundation” will donate $1,500 to the local Stop Hunger Now charity.
Now the the weather is 100+ degrees, stop on by and have a nice hot cup of soup. Just don’t make any references to Hitler’s party.
6/7 Note: I spoke to the owner today and he said that the restaurant will open at Noon on Wednesday. The first 150 people in line then will be qualified for free soup drawing. The rest of people will get cups, t-shirts, etc. He also said that there will be, I think, 150 different soups from which they will rotate. Twelve soups will be offered daily. In addition to soups, though, the restaurant will have sandwiches, paninis, and Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes. The medium term goals are to add stores in areas like downtown Raleigh, Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, North Hills East, Brier Creek, and others.
RBC Plaza from Floor 33
Champ Claris
, a realtor with YSU, had the opportunity to go up in the frighteningly “hanging off the side of the building” construction elevator of the RBC Plaza yesterday. Thanks for the photos, Champ!
(Click on the first photo to see the slideshow).
Wesley Retires
After 20 seasons and 1,457 NHL games,
Glen Wesley
has decided to retire. More about this is
available at the Canes’ official website
, but it’s only appropriate for us all to thank the only remaining original Carolina Hurricane for helping to bring the magic to Raleigh.
Summerfield Suites Coming To North Hills
An article on page 3D in today’s News & Observer reveals that a six-story, 140-room Summerfield Suites has been added to the North Hills East plans. It will sit atop 40,000 square feet of street level retail. By comparison, the nearby Renaissance hotel , currently under construction at North Hills, will have 229 rooms.
Summerfield Suites is a 30-unit extended-stay concept by Hyatt Hotels. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
Carolina Rollergirls Hit It On Saturday
On Saturday night at Dorton Arena the Debutante Brawlers will face the Trauma Queens. The game starts at 6pm and adult tickets are $10 in advance, $14 at the door. Other levels of ticketing exist. Tickets are available at
CarolinaRollergirls.com
, or at Ornamentea, Percolator Coffee, Schoolkids in Raleigh, Bull City Records in Durham and Cameron’s in Chapel Hill.
The Trauma Queens are hoping to turn the tide against the Debutante Brawlers when they face off at Dorton Arena this Saturday for the 2008 Golden Skate Championship. Will the Queens capture their first ever championship, or will the Brawlers return to their dominant days of 2005 when they won back-to-back Golden Skates? Don’t miss the 2008 Battle for the Golden Skate Championship. Since the game shares the North Carolina State Fairgrounds with the “Got to be NC Fest”, arrive early to allow yourself extra time for parking, enjoy the fairgrounds activities and grab a seat close to the action.
As a special promotion, the First 50 State Employees will be admitted free of charge. (w/ ID)The only things bigger than our hits are our hearts. This season we are highlighting charity tables at all home bouts. The Debutante Brawlers proudly support the breast cancer awareness organization, the Sisko Foundation. The Tai Chi-tahs are wild about the Angels Among Us Walk, which benefits the Duke Pediatric Brain Tumor Center. Also, pop those tabs off your soda & beer cans this week, the Trauma Queen’s charity booth is collecting them for Ronald McDonald House.
Chesney Adds A Second Night
Kenny Chesney’s August 22 concert at Walnut Creek sold out so fast, that a second show (on August 23) has been added. Chesney told top40-charts.com ,
‘The fans in Raleigh are so hardcore,’ Chesney laughs. ‘They never cease to blow our minds with how hard and how fast they respond to us and this music… Every year, I think that’s the last time we do a double, and then the following year, we sell that first date out even faster. I mean, it’s been that kind of year everywhere we go: fast, furious, wildly fun, so I don’t know why it surprises me.'”
Chesney is taking America by storm, in fact. Here’s a nugget about the Los Angeles show.
With The Los Angeles Times writing, ‘it’s so abundantly clear how much of himself he invests in every performance and The Orange County Register offering, ‘he is committed to wringing every ounce of excitement from every song,’ Chesney’s Staples Center show leaned a bit more towards the commando Keg In The Closet shows with guest turns from Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock on their signature ‘When The Sun Goes Down,’
I’m going to bet the farm that we don’t see an Uncle Kracker appearance at either Raleigh show . Who’s with me on that?
Fire Damages Bojangles On Western
A Monday fire caused by a faulty water heater has forced the Western Blvd. location of Bojangles to close for repairs. Experts on the scene (guys cleaning chairs) estimate that the store will reopen in late July.
Top, Brooks, Dunn, Atkins coming to TWC
Time Warner Cable Pavilion will welcome an all-star event on September 6.
ZZ Top
will be performing along with
Brooks & Dunn
, and
Rodney Atkins
.
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