Planned tower would be one of the tallest buildings in downtown Raleigh
The city of Raleigh is reviewing a planned 36-story, mixed-use tower next to Nash Square in downtown Raleigh.
Called Nash Square Apartments, the plan calls for over 850,000 square feet of space including ground floor retail, more than 400 apartments and 500 parking spaces.
The nearly 1 acre property is a vacant lot at 303 S. Dawson St., next to the Berkeley Cafe.
The property was rezoned in October 2022 to allow up to 40 stories, the highest allowed in the city’s code. The previous zoning allowed buildings up to 20 stories.
Berkeley Cafe building not affected
Originally the Berkeley Cafe building was included in the rezoning, but the developers removed it after outcry from fans of the restaurant and people interested in historic preservation. The building, at 217 W. Martin St., has housed a cafe or restaurant for over 100 years.
Alex Little, one of the cafe’s owners, originally said their lease would run out in November 2022, but the developers ended up extending it for another year.
A hotel was originally planned for the property when the city’s zoning rules allowed up to 20 stories.
The property was bought in October by New York-based real estate developer Alchemy Properties, which did not respond to a phone call or email from The News & Observer Thursday afternoon.
Plans list the elevation of the planned building as 429 feet, which would make it one of the tallest buildings in the city. PNC Plaza is the tallest building at over 500 feet.
