RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) A group of Wake County faith and community leaders is calling on the Raleigh City Council to reject a rezoning request for the proposed Downtown South project, arguing it doesn t go far enough to benefit the surrounding, historically marginalized communities of southeast Raleigh.
The rezoning application was already unanimously rejected by the city s planning commission ahead of Tuesday s city council meeting and public hearing on the matter.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told ABC11 that the planning commission was actually split on the decision but voted it down to move the application forward and make sure it reached city council for a vote.
RALEIGH – Though the developers and backers of the proposed $2.2 billion Downtown South project faced unanimous opposition in the approval of the group’s application from the Raleigh Planning Commission at last week’s meeting the final decision on the project may hinge on a December 15 public hearing in front of the Raleigh City Council.
In advance of that public hearing, the developers of the approximately 135-acre project on three parcels of land near the intersection of South Saunders Street, South Wilmington Street, and Interstate 40, held a virtual press briefing on Monday that, in the words of a spokesperson for the project, sought to address the vision and opportunity alongside new partners who have become involved in the project.
RALEIGH – Developers and supporters of the massive $2 billion Downtown South project are further embracing the idea of a grant program to provide needed funding and have added more allies in the Black community in their quest to secure rezoning approval from the city for the sports, businesses and entertainment complex.
A press conference is set for 3 p.m. Monday to discuss the groups efforts after losing out in a Planning Commission meeting last week.
“We appreciate the Planning Commission for their extensive review of the Downtown South rezoning case. We agree with the Planning Commission’s view that this project can do so much more, and believe the way to accomplish that is through a Tax Increment Grant,” Bonner Gaylord, who is part of the Kane Realty team, told WRAL TechWire after the commission meeting.