At Rosewater in North Hills, it’s the little things that make up the beauty of the big picture: baskets full of lemons, roses in glass vases on round bistro tables, rose gold light fixtures and plenty of greenery.
Those who remember the Bruegger’s Bagels shop that occupied the space located between the Captrust and Bank of America buildings until 2017 would agree a substantial transformation has taken place. No more is it the generic bakery found in shopping centers and strip malls in cities large and small across the United States. Now, it’s the intimate, American-style bistro, serving Mediterranean small plates and comfort food dishes that Rosewater’s owner, Giorgios Bakatsias, envisioned.
“The space kind of winked at me,” says Bakatsias, a longtime fixture in the local dining scene. We’re sitting on Rosewater’s enclosed patio on a cloudy, rainy day but the space feels warm, like you’re in a greenhouse in wintertime, with its wood-paneled walls, soft lamplight and tall windows. “It was just a beautiful, sleepy garden and I saw it buzzing with energy, the piazza in the center of a community. I fell in love with the building, the architecture, the structure.”
Giorgios Bakatsias; Photo by Jennifer Robertson
Bakatsias, whose Giorgios Hospitality Group also owns Vin Rouge, City Kitchen and Parizade in Durham and Chapel Hill’s Local 22 and Bin 54, personally designs all of his restaurants. This space, too, Bakatsias has made his own.
“I wanted to mix the elements of what allows guests to feel happy,” he explains. “This, to me, felt joyful, whether rainy or sunny. I incorporated wood and elements of art and the right lighting. You feel it’s in this state of golden light, like at nighttime when everything radiates with it. It’s almost like a sunset, constantly.”
When developer John Kane of Kane Realty Corp. decided not to renew the Bruegger’s lease two years ago, he said at the time that he wanted, with this essential piece of real estate, to go in a different direction. Those wary of the chain restaurants and big box stores that often crop up in expensive new developments like North Hills were pleased to learn that the space’s new tenant wouldn’t be another national brand but a local entrepreneur.
Mike Smith
Mike Smith, the president and chief operating officer at Kane Realty, says the company is committed to supporting local restaurateurs and has been working intentionally to create great spaces for them and other local business owners. He points to Rosewater, as well as Coquette and Vivace, as examples of that commitment in North Hills.
Downtown, Luang Prabang, a Laotian concept from the owners of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, will occupy the marquee ninth floor space in The Dillon. And the upcoming Smoky Hollow development on West Street will, Smith says, have “a very targeted focus on local operators,” including local restaurants, bars, cafes, retailers and other business owners.
“There are so many great local chefs and food purveyors in Raleigh and we are trying to create spaces and places in advance for what we believe is the need,” Smith says. “We know there is work that needs to be done together to make it a success. We want to make sure we’re thoughtful in the design as we think through it and try to anticipate what a local restaurateur is able to be.”
Bakatsias says roses signify balance to him, which is why he chose to name his newest restaurant “Rosewater.”
“Balance, whether it’s in food or spirituality, whether in fun and laughter, whatever life chooses to be and how it is, there is always some kind of balance that is necessary. [Here], we want to have this European romance but we spice it up some. I love the aroma of rosewater, but you have to use it in balance.”
Another aspect of life that requires balance? How we choose to build our communities.
“I guess chains are necessary for this community to be successful,” Bakastias says, “but I was delighted that [Kane Realty] was responsible enough to realize that [this space] is a little jewel and they wanted it to be independent. I saw it, we both met and it was like this perfect marriage. I’m excited to see more of this so we can have a balance in the community.”
If Raleigh is to be chosen as a Major League Soccer expansion city, the ball needs to be rolling on securing its stadium location—and it needs to be rolling now.
In December, the MLS announced that Nashville will be home to the 24th team in the nation’s highest professional soccer league. The next expansion city is expected to be announced soon, with the final two to be revealed by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Raleigh-based professional men’s soccer team North Carolina FC is getting its ducks in a row to win an expansion slot.
So who’s making that happen, and how?
North Carolina FC owner Steve Malik is leading the effort. He said back in November that plans to bring a $150 million soccer stadium to 13 acres of state-owned land at the north end of downtown Raleigh would have to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2018.
It’s up to Malik and his project partner, developer John Kane, to negotiate an agreement with the state to use what now houses North Carolina’s state government complex to build a sports arena and associated amenities. That would involve tearing down buildings and constructing 750,000 square feet of condos and hotel rooms, office and retail space, and adding parking and public transport infrastructure.
Negotiations between the club and the state go through the N.C. Department of Administration, which manages the state’s real estate portfolio. The Council of State, a nine-member body of popularly elected officials, will then hear a presentation around the proposal and vote on whether to approve it.
If the Council of State approves the project, the city and county will potentially come onboard to help with funding transit and infrastructure around the site. So far the negotiations have been kept secret, so it’s not clear where each party is in the process. Whether Malik will look for an alternative location for the stadium in the Triangle if the downtown proposal falls through is under wraps as well.
“We are working diligently with all interested parties to ensure that the project becomes a reality,” says North Carolina FC’s communications director Marco Rosa of bringing a soccer stadium downtown. “We know MLS prefers stadia in vibrant, downtown urban settings and this is what we are working towards.”
Here’s a look at the predicted economic impact of a MLS stadium in downtown Raleigh. The numbers are good, but the clock is surely ticking.
By the Numbers: Average Annual Economic Impact and Net Present Value (NPV) Over 17 Years*
North Carolina: $262Min annual economic activity, 1,960 jobs, $5.6M annual state tax revenue, $2.8B NPV
Wake County:$213M in annual economic activity, 1,470 jobs, $5.5M in local tax revenue, $2B NPV
Downtown Raleigh: $181M in economic activity, 700 jobs, $5M in local tax revenue, $1.5B NPV
John Kane, CEO of Kane Realty Corporation, remembers the burying of the original time capsule and leaves it to his 7-year-old grandson to witness the unveiling of the next one in 2067.
Raleigh native Peyton Reed began his love affair with movies at the Cardinal Theatre in North Hills Shopping Center when he was a little boy. The theatre was the spot of his first movie, his informal daycare — on the days his mom dropped him off to run errands, he caught a showing — and later, the spark of a lifelong friendship based on a healthy competition for the most viewings of The Emporer Strikes Back. Twenty-five was the number to beat.
Today, Reed is a film director of such blockbusters as Ant-Man, and he credits his experiences at the Cardinal as its spark. In 1967, the time capsule was buried to commemorate the opening day of the theatre, and even as a child Reed vowed to be there for the reveal.
“I made a pact with myself that I would be there in the distant future to see what was in that time capsule,” Reed said to the packed crowd. “I was hell bent. I had to be here to honor it.”
The capsule rested in the sidewalk for fifty years, outlasting the theatre by 27, until its unearthing earlier today.
Attendee Sue Aldridge Perry raises her hand when asked by Bonner Gaylord whom amongst the crowd had attended the time capsule burial in 1967.
Sue Aldridge Perry, resident at The Cardinal at North Hills, remembers the original burial of the capsule. At the time, Aldridge Perry had trouble viewing the capsule in the crowd, she says, so the unveiling was still a surprise. Fifty years later, Aldrige Perry has a front row seat to the excavation.
The copper, cylindrical capsule was heaved onto a table and opened with a chainsaw in front of a crowd that hummed with anticipation, soon tinged with worry as water poured out onto the ground.
Some artifacts were legible, and protected by plastic, while others sat puddling on the floor of the container, set to be extracted later due to concern for preservation.
Items in the container ranged from gift cards to the old Cardinal Movie Theatre, a key to the city, old film reels, and letters outlining what the future might look like in 2017.
Raleigh city council member Bonner Gaylord announces various artifacts from the time capsule.
Throughout the presentation of items, the crowd’s comradery was evident in shared giggles over memories of seeing Dr. Doolittle to sighs over 75-cent movie tickets.
Bonner Gaylord, Raleigh city council member and managing director of North Hills, was pleased with both the turnout and the ability of the community to connect. In regards to the water damaged artifacts, Gaylord is hopeful.
“Obviously we’d love for the items to be perfectly preserved but we’ll get to work in making sure that they’re preserved as best possible,” Gaylord said. “We’re just pleased to be able to celebrate the community and pay homage to our past while looking to our future.”
Although the theater closed in 1990, the unveiling ceremony offered a glimpse of what Reed might have felt in the moments before his first viewing of The Emperor Strikes Back; waiting with bated breath in a crowd, a community brought together, for the unveiling of an unknown treasure.
