by Melissa Howsam | Nov 30, 2022 | Buzz, December 2022/January 2023
Raleigh’s newly elected city council
A new city council is being sworn in Dec. 5 at Union Station, including four new faces: Mary Black, Megan Patton, Jane Harrison and Christina Jones. Many have described this council as divided—and reelected Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin as having to govern a council pitted against her. But, for her part, the mayor is optimistic. “People always want to paint negative pictures,” said Baldwin in a conversation with us one week post-election.
“This is the most diverse council in the history of Raleigh—and probably the youngest,” she said. “So I’m thinking, ‘I can’t wait to hear new ideas and these perspectives.’ And we have to respect that and all work together.” During and since the election, the council has been cast by nearly everyone as anti-growth vs. pro-growth. But the mayor doesn’t see it that way. “They actually are not anti-growth. They fall across lines of smart growth, and I think we share common values,” she said, including affordable housing, transit, small business and climate change, to name a few.
In talking to new council members, Baldwin says she thinks there could actually be a lot of unity and consensus within city council, which begins with building relationships and trust, listening to one another, and a willingness to compromise. Bottom line: “The campaign is over,” said Baldwin. “Now we govern. It’s not about activism. It’s about doing what’s best for our community.”
Are CACs the most divisive issue?
A hot-button issue leading up to the election and now anticipated to be one of the most divisive issues facing council are Citizen Advisory Councils (or CACs). If you aren’t familiar, you’re not alone. According to a city survey, more than 90% of residents had never heard of or been to a CAC—meaning this is a “hot-button issue” for a select few. That said, reinstating or revamping these advisory councils was also the central issue fueling some candidates to throw their hat in the ring for city council.
In short, CACs were intended to be nonpartisan advisory boards representing different geographical regions of the city, comprised of nonelected citizens. These councils routinely held meetings as a way of dispersing information and gathering public input. The CACs were disbanded without public input or notice in early 2020, a move for which Mayor Baldwin took much ire in the media. But, she says, her goal was to actually make community engagement more inclusive—not eliminate community engagement altogether. “My feeling is that CACs were exclusive, not inclusive, and we’re looking at ways to make community engagement inclusive.”
For their part, new District E Council Member Christina Jones served as former chairperson of the Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council. And new District D Council Member Jane Harrison reestablished the West Raleigh Community Advocacy Council and has vocally advocated for reestablishing robust community engagement. “Economic development should be community-centered, and city decisions must recognize the voices of the most affected groups, including historically marginalized communities and neighbors adjacent to a development,” Harrison told Raleigh Magazine. “We need forums like CACs and neighborhood associations to convene across the city, sharing information and developing leadership capacity to bring the best ideas forward.”
We asked Baldwin for her take on the return of CACs, and she nodded to the active community engagement board that council has asked to come up with ideas to move things forward. “I would like to see that community engagement board do its work and let us listen to them about what they think is needed,” she said. “And I hope we allow the community engagement board to do its work.”
Hot-Button Issues
4–4
4–4
4–4
- Missing Middle Housing
- Allow duplex, triplex & townhomes next to single-family homes
- Nays: Black, Harrison, Jones, Patton
5–3
- Reinstate Citizen
- Advisory Councils
- Nays: Baldwin, Forte, Melton
2–6
All In Favor
8–0 VOTE
by Lauren Kruchten | Jul 6, 2022 | Do, July 2022/August 2022, Web Exclusive
GalaxyCon returns to Raleigh July 28–31 in full force.
GalaxyCon is orbiting back to Raleigh July 28–31 with a lineup that’s out of this world—from celebrities and creators to gamers and cosplayers to panelists and more (!).
The four-day celebration, held at the Raleigh Convention Center, will be a triumphant return to its full model of fan engagement circa 2019. And although GalaxyCon’s 2021 festival had to be scaled back in order to accommodate social distancing, the event contributed a $7.5 million+ annual economic impact for the area—with the hope of even more this year.
“GalaxyCon’s return in 2021 represented the biggest annual event to return to our city after the pandemic,” says Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. “We are so thankful that this celebration of creativity and pop culture continues to call our city home and brings together local and far-flung fans to experience Raleigh.”
This year’s festival kicks off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 28, featuring Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart, celebrities Brian O’Halloran and Barry Bostwick, and GalaxyCon founder Mike Broder. Throughout the weekend, fan-fave stars from movies, television, comics, wrestling and gaming will be making an appearance—think The Mandalorian’s Katee Shackhoff, Succession’s Alan Ruck, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Brad Spiner, and Schitt’s Creek’s Tim Rozon.
In addition to celebrity guests, GalaxyCon will also feature communal activities and spectacles like tabletop and video gaming tournaments; fantasy super cosplay wrestling; costume contests; photo ops; and a full exhibition of comic, merch and collective vendors.
“GalaxyCon’s resiliency over the past two years is a testament to the courage and commitment of our fans and their love for not only pop culture, but for celebrating it together,” says Broder. “While we counted 2021 as a successful return to in-person events, I am proud that we are bringing back all elements of GalaxyCon.” Get your game face on!
by Lauren Kruchten | Mar 31, 2022 | April 2022, Buzz
Raleigh is back on track to getting the Triangle’s largest hotel.
We first dropped the news of DTR’s massive 500-plus-room hotel next to the Raleigh Convention Center in 2020 (ring a bell?)—but, you know the drill… the project was halted due to the pandemic and the city’s waning hospitality tax revenue. Now, Raleigh City Council is pressing play on the project—which would be the largest hotel in the Triangle—along with plans to expand the convention center.
The decision comes after a report put out by commercial real estate agency JLL that detailed Downtown’s lack of hotel rooms. According to the report, the convention center lost about 45% of its business between 2018 and 2020 due to that lack of hotels, totaling a whopping $102 million in economic impact.
Echoes Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, “Currently, we have a shortage of hotels close to the Raleigh Convention Center, which is hindering our ability to attract top-quality events. A new Convention Center Hotel will ensure future success and bring true economic impact, allowing us to compete against our peer cities in a more meaningful way.”
The city-owned lot where the hotel is planned—currently a parking lot in front of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts—is about 1 acre and is zoned for up to 40 stories. The city had originally designated $30 million for the hotel, and $230 million for the convention center expansion, but City Council says those numbers may change.
Pre-pandemic, the project also included a mixed-use office tower (originally slated to serve as an HQ site for the convention center with offices, ground level retail, residential units and more—plus below-grade parking underneath Fayetteville Street), but at a meeting in mid-March, City Council debated whether or not it should instead be used as residential and retail tower. After all, that part of Fayetteville Street is already very office-heavy.
“If we learned one thing during COVID, it’s that our restaurants and small businesses depend on visitors—as well as residents—for their success,” says Baldwin. “This is one way we can continue to build a
thriving Downtown.”
by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 3, 2021 | December 2021/January 2022, Do
Nov. 19
Santa! I know him! The jolly ole elf was no doubt the star of the night as sweater weather and making merry together collided in festive fashion at Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s DTR Tree Lighting 2021 to kick off the holiday season. Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin set the tree aglow while spirited onlookers enjoyed live tunes and browsed the Triangle Pop-Up holiday market with vendors, nips and sips aplenty. And as a silver sponsor, Raleigh Magazine‘s Santa-neighboring tent was hopping with holiday buzz as we dished mags, swag—and toys for the littles waiting for their turn on Santa’s lap. See you next year, Raleigh. downtownraleigh.org
Want more festive photos? Visit here for photos from William Peace University’s 2021 tree lighting and holiday ceremony.
