North Hills wants to grow again—but this time up, not out. In late August, Kane Realty submitted a rezoning request to City Council to allow taller buildings on five parcels in the Main and Lassiter districts. The proposed project wouldn’t increase how much can be built, but would make room for more open public space, pedestrian-friendly amenities, ground-floor activation and a more varied skyline.
“We’re changing the shape of what we’re zoning, not the scale,” emphasizes Kane Director of Development Kallie O’Haren Walker. Think of it like a glob of Play-Doh: You can form it tall and skinny or short and wide, but you’re still working with the same overall amount of Play-Doh.
The new request comes ~four years after Kane submitted a controversial rezoning in 2021 seeking approval for a 30-story tower at the intersection of Six Forks Road and I-440. That plan was ultimately withdrawn in 2023 amid City Council opposition and community pushback.
This time, Kane hopes a key distinction will shift the conversation: They’re not asking for more density or square footage (2,500 residential units and ~3M square feet are allowed)—just flexibility to reimagine how that same volume is shaped.
“Twenty-five years ago, we embarked on a mission to create a district in our city where people want to gather, everyday needs can be met, special occasions can be celebrated—where people can live, work, play and thrive,” recalls Kane Realty founder John Kane. “The last premier parcels in Raleigh’s Midtown deserve the best we can create with the appropriate balance of height, density and beautifully landscaped ground-level spaces.”
While specifics are still in flux, Walker envisions public gathering areas, ground-floor retail and restaurants, and opportunities for outdoor dining and activation. The additional height would also make space for outdoor amenities within the buildings themselves.
Still, this is a long game. “We have no imminent plans to start these projects,” she maintains. “This is [about] long-term planning and future flexibility—not immediate change.” With another community meeting set for sometime this fall, one thing is certain: North Hills is evolving—but exactly how it will take shape remains to be seen.
Current allowable height
5 Big Questions
Where will you park? Several of the proposed buildings would rid ground-level parking, but Walker assures each site will feature integrated decks—with the possibility of below-ground parking at the Lassiter District to boot. Phase 1 of Kane’s North Hills expansion added ~1,000 spaces, with the potential for a couple hundred more in this next phase.
What about the traffic? Traffic concerns are clearly fueling much of the conversation—especially in light of City Council’s recent decision to scrap the Six Forks Road widening project. But Kane maintains that mixed-use destinations actually reduce vehicular traffic coming into the development: When daily needs and attractions are clustered, people drive less and bike or walk more—easing congestion, lowering emissions and boosting overall mobility. In addition, Kane is also proposing adding a dedicated right turn lane from Lassiter Mill Road onto Six Forks.
Pedestrians and bike plans? Improved pedestrian and bike connectivity is another key promise Kane tied to the rezoning request, including a proposed multiuse path from Lassiter Mill down to Six Forks in the direction of I-440—serving a safer, more accessible route.
Why go tall instead? While some nearby residents have expressed frustration—noting they “don’t want to look at just another big building”—Kane is already entitled to build under current zoning and density limits. In other words, buildings will go up either way—but, per Kane, taller buildings offer more flexibility to incorporate green features, both at the ground-level and on rooftops.
How will the public benefit? Kane’s team is working with the city to identify priorities that emerged during the last rezoning. “We want to have a lot of opportunities throughout this process to talk with city staff, council and the community as a whole to make sure the project can deliver meaningful public benefits,” says Walker. Among the possibilities: an upgrade to Fire Station 9 along Rowan Street.
What will happen to existing businesses? Current businesses on the affected sites—Wells Fargo, North State Bank, Exxon and Walgreens—will be invited to stay, with construction likely to start on vacant parcels first.
The Midtown mixed-use destination is set to file a new rezoning request.
North Hills wants to grow again—but this time, the aim is to go up rather than out. The booming Midtown development is slated to request rezoning updates for five parcels in the North Hills Main and Lassiter Districts in August, with the plan to keep the allowable density the same while increasing heights to 12, 20 and 37 stories (see map)—plus enable more open public space, pedestrian amenities, ground-floor activation and a varied skyline.
“North Hills has evolved into a world-class mixed-use destination… and activation is everywhere,” maintains Barry Long, principal and president of Urban Design Associates, the design firm supporting North Hills’ exploration of best uses for the remaining developable sites. “A few auto-oriented sites, such as the gas station at the corner of Lassiter and Six Forks, remain at the perimeter. The North Hills team is pursuing a zoning modification to transform these outdated lots into meaningful places.”
The request comes ~four years after they submitted a controversial rezoning in 2021 asking for a 30-story tower at the intersection of Six Forks Road and I-440—which was later withdrawn in 2023 upon opposition from City Council and community pushback.
“The last premier parcels in Raleigh’s Midtown deserve the best we can create with the appropriate balance of height, density and beautifully landscaped ground level spaces.” —John Kane
Now, North Hills tells Raleigh Magazine in a sit-down interview they’re taking a different approach, pulling inspo from how the community interacts with the open public spaces across the development—from Beach Music to Midtown Park to the new Main District Expansion spaces. To wit, Kane Realty is holding an Open House July 30 at Church of the Apostles from 5–7pm to gain feedback from the public to shape the new rezoning application and appease some previous concerns.
The North Hills team is already working with the city to identify some of those community needs and priorities. “We want to have a lot of opportunities throughout this process to talk with city staff, council and the community as a whole to make sure the project can deliver meaningful public benefits,” says Kane Director of Development Kallie O’Haren Walker—with one possibility potentially including the upgraded Fire Station 9 along Rowan Street conditioned in the first rezoning.
But the key difference in the new proposal, while asking for a height increase, is not asking for increased density or square footage over what is currently allowed (2,500 residential units and 3 million total square feet). “We’re changing the shape of what we’re zoning, not the scale,” maintains Walker.
North Hills Current Allowable Density
While specific plans are in flux, Walker imagines the likes of public gathering areas, ground-floor retail and restaurants, with opportunities for outdoor activation and dining—plus improved pedestrian and bike connectivity. Walker also notes the North Hills team is very aware of traffic concerns in the area and is proactively looking into solutions for vehicular travel as well.
As such, the Lassiter and Six Forks sites will feature integrated parking decks, with the potential addition of below-ground parking, says Walker. The increased heights will also enable outdoor amenity spaces within the buildings themselves.
All this said, these projects are at least five, 10, 15 years down the road. “We want to acknowledge that some of the properties included in the rezoning case are home to active businesses,” notes Walker. “We have no imminent plans to start these projects—this is a long-term planning process and it’s about future flexibility, not immediate changes or impacts to those businesses.” With another community meeting set for sometime this fall, it’s only a matter of time until we see how North Hills will shape up—literally.
What’s Going Where:
Six Forks & Lassiter site: Exxon gas station and tire shop (4369 Six Forks Road), currently zoned for 12 stories, asking for 40 stories (conditioned at 37)
Six Forks site: North State Bank lot (4270 The Circle at North Hills St.), currently zoned for 12 stories, asking for 40 stories (conditioned at 37)
Wells Fargo Bank lot (4220 Lassiter Mill Road) – currently zoned for 12 stories, asking for 40 stories (conditioned at 37)
Lassiter District site: Walgreens strip (4441 Six Forks Road), currently zoned for 5 stories, asking for 12 stories
Main District expansion phase 2: Empty parcel on Lassiter Mill (next to the Beltline), currently zoned for 12 stories, asking for 20 stories
