Here are the highlights of City Council’s last meeting for over a month.
Raleigh’s City Council needs an occasional break too—but before they were able to get away, they had a hefty agenda stacked for July 1, the last session until Aug. 19… and a lot went down. Here are some of the biggest highlights.
With no ability to overcome the huge budget deficit the project faced, City Council canceled the Six Forks Road Improvement Project. The initial plans included a six-lane road with a median and bike and pedestrian paths with a budget of $60.1M.
After the cost escalated to $93.5M, Council found no feasible way to move forward. Opting to keep the money in the district, the project’s budget will now go toward closing the sidewalk gap in front of Carroll Middle School and funding design of the Midtown multi-modal bridge, followed by completing the Lake Wheeler Road and Barbell Road projects, and lastly, improving Old Wake Forest Road. $9.3M had already been spent on over a decade of work surrounding Six Forks.
RFD revealed only 54% of units made the first due NFPA target time—or arrived within 240 seconds to 90% of incidents—in 2024. Performance was highest in DTR (81%) and lowest near Station 23 in Northwest Raleigh (31%). To combat this low stat, station replacements and relocations were recommended to City Council, plus four new stations, more ladder trucks and strong recruiting strategies.
Newsworthy Notes
Red Hat Amphitheater is working toward a final design with utility work already underway, with the aim for a 2027 opening.
The Convention Center expansion is in the design phase with an anticipated 2029 opening.
Updated terms surrounding the Convention Center Hotel (Omni Hotel & Resorts) include additional rooms, a room block agreement of 50 years, a projection completion guarantee, and a land sale to yield property tax.
The new City Hall is 25% complete at Floor 8, with a final completion aimed for March 2027.
Fire Station No.1 is in its concept design phase with an amendment forthcoming for a safety-themed playground.
The Chavis-Dix Strollway honoring and uplifting the Fourth Ward is in the final design process with a detailed project design expected summer 2026.
Design is underway for pedestrian safety improvements for Downtown and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Wake Forest’s outdoor aqua park is a must-visit this summer.
Prepare to have your very own Wipeout moment. Wake Forest’s uber-popular Fantasy Lake Adventure Park brings the fun—and maybe a fair share of bruises (worth it)—to your summer.
Bounce over to the former rock quarry for inflatables, floating cabanas, kayaking, paddleboarding, scuba diving, cliff jumping and more to fit your fair weather fancy—plus an entire new park section this year boasting fresh activities; a floating island; four additional Aquabanas; and El Jefe, an addrenaline-rushing waterslide as tall as the cliff jump (!).
“It’s active, open-water recreation—very much back to nature,” says Commercial Recreation Specialists President Ron Romens. “We’re using the quarry—which is a beautiful property—and they’ve done a great job at really creating a destination for the day. Plus, it’s sustainable and active recreation!”
Rather wave from the shore? Stay dry while still soaking in the fun via sand loungers, pickleball, picnic shelters, an overlook deck and rotating food trucks for refueling post-soak.
“It’s fun for everybody,” maintains owner Daniel Cox. “My kids and my nieces and nephews love it. They’re on it; I’m on it—and it brings something for everybody.” See ya on the water! gofantasylake.com
Fun fact: The beach features 40 tractor-trailers worth of sand transported from Topsail Beach.
Are Raleigh’s signage rules keeping things classy or killing creativity?
As Raleigh grows and evolves, so does the conversation around the city’s character—and what we want it to be.
When it comes to appearances, the writing’s on the wall—or hanging from it. Signage helps define the vibe of a district (think Asheville’s Biltmore Village or the French Quarter in New Orleans), but Raleigh’s sign identity isn’t clear.
DTR’s handful of standout signs—namely the vintage neon glow coming from The Mecca, DECO and Parkside Restaurant, to name a few—add warmth, personality, and a little bit of buzz for locals and tourists alike. And, yet, they’re the exception—not the rule.
Raleigh’s signage is governed by a set of city regulations that dictate everything from size and color to whether a sign can blink, flash or glow. The result? A look that’s polished and professional, but perhaps a little too buttoned-up.
It begs the question: Are Raleigh’s signage restrictions keeping things tasteful and tidy, or are they shutting out creativity?
The Rulebook
Photo by Jared Haworth, courtesy of Lightship Neon
Raleigh’s restrictions date back to the late 1970s, rooted in a desire to preserve visual order as the city modernized. And while minor tweaks have been made over time, the framework remains largely the same, according to Justin Rametta, planning and zoning administrator for the City of Raleigh.
Per Rametta, the regulations focus on what can be controlled by the city: size, placement, lighting and materials. The message on the signs, however, can’t be regulated by the city due to free speech rights. “We can’t say very much about what’s on a sign, but we can say how big it is, what color it is and what type of sign it is—those sorts of things,” he says.
Digital signs, for instance, are largely restricted to Downtown—and even there, they’re tightly controlled to avoid visual clutter and the dreaded Vegas-effect. Elsewhere in the city, digital signs are mostly off-limits so as not to disturb residential areas.
Neon signs, while not outright banned, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are more likely to be approved when tied to historic businesses (see: Person Street’s Krispy Kreme). There’s no designated district in Raleigh that encourages creative or unconventional signage, but Rametta says ideas like that could be explored by city council.
Glowing Up
These city restrictions reflect an outdated bias against neon, says Jared Haworth, owner of locally based Lightship Neon, a relatively new neon shop that spun out from now-closed Glas—known for signs like DECO’s neon masterpiece.
“A lot of these kinds of regulations came about due to public pressure campaigns in the 1960s that were trying to demonize neon signage,” shares Haworth. “As new plastic fluorescent signs became popular, neon became associated with older or rundown businesses. It’s an undeserved reputation.”
Haworth’s signs are hand-built in Raleigh, and he sees neon not just as signage, but as visual art that contributes to a neighborhood’s personality. Case in point: Lightship Neon’s recently made sign for Mexican restaurant Little Rey in Raleigh Iron Works beckons visitors to the restaurant via hot-pink lettering and an eye-catching neon chicken. Due to the restaurant’s location inside of the district, some of the stricter signage regulations that would apply to street-facing businesses did not apply to this sign, maintains Haworth.
As far as a dedicated district with cool signage, Haworth is all for it. “It would be impressive for both people coming to visit and something visually impactful for locals,” he says. And he’s already workshopping plans to bring to city council in hopes of updating some of the city’s broader regulations.
So while Raleigh might not ever reach the signage legacy of places like New Orleans and Austin, a Downtown district with soulful signs could be in our future. They’re just one bright idea away.
A local biz disguises mini art galleries as vending machines at businesses throughout Raleigh, offering a treasure trove of creative oddities.
Forget the soda and snacks—Loot Drop Art Club is serving up a new kind of vending machine. Recently dropped at five locales throughout Raleigh, these transformed treasure troves are art nouveau’d into mini art galleries with limited-run goodies from local artists and makers— everything from stickers and pins to tarot fortunes and handmade toys and games.
“It’s like a side hustle that makes everybody else’s side hustle go a little further,” emphasizes co-owner and writer Ben Loomis. “We’re spending thousands of dollars every year on the local art economy to beef it up and give people more places to sell their stuff.”
Taking inspo from Portland, Oregon’s La Venderia—“the godmother of creative vending in the U.S.,” as Loomis describes it—he and business partner Bunny Eaton realized the East Coast potential. What began as coin-operated machines in Boone has since grown into 24 full-size vending stations across Asheville, Charlotte, Hickory and now Raleigh.
To bring these machines to life, the duo sources used ones online and transforms them into “works of art themselves” at their Foothills Community Workshop in Granite Falls, muses Loomis. Up until the Raleigh drops, in-house lead artist Eaton handpainted all the machines—with new local additions at Wake-N-Bakery featuring a whimsical design by local artist Damalis, Le Dive’s jungle-esque exterior by Vonne Brown, and Transfer Co. Food Hall’s silly striped character by Toasty Tuna.
The facade “amplifies the vibe of the venue without just blending into the background,” says Loomis, who also notes the machines are no cost to the hosting spots. “We try to make it look like it’s been part of the environment there for a while—but still catches the eye. … They basically get a free mural, and then some extra traffic and fun for people while they’re there.”
Inside each of the Loot Drops, treasures run the gamut of goods artists commonly craft like patches, jewelry, zines, souvenirs and other novelties, explains Loomis, to off-the-beaten- path selects “giving artists a chance to flex their creative muscles and work within the parameters of vending machine products. We really love when somebody has a creative idea that’s different, that we haven’t seen before.”
Think disguised chip bags stuffed with a variety of insults ranging from mild to spicy. “We’re able to go kind of weird with it sometimes,” laughs Loomis, nodding to mystery bags of prints donning foot pics—the result of a silly dare. Functional items like nailcare products, soaps and even Wake-N-Bakery’s clay pipes are also at the ready.
Courtesy of Loot Drop Art ClubCourtesy of Loot Drop Art ClubCourtesy of Loot Drop Art Club
Curated and restocked with the help of DTR’s Munjo Munjo, the Loot Drops get a weekly glow-up via new goodies— and there’s an always-open invite for artists to submit. “New people are finding them every day,” says Loomis, who also teases in-the-works community workshops and events coming this summer. “We try to make just a little something fun in everyone’s day—something extra to discover in your built environment.”
It’s a win for the business owners too. “We absolutely love having the Loot Drop machine at Tap Yard,” says owner Zack Medford. “We are a very eclectic bar with an incredible community that supports all things wacky and weird. Loot Drop is perfect for that vibe—it’s mysterious, quirky and fun. Most importantly, it’s a brilliant way to support local artists and creative thinkers.” And who doesn’t love a local trinket? lootdropart.club
From grill to glass—Raleigh’s watermelon game goes wild.
“Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening”—that watermelon sugar high is more than sticky chins and spitting seeds at the family picnic. The juicy fruit isn’t just a sweet summer snack—it’s a savory superstar hiding in plain sight. Like Baby in Dirty Dancing, who famously “carried a watermelon,” local chefs here are flipping the script—playing on watermelon’s crisp, refreshing bite in everything from spicy salads and smoky grilled dishes to inventive cocktails and dreamy desserts.
“When we have our mezcal watermelon margarita on the board, the whole neighborhood knows summer is here,” says William & Company owner Lily Ballance. “Everyone sits on our patio with this fragrant and delicious refreshing watermelon pink drink—our favorite drink of the year!”
Packed with hydration and subtle sweetness, the fruit lends itself to endless creativity—even Jubala’s has jumped in with its viral watermelon tonic (read: local heirloom watermelon, yuzu, basil-mint, quinine and “some pretty wild-tasting espresso.”) So, time to rethink watermelon—and taste its surprising versatility—or flex your rind rigour on Watermelon Day Aug. 7 at the State Farmers Market, complete with a NC Watermelon Queen sighting and judging for the state’s largest upward of 300 pounds (!). Whether a dish, drink or hack for spicing up that sweet fruit at home, one thing is certain—Raleigh’s watermelon scene is anything but ordinary.
Photo courtesy of Stanbury
Watermelon Salad | Stanbury Dice watermelon into 1-inch cubes and place in shallow serving bowl. Dice Persian cucumber. Toss cucumbers with nuoc cham* and pour over plated watermelon. Top with torn herbs (mint, Thai basil, cilantro), crushed roasted peanuts**, crispy shallots*** and rice powder****.
*Nuoc cham 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup water 1 serrano
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Stir in 1 Tbsp. sambal and two grated garlic cloves.
**Roasted peanuts Toast 1 cup raw peanuts at 350 for 5–10 minutes, until aromatic and golden. Crush with bottom of pan.
***Crispy shallots Toss 1 cup thinly sliced shallots in 1/4 cup cornstarch and fry at 275 till golden brown.
****Toasted rice Bake 1/2 cup jasmine or sticky rice at 350, tossing every 5 mins. until golden, for a total of ~30 mins. Grind in coffee mill until a coarse powder.
2 oz. Mezcal Espadín 2 oz. fresh watermelon Fresca 1/2 oz. agave nectar 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice 2–3 sprigs fresh basil Tajín for rim
Rim glass with Tajín. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and strain over ice. Garnish with watermelon slice and fresh basil sprig.
Photo by Forrest Mason, courtesy of William & Company
Hacks
Spiked Melon Party-ready and Insta-worthy, a spiked melon is the punch bowl glow-up you didn’t know you needed. Hollow, fill (think rosé, sangria or spiked lemonade), chill, serve—done.
Scoops for ’Tails Poolside pour upgrade: Scoop melon balls into your bev as juicy ice cubes or garnish. Freeze ’em for a chill twist. Pro tip? The real buzz lives in the booze-soaked scoops.
Grilled Slices Sweet meets heat—grill thick watermelon slices for 2–3 mins per side (or until caramelized) with olive oil, salt and chile powder for a smoky-sweet char that hits every note.
“Ceviche” Cool, kicky and plant-based—this watermelon ceviche is peak summer in a bowl. Just dice; mix with lime juice, chopped mint, jalapenos and a salt pinch; marinate for 10 mins; and serve chilled.
Popsicles With a Twist Hydrating and backyard-ready—watermelon pops are the new frozen flex. Blend melon with fresh herbs (basil, mint) and a citrus splash, spike if you like (tequila, rum), then freeze overnight in molds.
