Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

​As Raleigh plans for its future, Transit Oriented Development has emerged as a key strategy for sustainable equitable development. Over the past five months, the Raleigh City Council has been developing a vision aimed at supporting growth and development alongside sustainable transit solutions. Central to this vision is the Transit Overlay District, a zoning innovation focused on bolstering transit lines such as the upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system by providing them with the density they need to ensure ridership. On July 2, the council completed rezoning over 600 individual property parcels along the New Bern Avenue corridor to complement the BRT system, aligning future development with the new mass transit system.

​A Transit Overlay District is a specialized zoning tool designed to maximize the effectiveness of transit systems by promoting compact, mixed-use developments around transit hubs and stations. These districts encourage the density necessary to sustain and enhance transit ridership, aligning with Raleigh’s commitment to sustainable urban planning and improved accessibility.
Raleigh’s initiative to establish Transit Overlay Districts is part of a broader strategy to integrate transit planning with urban development goals. Transit systems need density to be able to function. By concentrating jobs, retail spaces, and multifamily housing near transit hubs, the city aims to create vibrant, walkable communities that reduce car dependence and enhance the urban environment.

​With the recent groundbreaking of the Bus Rapid Transit system on the New Bern Avenue corridor, there is a high level of interest from both city council and local citizens to get the development around this first BRT installment right. By dividing zoning decisions into 6 zones along New Bern Avenue, instead of rezoning the whole line at once, the City Council was able to better tailor zoning decisions to diverse community needs—from historic residential areas to bustling business zones and healthcare facilities.
The success of the New Bern Avenue Transit Overlay District is not only about immediate impacts but also about laying the groundwork for the three remaining legs of this system: North up Capitol Blvd., South down Wilmington Ave., and West along Western Blvd. A thriving transit corridor here could strengthen public support and attract additional funding for further transit developments, benefiting the entire city.

​As Raleigh continues to evolve, initiatives like the Transit Overlay District demonstrate the city’s proactive approach to urban planning. By integrating transit infrastructure with thoughtful zoning policies, Raleigh is paving the way for a more sustainable and connected future.
Stay informed about developments like the Transit Overlay District and other legislative updates by visiting our webpage or following us on all social media platforms at @raleighchamber.
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For more information on Raleigh’s Transit Overlay District and related projects, please visit the City of Raleigh’s official webpage.

It is time for the city to draft a new Comprehensive Plan, the cornerstone that provides overarching guidance for the city’s growth and future development over a roughly twenty-year period. Our current Plan comes from 2009 and was most recently updated in 2019.  Since the plan was aimed to get us to 2030, the city is beginning work for the next plan to get us to 2050.

Much has happened since the 2009 creation of the document- beyond adding over 75,000 residents in the city’s boundaries alone (not to mention the population explosion in the surrounding municipalities and county), Raleigh created a brand new Strategic Plan, Community Climate Action Plan, Affordable Housing Goals & Consolidated Plan, and business plans for every individual city department. Since 2009, there have been major sea changes in how municipalities view racial equity, environmental sustainability, Affordable Housing, multi-modal transportation, and remote work behaviors changing office and commuting patterns. The city has reached the point of diminishing returns by revising our current plan, so it’s time for a new one. ​

In anticipation of mapping future land use for 20+ years, the city will be undertaking a massive public outreach initiative including focus groups, conferences, and strategic planning meetings to gather input. The Raleigh Chamber will be involved in these discussions and more as we work to make sure the business community is represented in drafts of the Comprehensive Plan. 

After 11 years of delay, the city council is finally moving forward with plans to widen Six Forks Road, albeit a much shorter length than originally planned.  The project will add lanes (for six total) between Rowan Street and Millbrook Road, with new eight-foot multi-use paths installed in a parallel corridor to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Key to the council’s decision was the modified plan coming in under the city’s budget (though it’s worth noting that the original cost for a longer stretch of widening was $37.1 million, compared to the current estimate of $56.1). It’s a good example of what happens when a major project gets delayed for review for too long – costs spiral upward, and overall project scope must be reduced to meet fiscal realities. While consideration and study are important to road projects, speed is equally critical to providing infrastructure improvements to keep the city moving forward.

Also worth noting from the decision was Councilman Jonathan Melton’s comments on his vote in favor: while he personally doesn’t support the road widening, he still voted in favor of the project since previous councils had promised the project to their constituents and because designers had been able to add the multi-modal path to the project. The Chamber applauds Melton’s willingness to support the expansion while also working to add new infrastructure to the corridor to serve a more diverse population. ​

Now that the widening has been approved and the funding allocated, construction will begin in early 2026 and will take two years to complete. 


To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The Raleigh Chamber is calling for the reintroduction of immediate federal tax deductions of Research & Development (R&D) costs which were the norm for over seventy years until January 2022 when the tax code required them to be amortized. While this change impacts all companies that engage in research and development, it most drastically impacts startups and small businesses who rely on those immediate deductions for their financial models to work.​

In collaboration with several other metropolitan chambers across the state, we are encouraging our federal delegation to revert the R&D tax rules. Conversations are positive and it looks like these changes will happen soon, but with so much on the line for so many regional companies, there’s no time to waste.

The council is moving forward with plans to change how many elected officials represent Raleigh, how often they must run, and several other changes to how we elect our city leaders.
 
Details are yet to be decided, but there seems to be consensus to adopt four-year terms (from the current two-year terms), with potentially the mayor remaining on two-year terms to increase citizens’ ability to hold them accountable. Should four-year terms go into effect, candidates would run in staggered terms, eliminating the possibility of a whole council turnover in a single election.
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There also seems to be agreement that more seats need to be added to the council table due to the city’s explosive growth over the past decades, but there does not seem to be agreement on how many new seats would be added (anywhere from one to four were brought up), whether they would run in districts to represent specific parts of the city, or whether they would be at-large to represent the city as a whole. Yet to be discussed in depth are whether council members should receive more compensation for their time in their position, and how much that increase would be.

The council will go through all of this in much more detail at future work sessions, but whatever changes they agree on will go on the November 2024 ballot for citizens to approve or reject, with the goal of the changes going into effect for the 2026 election cycle. ​
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To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

There may not have been local elections on the ballot this year, but our elected bodies still voted to determine who will lead their internal decision-making processes for next year. The Raleigh Chamber has excellent relationships with all our new and recurring leaders, and we look forward to partnering with them to make 2024 a successful year. 

Wake County Board of Commissioners:
Shinica Thomas was re-elected as Chair, and Susan Evans was re-elected Vice-Chair. Both served in the same roles in 2023.
 
City of Raleigh:
Jonathan Melton was elected Mayor Pro Tem, replacing Corey Branch in the role. The Mayor Pro Tem executes the duties of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent.
 
Wake County Board of Education:
Chris Heagarty was elected Chair, replacing Lindsay Mahaffey who held the position for the previous two years. Tara Waters was elected Vice-Chair, though she was almost immediately chosen to fill the County Commission seat left by the passing of Dr. James West, so her position will pass to another Board member soon. ​

The Raleigh Chamber got several shoutouts at this year’s State of the County address for the work we’ve done to make our community stronger. Wake County Commission Chair Shinica Thomas highlighted the economic development work our team has done to bring companies and jobs to the region and praised the Triangle DEI Alliance for their work on the A Better Wake Initiative. Likewise, Wake County Public School Board Chair Lindsay Mahaffey highlighted our annual Inter-City Visit and Leadership Conference as a great opportunity to build regional partnerships and demonstrate how well our communities collaborate compared to many others across the country. ​

We look forward to continuing our work to give our elected officials even more victories to celebrate at next year’s address!

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The Raleigh City Council continues its discussion on how to improve safety and restore vibrancy to our downtown in their Safe, Healthy & Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee.
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Discussion began with a briefing from Wake County Manager David Ellis on what health & human services the county provides, and how they coordinate community providers who handle social services not directly administered by government programs. Two bright spots were the expansion of Medicaid services bringing in more resources for the county to implement (something the Raleigh Chamber championed), and that most municipalities in Wake County are now implementing their own housing plans to boost supply and increase affordability, something critical to keeping people housed.

Next came a briefing on the city’s fare-free transit program, which began during COVID and continues today. Of note, GoRaleigh only accrues roughly $3.5 million in revenue from transit fares, with about another $1.5 million coming in through special access programs and contracts with private organizations who pay for bus service to their locations. Pre-COVID, the city ran a number of programs to reduce or eliminate fares for targeted groups like senior citizens, children under 12, and teens who signed up for a youth pass program. No discussion was held about re-introducing fares at this meeting, but many questions were asked about whether these reduced/free programs could be reinstated, and that question is something you should expect the council as a whole to grapple with soon. The Chamber supports re-introducing transit fares to reduce ridership that is disruptive to normal operations, along with bolstering city programs to support those who need assistance paying transit fares.

Lastly, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance gave an update on their efforts to improve downtown and what they’ve been seeing in their day-to-day work. Key highlights were the implementation of their own private security to bolster their ambassador’s coverage of downtown, and that they have seen a decrease in youth congregating in groups downtown and causing disruptions. They attribute this decline directly to the increased RPD presence and more visibility across downtown.

There was discussion on moving discussion out of committee and to the council as a whole, but there was confusion as to what recommendations, if any, would be sent to the council. In the end, the topic was again held in committee where staff will bring some concrete ideas for them to act on at the next meeting in November. That means action on downtown safety is delayed about another month with the exception of private security activating downtown.

Regardless of the council’s continued delay, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance began utilizing unarmed guards to supplement its ambassador program by providing more oversight of public spaces, and additional resources for downtown police to respond to issues more quickly. The Raleigh Chamber supports the use of private security to improve police’s ability to prevent or respond to issues more quickly.

The Chamber continues to urge council members to act swiftly and decisively to restore vibrancy to downtown and provide a safe environment for businesses, residents, and visitors alike.

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The City of Raleigh invites you to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our city by participating in Listening Sessions for the FY25 Budget, where staff aim to provide an overview of how the budget process works and foster discussion around business community priorities. One feature of these sessions is an activity where attendees will participate in a voting process to directly influence the allocation of resources by choosing projects they believe should be funded in the FY25 budget.
 
To get involved, please sign up for a Listening Session using this registration link.
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In-Person Listening Sessions:

• Thursday, October 19, 6 - 7:30 p.m., District E Glen Eden Park Community Center
• Tuesday, October 24, 6 - 7:30 p.m., "Budget & Brews!" at Trophy Brewing on Morgan Street

 
Virtual Listening Sessions:

• Saturday, October 21, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 21, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 23, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 25, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

​Time for a humble brag: thanks to the work of the Raleigh Chamber and area businesses helping pass the City of Raleigh Parks Bond in 2022, the City is getting to determine how best to physically shape Dorothea Dix Park to serve our residents and maximize its impact on our quality of life. This week, the Council heard from City staff and Dix Park Conservancy members on some proposed improvements, including removing 50+ buildings to make way for more green space and future infrastructure to improve the park’s programming and amenities.

They also discussed creating a Municipal Service District, (called an MSD,) around the park that would levy an additional tax on nearby businesses and (non-single-family) properties to create services that otherwise don’t exist. If that sounds familiar, it’s exactly how the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is run, and the idea is the same: local businesses and property owners fund services that enhance the area and benefit the city as a whole by boosting the area’s attractiveness.
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The Council already has many questions on how all of this will be implemented, but the conversation can happen at all thanks to the people of Raleigh overwhelmingly approving the parks bond last year. It’s just another example of how the Chamber is working to make sure our quality of life remains one of the best in the nation.

As we’ve touched on before, downtown safety, (and the perception of it,) are a major concern for the Chamber as we continue to position Raleigh as a vibrant and safe place for people to live, work and play. On Tuesday, October 17, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance held a community meeting with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) where some important news was shared.
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1. Drop-in “day shelters” will be coming online in early November, where persons experiencing homelessness will be able to find shelter during daylight hours. Currently, Raleigh only has shelters at night, so those who aren’t actively working with social services often have nowhere to go except public spaces. This will give those individuals somewhere to go and provide another potential point of contact for government and nonprofit organizations to interact with them.
2. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance will be contracting with a private security firm to provide additional personnel who will work with RPD to provide additional oversight of public spaces and resources for RPD officers. Unarmed private security will run from October 31, 2023 through June 30, 2024, operating from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
   

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The Raleigh City Council divides itself into several internal committees made up of four members to tackle topics as a more focused group prior to the whole council taking action. One is called the Safe, Vibrant & Healthy Community Committee, comprised of Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, Stormie Forte, Christina Jones, and Megan Patton. ​

​This committee met in late September to hear updates from city staff, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA,) and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) on the safety situation downtown, and to hear recommendations on ways the city can respond. Lots of information was shared, but here are some highlights:
 

• More security is on the way via the installation of more security cameras, a better process to share security footage across areas of downtown, and more manpower resources via more DRA ambassadors and RPD officers.
• RPD has boosted its presence downtown (including Glenwood South) with dedicated units focused on hotspot areas and how to handle their unique challenges, but they need more uniformed officers. There are roughly 90 vacant officer positions in RPD, and  it takes 7 months for an office to graduate from Raleigh police academy, so this will not be resolved in the short term.
• Many of the recent disturbances have been caused by juveniles gathering in groups and creating problems, often out of sight in isolated locations that are hard to respond to.
• RPD is targeting gun seizures along Glenwood South and recommends all businesses install metal detectors at entrances to better screen for firearms and other weapons. They have also temporarily closed Glenwood South to through-traffic during peak weekend hours, but they do not intend to make that a permanent traffic shift.
• RPD and DRA both recommended boosting social service resources so those who have interactions with DRA or city staff have options available to them other than being processed and released back to the downtown core.
• RPD Chief Patterson said she was open to private security and company police (who have the authority to carry firearms and arrest individuals so long as it is on the property they are contracted to patrol,) and called them a force multiplier. Private security has been in the news recently as an idea floated to help with downtown’s security concerns, but remains polarizing on city council.

 
The committee decided to hold the topic of downtown safety until their next meeting, expected next month, and made no recommendations to the council as a whole for action. While the Chamber is calling for swift action on the situation downtown, holding off on recommendations at this time prevents any half-measures from being proposed that may leave the situation unresolved. The Chamber continues to engage with elected officials and city staff to improve our downtown core and city as a whole.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and many legislators from their state capitol visited Raleigh and came to the Raleigh Chamber to discuss our technology sector and what North Carolina was doing to promote business growth here. We were joined by Representative Jason Saine, a key House of Representatives leader in charge of the state budget and a key figure shaping legislation around tech.
 
Rep. Saine touted several initiatives he thought were critical for our state, including the General Assembly prioritizing the rollout of 5G and broadband internet service across the state as a way to enable more rural residents to participate in jobs that require high speed internet access, and for employers to feel confident that their employees would remain connected as they travel around the state. He also highlighted North Carolina’s efforts to attract e-sports tournaments as a new way to not just fuel the entertainment sector but also generate interest in computer engineering and technology trades through a tax incentive fund. Lastly, he touted the state’s work to streamline and speed up software procurement procedures so that services could be more swiftly implemented.
 
We’re proud to host other Chambers and legislators and share how we work to keep our state the best in the nation to do business! ​

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

Months of horse trading and behind-the-scenes negotiations may finally be coming to a close as House and Senate leadership announced Tuesday night that they’d come to a final* plan to get the state budget passed. *There might still be time for final changes as interest groups and legislators vie to squeeze in final projects and tweaks prior to final votes, but don’t expect anything major to change once voting gets underway. We’ll spare you the details for now, but we’ll be highlighting interesting aspects of the budget in future blog posts.
 
Don’t forget that the General Assembly will be back in October to vote on new district maps for the NC House and Senate and U.S. Congress. Wake County’s Representative Erin Paré, a Republican representing Holly Springs and Fuquay Varina, has already announced her intent to run against incumbent Democrat Wiley Nickel, so expect that district to be of special interest in the redrawing process. 

​Last week the Chamber’s Executive Committee decided that the security situation in downtown had risen to a level of concern that warranted a formal request urging the council to take immediate steps to improve the security situation downtown for our citizens and visitors alike. They sent a letter to all city council members urging immediate action to improve safety downtown, while also recognizing that any actions would need to be paired with efforts to promote equitable options for those who rely on our public transportation.
Below is a section of the letter explaining why this is a city-wide issue, and not just one for residents or businesses in the downtown core:

​Tuesday, September 12 was the Chamber’s annual First Responders Appreciation Breakfast where the business community takes a morning to meet and thank the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our region safe. We had representatives from eight first responder organizations, with over 100 first responders joining us for breakfast. Newly included this year was Wake County Emergency Management, who help us prepare and respond to the natural disasters that disrupt our lives all too often.
 
While each first responder deserves recognition for their hard work, we specially recognized an officer or unit from each agency for their outstanding service over the past year and recognized Ms. Shelly Pearson of Expressions of Love Florist as the 2023 Friend of First Responders for donating floral wreaths for fallen officer memorials for the last 14 years.
 
The Raleigh Chamber also partnered with WRAL and Chick-fil-A to provide free chicken biscuits for all first responders the morning of the event. To get the word out to all first responders, the promotion was shared via news stories in advance, department liaisons received details to push out to their colleagues, and a live broadcast went out the morning of the event. While we can’t feed every first responder breakfast, the Chamber is excited to be able to demonstrate our appreciation and provide a small benefit to those who help continue our excellent quality of life. Find more coverage of the event on social media here.

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.

The Raleigh Planning Commission is looking at a rezoning plan that covers more than 700 properties along the much anticipated New Bern Avenue BRT Corridor. They are systematically reviewing requests from property owners to join or leave a planned Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning overlay which will dictate how dense and/or high buildings will grow along the transit line. While the city is interested in incentivizing more development along the corridor, the decision is complicated by several factors like historic property designations covering several neighborhoods along the planned lines and property owners who are requesting even higher rezonings to try and maximize land value while they have the chance. ​
Though they still have many more meetings before they’ve gotten through the whole line, the Planning Commission so far has proved reluctant to upzone properties higher than what the TOD will allow. Should they choose not to allow properties to exceed the currently proposed heights, property owners will need to undertake individual upzoning requests, which will almost certainly take longer and bring increased scrutiny than if they can get an upzoning now. 

Wake County has launched its first organization-wide strategic planning process to assess our current state, develop a shared vision for our future, and define its direction and priorities. This process will enable the County to focus its collective efforts on the most important issues and work together to design innovative solutions. To get them there, the County is specifically requesting Chamber members’ help.
Wake County asks for your input on our community’s vision, what they do well, where they can improve, and what should be their top priorities. Your insight will help define our County’s vision, goals, and initiatives—and your participation will result in a better plan.
​Please use this link and complete the seven-question survey to make your voice heard. All responses are anonymous, so please be candid. The survey takes just a few minutes but can significantly impact Wake County’s future.

To learn more about our GA priorities you can visit our webpage.