Projects & Construction:
I want to thank the photographers and local businesses, sharing updates on projects, who make this thread possible. Without you, these updates won't happen.
Yes, this is the third best city to move to for people working-from-home! Winston-Salem is also ranked as the cleanest city in the United States!
• Video Link
Bailey South: Built! 
This project is now completed! Some spaces are still being upfitted for tenants, but it is shown as officially completed. This project renovated a 1926 power plant building and attached a six-storey office building to the back side. The building has two floors of retail and due to the city's rough terrain, both floors have access to the sidewalk, with the back side using a sidewalk spur. As always, it's fun seeing these office spaces designed for creative and tech companies.
Credit: innovationquarter
Credit: eatdrinkwinston
Credit: WFIQ
Credit: WFIQ
These outdoor amenity spaces have become popular since the start of COVID-19:
Credit: WFIQ
Credit: WFIQ
This second floor retail space is still available, if you're interested:
Credit: WFIQ
The Monument Stairs:
Credit: WFIQ
Monument Stairs:
Credit: WFIQ
The now completed Black Mountain Chocolate:
Credit: downtownwinstonsalem
Credit: downtownwinstonsalem
Credit: methodpropertiesexp
Credit: methodpropertiesexp
Credit: WFIQ
SixHundred° Restaurant Wine Cellar:
Credit: WFIQ
SixHundred° Restaurant:
Credit: WFIQ
Entrance to SixHundred° Restaurant:
Credit: WFIQ
One of the bars at SixHundred° Restaurant:
Credit: WFIQ
You can see the two floors of retail connected to the sidewalks in this photograph:
Credit: WFIQ
Merschel Park:
The previous design is too expensive for the developer, so they are value engineering. The last rendering posted is what they are thinking of doing at this site. They are in talks with the City Manager, but there is really nothing more to report other than the rendering I posted last month. Their biggest concern is with water and sewer lines under the park. The developer can't afford to move them and it appears as if the City isn't interested in providing financial assistance to move them. Until the developer is ready to officially announce something, this project sits on-hold.
311 East Third:
dtws at the WSTB Forum reported seeing orange ribbons and wood stakes around this site. There is excitement about this building starting, soon. rmhpmi at the WSTB Forum said the developer of this building is trying to claim the entrance to an apartment building's parking is an alley and they want to use it for construction staging. I'm guessing they want to ask the City to permanently close it and they will block it for 24-30 months? WestSalem19 at the WSTB Forum said we could see a big announcement in the Second Quarter 2021, describing the announcement as "big" in the post. How big? I guess we shall see. It is expected to be 11-14 storeys in height, unless their plans have changed?
I noticed this photograph of a work vehicle closing a street and cones around a utility site across the street from 311 East Third:
Credit: mr_tony_goebel
Workers are marking the locations of utilities and other things in preparation for construction:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by DCMetroWinston @ WSTB Forum
|
Yes, it is a "Positive Sign!"
Roar:
The proposed conference center on the lower level is now officially cancelled, due to COVID-19. Piedmont Federal Bank & Trust has leased the space and expects to open their downtown office on that floor in late-Spring or early-Summer. The bank will have their own entrance on Main Street. The entertainment, bars, food hall, and restaurants will have an entrance on Liberty Street. I have noticed they appear to have an atrium for the entertainment/food/bar floors on the Seventh Street side? Interestingly, each floor will have a stage for live music and they expect to have a variety of music acts throughout the week. The restored Model-T Ford (this building was a Ford Assembly Plant in the 1920s) will become part of their host stand for Roaring Social, which will have bowling, indoor cocktail bar, putt-putt, sports/golf simulators, a rooftop bar, and Ro.So. restaurant. They want this building's interiors to have a 1920s theme. Interestingly, the far western end of second floor will have an Italian Restaurant with an outdoor beer garden and indoor herb garden.
Roar is hiring a golf pro for the Great Gatsby's Golf Club attraction. They also have a contest you may be interested in.
These two photographs were recently shared by the developer, but I suspect they are old:
Credit: roar.winstonsalem
Credit: roar.winstonsalem
You can see the new three-storey atrium in the first two photographs and the entrance to the bank office in the third photograph:
Credit: VisionByMone
Again, I'm not sure how old this is:
Credit: roar.ws
This is the park across the street:
Credit: squarethecircle003
Mayfair @ Liberty:
It's now official. This building won't have office space. It will only have apartments and retail. COVID-19 is delaying the start of this project, according to the developer.
Kaleideum Science Museum:
The science museum project is the pit in the foreground and Liberty Park construction site is behind it:
Credit: tokyo_enigma
IQ District Mixed-use:
A rendering from downtown's IQ District that we haven't seen on this update. It shows a hotel, medical facility, office space, and apartments, with ground floor retail. While the bike and walking paths are completed, the park is not and you can see the park is just a generic grass field with trees in the rendering. Interestingly, one of the proposed office buildings in the rendering is built over Long Branch Trail / Downtown's High Line, allowing you to walk or bike under the building. That would be interesting. One of the buildings along that 1980s bike path was constructed with a tunnel in 1989. They should construct more buildings over these paths.
Credit: Wexford Science & Technology
Forsyth County Courthouse:
Construction started this month on the new Courthouse. Sections of both Patterson Avenue and Chestnut streets, around the construction site, are now closed for Courthouse construction.
Groundbreaking:
Credit: Forsyth County
Credit: Forsyth County
Credit: Forsyth County
Credit: Forsyth County
Credit: Forsyth County
Credit: Forsyth County
Liberty Park:
Construction is set to begin this month:
Credit: Stu Miller
Crystal Towers Apartments:
This project is still delayed, nearly three years after they announced this building would be sold, as they wait on Federal approval. The conversion of this building to luxury apartments is still likely a year away from starting, at the earliest.
Interstate 74:
Credit: dawn.wilson.58726
Credit: dawn.wilson.58726
Wake Forest School of Engineering Expansion:
I'm not sure how up-to-date these photographs are?
Credit: Wake Engineering
Credit: Wake Engineering
Credit: Wake Engineering
Credit: Wake Engineering
This photograph shows the dumpster is still there, so it's still under construction:
Credit: mr_tony_goebel
Winston Junction:
The new ebike store will open later this week or early next week. Frank Guido is a former marketing executive who moved from Dallas, Texas to Winston-Salem to start this store, so welcome him to downtown when you visit his store. He both sells and rents ebikes and said these bikes can go 20-28 mph / 32-45 km/h. The bikes are designed for everything from bike commuting to long distance riding to moving cargo. It's an easy way to travel Winston-Salem's hilly streets. You can provide some of the power through the pedals or none at all and allow the motor to do all of the work. Again, perfect for Winston-Salem. His store also has accessories and repairs ebikes. A fun fact: The store owner said ebikes are roughly 40% of the bike market in the Netherlands and are popular in much of Europe. If you want to know, these bikes can travel roughly 35 miles / 55 kilometres between charges.
Centenary UMC Renovation: Built!
This project is now completed. The only photographs seem to focus on the furniture and fixtures.
Credit: lambert_architecture
Credit: lambert_architecture
The view:
Credit: lambert_architecture
Credit: lambert_architecture
Wake Forest Renovations - Phase I: Built!
A long winter break accelerated renovations in this phase without disrupting students or classes. Every project in this phase was completed by February 10, except for South Benson stair renovation which was pushed back to Summer Break due to problems finding the materials to complete the job.
Robert Hall Hotel and Conference Center:
This is what the restaurant's outdoor space will look like. The metal globes are light fixtures:
Credit: roberthallws
Sentinel Commons:
This was the featured project on two different FF&E sites:
Credit: lambert_architecture
Park at 74:
Demolition is starting on the existing structures at this site, so this project is now moving forward.
Quarry Park Phase II:
This project is over-budget, due to a rise in steel prices. They are currently value-engineering.
This is designed to match the look of The Boom Observation Pier and the quarry:
Credit: City of Winston-Salem
Loewy Building Apartments:
The owner of this building has plans to convert the Art Deco Raymond Loewry Office Building to apartments and ground floor retail. This building will contain both market rate and workforce housing. The developer will construct 40 of the apartments as workforce housing units without being required to do so. Currently, the entire building is 100% Class B office space. Most of the exterior was restored a few years, which appeared as a project in this thread. Yes, this building is named for streamline moderne designer Raymond Loewy and has appeared in publications. He also designed the ground floor renovation, which you may or may not like.
Learn more about Raymond Loewy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Loewy
Credit: Jordan Burleson
They said they are also looking at properties on the eastern side of Interstate 285 / John Gold Expressway for future downtown apartment developments.
Cloverdale Redevelopment:
After a year delay, demolition started at this site on February 8, 2021. Workers have marked the trees to be saved, brought in excavators, installed a construction fence, and placed warning tape on the entrances to the existing 1940s apartment buildings. The new 3-4 storey 220-unit apartment development will have the latest amenities, including a salt-water pool, clubhouse, outdoor grills, fitness center, poolside cabanas, a yoga studio, and parking in a deck. Completion is set for Spring 2022. This is the first phase of this two phase project. Lomax Construction is the General Contractor. This is an example of gentrification. The developer will replace these affordable 1940s apartments, in short walking distance from a full-sized grocery store (on the same block), a major employer, retail, restaurants, a park, a church, hospital, a synagogue, and a bus stop, with more expensive luxury apartments.
Credit: winstonwatchman
The new apartments will have a nice view:
Credit: winstonwatchman
1001:
Credit: tokyo_enigma
Salem Parkway: Built!
They said this project would be completed by now, so I guess it's completed?
Credit: tokyo_enigma
Hanes Park Sports Facilities:
Workers are building the indoor sports facility:
Credit: winstonwatchman
Washington Park Renovation:
This phase of the project will construct a new entrance, new restrooms, and trail improvements. Construction should begin next month.
The Easley Apartments:
The tower crane at this site is a Linden Comansa 21 LC 450. It's 262 feet wide and you can see that width in these photographs! This is a massive apartment building!
Credit: heedesoutheast
Credit: heedesoutheast
Credit: jasonthiel
I think the smaller crane in this photograph is for a Wells Fargo tech center project in the background?
Credit: TrueLook
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by DCMetroWinston @ WSTB Forum
|
Credit: TrueLook
Dave McNair Mastering:
Credit: TrueLook
Oliver Cycling Park:
Credit: City of Winston-Salem
Theatre Alliance:
The Theatre Alliance moved into this downtown building at the end of last month. It has a larger lobby and box office, a large backstage area, shops for both props and costumes, and a large space for set construction. Construction will continue on the building, with full completion set for later this Spring. So far, they have raised $1.3 million of the $2.3 million needed to complete this adaptive-reuse project. Please donate if you can.
Nationwide Marketing Headquarters:
The rooftop amenity area appears completed and the dumpster was removed. However, they never completed the storefront. I'm guessing it's COVID-19 related? I wouldn't give them tax credits for that. I'm concerned they may not complete that part of the project.
Credit: TrueLook
UNCSA Student Apartments:
Our first photograph update on this project! UNCSA is an internationally respected and top-ranked arts conservatory, with both high school students (North Carolina's best art students) and university students in the University of North Carolina System. This is one of the awesome assets Winston-Salem has and it brings the best young artists from around the state and some of the best young artists from across the nation to Winston-Salem. Several Broadway and Hollywood stars have graduated from UNCSA and frequently return to talk to new students there. Some also move here to teach or work in UNCSA's administration.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by DCMetroWinston @ WSTB Forum
|
815 North Trade Office Building:
Signage for the new building's office tenant, which appears to be at 807 North Trade:
Credit: jksincorporated
Link Apartments 4th Street:
Credit: Winston Watchman
Preparing to pour the second floor:
Credit: jasonthiel
Credit: Fam Brownlee
A snowy view from January:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by DCMetroWinston @ WSTB Forum
|
A February Update (You can see the entrance to the underground parking):
Credit: Mark Owens
Alternative Transportation:
Rail Streetcar System:
The downtown Winston-Salem streetcar plan is in the urban area's recommendation to the state for major transportation projects seeking funding.
Hank Aaron Historic Marker:
Yes, it's in this section, since it's proposed for historic Union Station. Hall-of-Fame baseball player Hank Aaron took a train from Mobile, Al., to Winston-Salem's Union Station, where he signed his first contract to become a professional baseball player in 1951 at age 18. Yes, he signed the contract at the train station in Winston-Salem. It was $200 a month, for those who want to know. I wish they would make a statue, but it appears as if they are talking about an historic marker. Hank Aaron was at the ground breaking for Winston-Salem's new ballpark a few years ago.
Downtown Streetscape:
Streetscape work in Winston-Salem's 255 year old Colonial Old Salem Neighborhood:
Credit: Edward Renegar
Bike & Pedestrian Land Bridge: Built!
A look at the color-changing lights:
Credit: Tar Heel Dashcam
Yadkin Valley Regional Bicycle Plan:
This is a new project to encourage bicycle tourism and economic development. They want to connect all of the Yadkin River Valley counties with separated bicycle paths. One of the projects they are discussing is the conversion of the Norfolk-Southern L-Line to a rail trail or a rail with trail project. This line is viewed as important to future heavy rail or light rail passenger service, so they may preserve the rail while constructing a trail beside the rail. Interestingly, for every dollar spent on bike paths, that community gains $1.72 in economic benefits, according to the report.
Green Street Pedestrian Bridge: Built!
A look at the color-changing lights on this suspension bridge:
Credit: Tar Heel Dashcam
Salem Parkway Bike & Pedestrian Path:
They can't finish this project until the NC DOT finishes every thing on Salem Parkway. Right now, the project has slowed, due to issues at NC DOT, and should be listed as currently on-hold on our project list. It does appear as if the City may push for a redesign where this bike path meets an existing bike path at the new Land Bridge. This may result in a higher cost and a longer bicycle fly-over ramp.
Smith Reynolds Airport Restoration:
The County is ready to start on $47.8 million in Smith Reynolds Airport renovations. The airport and its historic terminal were selected by the airlines as the best in the nation in 1942. This first round of renovations will spend $7.2 million to restore the building's facade to its original appearance, replace electrical, replace HVAC systems, improve plumbing, upgrade life safety systems, and install elevators. Walter Robbs is the architect and construction on the first phase is expected to take 30 months to complete. Yes, they selected the same team that worked on the award-winning restoration of historic Union Station. Designed by architect Howard Cheney, this was the busiest airport in the Carolinas until the 1970s and one of the nation's big passenger airlines was headquartered here until 1989. The building has a beautiful Streamline Moderne design, with sculptures, marble walls, terrazzo floors, some Art Deco details inside, a large mural from 1941, and a beautiful stained-glass window in the entrance lobby. It was an expensive showplace of its time. When it first opened, it did have a wood-paneled club with fireplace, a wall of windows in the waiting area to view airplanes, two restaurants, and an observation area to watch airplanes take-off and land. I don't think they have made any major renovations since 1963? Interestingly, as part of the $47.8 million renovation, they will demolish the 1963 departure lounge, which may allow them to restore the original wall-of-windows. They are also demolishing the air cargo building as part of the renovation. The County is also working to restore an historic Quonset hut hangar and build two new 20,000 square-foot hangars at the airport. All of this is bringing more jobs to the airport, with two large employers building new campuses on the edges of the airport and we could soon hear about a third. City leaders are also working to make the airport a VTOL research center, create flex space for that research, and build an area for food trucks. The airport is profitable, has an economic impact around a billion dollars, and its revenues will pay for all of the work.
Off-Subject:
Winston-Salem Attracting More Home Builders:
Fine Line Homes of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has opened their first office outside their home state to take advantage of the tech boom in Winston-Salem and growth potential in the region. Winston-Salem appears to be a big winner in attracting northerners who work-from-home and want to move to North Carolina. Their new office will be run by a former accountant who moved to Winston-Salem recently from the Baltimore / Washington D.C., area. The homes they are building in the Winston-Salem area are on the upper-end of their price range and maybe a little above it.
A Nashville-based home builder recently purchased a 10,000 square foot home in Winston-Salem with boat house on a large property with a massive private lake for nearly $5 million. They plan to demolish the home, renovate the boat house and build several new homes around the lake. Another large historic home from 1820 had its land purchased and they plan to expand the house and develop the land around it with million-dollar+ designer homes. It's becoming difficult for them to find good sites. Other builders describe a market so hot they are developing sites they planned to land bank for several years and the Winston-Salem Planning Department talks of developers trying to build on what would otherwise be undesirable sites that are difficult to access in an effort to find any sites in desirable neighborhoods. All builders are saying inventory of houses and developable sites is very low or non-existent. It should be interesting to see the impact on density, transit, and population from the work-from-home boom. It's a little concerning to see developers buying the big mansions built decades ago so they can develop the land around them or demolish them for new development.
Most Visited State Parks:
Pilot Mountain State Park and Hanging Rock State Park are among the most visited state parks in North Carolina. Pilot Mountain was among the few to reach over 1 million visitors last year. These are great places to view Winston-Salem's skyline and fun local getaways. Their rapid growth over the past few years has presented challenges from litter to parking shortages to trail overuse damage. As we've seen in this thread, it's also brought new investment from the state to improve the parks for more visitors. Go out there and explore the Winston-Salem Metro Area's amazing rivers, mountains, lakes, trails, and attractions!
Pilot Mountain State Park: 1,045,160 visitors
Hanging Rock State Park: 867,911 visitors
Cleanest City in the United States:
Winston-Salem was ranked by LawnStarter as the Cleanest City in the United States. "LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities across 20 key metrics including air and water quality, waste regulations, and the share of homes with signs of mice or rats." St. Paul and Madison also made the cleanest cities list, if anyone from those cities is reading this.
Winston-Salem Cycling International Crit Challenge:
The British-based Sweetspot Tour Series men's and women's champions will race at a new event called the Winston-Salem Cycling International Crit Challenge, in downtown Winston-Salem's IQ District on September 25-26, 2021. This new two-day downtown Winston-Salem event is being held as part of USA CRITS Finals Weekend in Winston-Salem. It will pit some of the world's best crit teams against America's best D1 crit squads. And the champions in Winston-Salem will be invited to the Sweetspot Tour Series in May 2022. This will help both organizations raise the profile of criterium bicycle racing globally. USA CRITS managing director Scott Morris said “We are excited about this new partnership that brings some of the best crit teams from around the globe to Winston-Salem and gives our D1 Teams the chance to race internationally." Jonathan Durling said "We are thrilled to be working with Scott and the team at the USA CRITS and it is a great example of the plans that we have to continually develop the Tour Series. We are sure the prospect of being invited to be a part of the USA CRITS Finals weekend is an exciting one for all of our teams that will add to the closely fought nature of the Tour Series.”
Winston-Salem is the sport cycling capitol of the United States and this is part of the bicycle racing events that shut-down the core of the city for an entire weekend, each year. It also includes a large multi-day music festival for bicycle lovers called Gears & Guitars. If you love sport cycling, make plans to visit! The music festival requires buying tickets, but the bicycle events are free and are the top sport cycling events in the nation.
Best Work-From-Home Cities:
Apartment Guide ranked the best work-from-home (WFH) cities and selected Winston-Salem as third best in the nation. Interestingly, there is a large increase in people moving to Winston-Salem from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and California cities. Winston-Salem has always had a large number of people moving to this city from New York City and Pittsburgh.
Random Photographs:
Since I wanted to show the progress leasing the storefronts in the first photograph, I should post a random photographs section in this update.
How popular is downtown's IQ District? These new storefronts became fully leased during a pandemic! (Bike shop, coffee shop, and butcher shop pictured below):
Credit: DWSP
Lighted Bike & Pedestrian Bridge over Salem Waterway:
Credit: jacobjlane
Credit: mr_tony_goebel
This photograph shows not only Winston-Salem's rough terrain, but also how beautifully historic it is (That's a park and a middle school):
Credit: mr_tony_goebel
Your City