Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

Ridgewood makeover nears

Pending council approval, plans call for more parking, better entrance

A developer's vision for an expanded and spruced up Ridgewood Shopping Center is one major hurdle away from becoming reality.

Owners want the popular West Raleigh retail center to be more attractive and pedestrian friendly, with a new front entrance, sidewalks, bike racks and an electric car-charging station.

They also want to expand the parking lot, which is routinely jammed during peak hours, from 470 to 550 spaces. That means bulldozing three rental houses to the east along Wade Avenue. The parking lot will connect to sidewalks along Wade, and a new front entrance would have two turn lanes in each direction.

The City Council's approval is the last significant obstacle for the plans, marketed to neighbors, businesses and community groups as "A Better Ridgewood." Raleigh's Planning Commission gave unanimous approval two weeks ago. And no one opposed the plan at its public hearing. It is unknown when the council will vote on the makeover. Raleigh's governing body meets Tuesday.

"The main point is to have a better entrance," said Andrew Techet, president and chief executive officer of Country Club Homes, which owns the shopping center. "It will allow an easier way for pedestrians to access it and reduce conflicts we see and hear about from our tenants."

Techet's group owns the three homes along Wade Avenue that would be removed for the renovations. One is currently vacant and two are occupied by renters, he said. They were purchased in 1969, 2003 and 2006, but Techet said there were no serious plans to extend the center until 2007 or 2008. He said the renters have known about the project for a while, and have no qualms.

Ridgewood dates back to the early 1960s and formerly was owned by developer E.N. Richards, who later sold the property to his son-in-law and Techet's father, Steven Techet.

The Wade Avenue staple, across from Meredith College, includes Quail Ridge Books and Music, The Wine Merchant, Raleigh's only Whole Foods (though a second Whole Foods currently is under construction in North Raleigh) and other stores that attract customers from all over the city. The center also includes a Tripps sports bar in the parking lot and a gas station, which is being replaced by the car-charging station.

Merchants welcome the proposed changes.

"We're wildly excited about it," said Nancy Olson, owner of Quail Ridge Books and Music. "The main intersection is extremely dangerous now. It's a mad house at certain times. I'm very optimistic."

Linda Watson, chairwoman of the Glenwood Citizens Advisory Council, said neighbors who attended the CAC meeting about Ridgewood were overwhelmingly supportive. They asked for a fence to go along with a plant barrier that separates the shopping center from houses, and Techet complied.

"This is about making better accommodations for the customers," Watson said. "Most are very much in favor."

Ridgewood's renovation would come as the city restructures part of Wade Avenue to include sidewalks and trails that connect to Raleigh's greenway system.

That's part of what drove Techet to move quickly on his plans.

"If they came in and did their project and we decided to do ours later, or vice versa, we would end up tearing up someone's work," he said. "We want to do them as simultaneously as we can."