TRIANGLE DOWNTOWNER MAGAZINE
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Local Spotlight Interview with Mayor Janet Cowell
Interviewed by Shilpa Nagaraj
Mayor Cowell, your background includes a lot of prior public service experience: 15 years serving as Raleigh City Councilor, NC State Senator, and NC State Treasurer. As the first and only woman elected Treasurer, you managed $100 billion in state funds. At your most recent experience as the CEO and President of Dix Park Conservancy, you helped to oversee the Dorothy Dix Park Conservancy. Before we delve into more questions about what you do as Mayor, can you talk a little bit about your experience in prior public service roles, including Dix Park and touch on the importance of Dix Park to the City of Raleigh?
Dix Park is a 300-acre park. If your viewers haven’t yet visited, it’s right beside downtown Raleigh. It’s a pretty unique opportunity where there was an old mental health hospital that had sort of been mothballed as state offices. So we had a 19th century pop-up park, like a Central Park, ready to go. The Gibson Play Plaza playground is opening the spring of this year, which will have waterfalls, civic plazas, climbing towers, and slides. It’s going to be a really amazing space for people of all ages.
You helped raise over $40 million in private funds for the park. Please tell us about that.
Dix Park Conservancy is a public-private partnership, and we’ve had a lot of generous support from
groups and individuals like the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, the Goodman family, and the Gibson family, which donated up to $10 million for the playground development, as well as regular citizens who’ve given $5, $10, $25 to help create this amazing park so it can offer free programming for people. We’ve got a major arts program going on there where we’ve had, most recently, these huge Duke Energy power transmission poles with the sculptural sunflowers created by Thomas Sayre, who is a local sculptor. That’s also been privately funded by individuals who wanted to make their mark on the city.
That’s amazing! I’ve seen the sunflowers and the beautiful art sculptures there, too. You’re still new into your term - what’s it like being Mayor? Can you walk us through a typical day in your role?
Well, one thing I’ve found is that being Mayor is a very relatable job, no matter where you are. I was on an flying on a plane over the holidays, and the stewardess said, “I voted for you.” I’ve had a lot of just recognition and people who want to get a selfie, those kinds of things. It’s just a very relatable office, which is fun. In terms of everyday experiences, like this morning - I met with a citizen who is a volunteer on several different commissions for the city, very knowledgeable. We were talking about affordable housing, housing development, and
how we can do that better. Later today I’m going to go out to Duke Energy’s Storm Preparation Center to see what they’re doing to get ready for upcoming storms. Part of my role is here in City Hall, with a lot of meetings out in the community. And then, of course, we do have council meetings and formal meetings every two weeks.
What are some of the other initiatives that you’ve been working on?
Before the election, we had a big campaign last year. One of the top issues was housing as we are a high growth area. As you know, we have a lot of need for more housing units, and especially more diverse and affordable housing units. Public safety is another one. We’ve got a great police force, fire, and EMS. In times like this with upcoming storms, you really appreciate the services a lot of these people are doing, and we’re continuing to invest there. We’ve also talked about the environment. This is a city that’s got a lot of green space and parks. How can we better leverage and capitalize on those, create more accessibility, make sure we have sidewalks in the right places? So those were all big issues on the campaign trail.
Great! As you know, with Localista, we’re very passionate about local businesses and the community. I would
love to ask you about Downtown Revitalization and what’s happening to attract more foot traffic and small businesses.
I live near downtown, so I have a front row seat to many of these things. I think first off is trying to attract more residential developments. And the good news is that there are a number of new developments coming online soon. We have more development being build towards the warehouse district. I think that’s super helpful to have people living, working, shopping in the area. I was downtown for First Night Raleigh, our big downtown New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown with over 25,000 people there. Those kinds of events are good for downtown. We’re working with some of the anchor institutions like our museums to figure out how we can attract more people, get them to stay longer, and have better experiences. And, of course, just supporting all the local businesses like DECO, where I recently did some Christmas shopping. Nearby, we have Copper Line Plants, where some of these plants here in the office came from. As Mayor, I’m always inviting people to join for meals downtown, and helping to highlight our many great businesses. We help make sure people in City Hall and other businesses are aware of restaurants like Centro for catering and can put them in the rotation for lunches and over events.
Oh, that’s wonderful. Centro is one of my favorite places, too. Tell us some fun facts about yourself that most of us may not know.
One interesting fact is that I spent a good amount of time overseas. I was a German exchange student –and this was before the wall came down. I got to go to East Germany back when it was still in a communist state under the old USSR. That was fascinating. It’s been interesting to see the evolution of Germany since the reunification and all the political changes. I go back to
Berlin a lot where I still have family.
You did your international studies there?
I did. I took German in high school then was in Germany for a year. And I studied Mandarin Chinese in undergrad back in the 80s, before it became a popular to learn. I was one of the few Anglo kids taking Chinese at Penn, along with a lot of Cantonese and Chinese kids who took it to get the easy A. That was a little daunting. Then I spent time in China and was there during the democracy movement in 1989. That was a very tumultuous time and I ended up getting evacuated at the end, after the Tiananmen Massacre. I still keep in touch with a lot of my Chinese friends. I also lived in Indonesia for a while.
Sounds like you’ve had a lot of international exposure, and I’m sure that’s been instrumental for building relationships?
It has. And that’s one of the things I love about the Triangle; there’s so many diverse communities here. I mentioned to you before our interview that I was meeting with the Sri Lankan community recently. We have a Sister Cities programs here in Raleigh, which pairs us with similarly-sized cities in Germany and other countries. There are opportunities to both invite people to come here and see Raleigh, but also to build bridges internationally.
What are some ways the community can stay engaged with you?
We have the city website, which is sort of a first stop. We’re going to be refreshing that this year to be easier to navigate. Citizens can email me and their city councilor when they have concerns. We have 30 citizen advisory groups that cover topics like the environment, police activity, human relations, zoning, etc. that have been
around since the late 60s and 70s. So, there are many ways that citizens can get involved with city government. And we have a city budget that includes input from public hearings. Citizens can come and talk about what’s important to them for the budget. We have a new comprehensive plan for the whole city, which is redone about every decade or so. There will be many opportunities to weigh in for that.
That’s wonderful to know. Readers, we encourage you to reach out and engage with the Mayor and your city. There’s so much to look forward to, and with the city growing, there’s a lot of great things happening. Thank you so much for your time, Mayor Cowell.
The Local Spotlight series is brought to you by the community group, Localista. Passionate about connecting and promoting local, Localista promotes small businesses, artisans, community events, and non-profits as well. Their growing Facebook community page includes over 2,700 members and publishes interviews, as well as weekly business threads and small business highlights. Visit www. localista.biz to watch the original interview with Mayor Cowell, and you can connect with Shilpa on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shilpa-nagaraj-72850b3.
Mayor Janet Cowell and Shilpa Nagaraj
10 Things to Look Forward to
Downtown Raleigh saw transformative changes throughout 2024 and continues to be a catalyst for growth and quality of life in the Capital City. The new year promises to keep the positive momentum going as DTR offers more than ever to an ever-growing number of residents and visitors from across the Triangle and beyond. Here are 10 things to look forward to this year.
1. Restaurants
More than 15,000 square feet of new restaurant space opened in DTR in the fall of 2024. Restaurant openings on either end of Fayetteville Street significantly changed the eating and drinking options downtown: Birdies Kitchen & Barroom on the north end and Sir Walter Coffee + Kitchen serving day and evening, including full cocktail bar service, on the south end. Diced salad café also opened across the street from Birdie’s, with Primo Hoagies and Insomnia Cookies opening in the adjacent spaces next door. Chido Taco and Flavor Hills, which opened in 2024, bring new restaurant vibes downtown. In addition to these, at least 14 more restaurants and bars opened within the downtown district, including Daijobu (E. Davie St.), Figulina (S. Harrington St.), Flour & Barrel Kitchen + Bar (W. North St.), La Terrazza (S. West St.), Sir Walter Coffee + Kitchen (Fayetteville Street), High Rail (Seaboard), Moon Room (Smokey Hollow), Madre (Smokey Hollow), The Bend Bar (W. Morgan St.), Brass Tap, Press (Hillsborough St.), Vic’s Pizzeria (new location on Glenwood Ave.), Berkeley Café (relocated to W. Martin), Stella’s Dive Bar (N. West) and La Gana Burger Room (N. West).
2. Retail
The variety and volume of retail offerings in downtown Raleigh continue to grow. From full-service grocery stores like Publix and Weaver Street Market to
in Downtown Raleigh
small local purveyors like the Green Monkey, there is an expanding range of goods and services for residents and visitors alike. Urban Outfitters, Raleigh Denim, Ealdwine, and Nashona are joined by Unlikely Professionals to offer distinctive fashion choices, and the vintage/secondhand scene is exploding with Pallbearer and Unorthodox Vintage joining Father & Son, Raleigh Vintage, and others for classic throwback looks. Curate, Deco, and Edge of Urge are steeped in unique gifts, art, and accessories. Custom jewelry studio Kenda Kist has set up shop in the funky N. West St. district. Overall, new downtown storefront openings are at an all-time high, with 39 launching between July 2023 and July 2024. Many new business openings are restaurants and bars, but retail is growing at a record pace as development and demand surges downtown.
3. Fayetteville Street
In August, the 2024 Downtown Raleigh Economic Development Strategy presented by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance revealed its goal to improve and enhance Fayetteville Street through innovative upgrades. Urban engineering companies from across the country responded to the City of Raleigh’s open call for a new streetscape redesign, marking a significant step toward transforming “North Carolina’s Main Street.” Anticipated changes to make downtown’s central commercial corridor more inviting, accommodating, and visually
engaging include the addition of new lighting and the removal of many of the existing benches, planters, and newspaper kiosks to create space for enhanced foot traffic, special events, and other activations. Improved outdoor seating, new plantings, and the commission of more public art are also expected. Look for work on the Fayetteville Street redesign project to kick off in 2025.
4. Special Events and Festivals
Thousands are attracted to downtown Raleigh for special events and festivals throughout the year, from celebrations of art, music, food, and craft brewing to cultural heritage and holiday traditions. Highlights by month for 2025 include:
24th Annual African American Cultural Celebration (Jan. 25), PineCone’s 2025 Down Home Concert Series (Jan. through June), Raleigh Blues Festival (Feb. 21), Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Mar. 15), Dreamville Festival (April 5-6), 15th Annual North Carolina’ Cuegrass Festival (Apr. 19), Brewgaloo (April 25-26), Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival (May 17-18), Animazement (May 23-25), Raleigh’s International Food Festival (Jun. 7), Capital City Juneteenth Celebration (Jun. 14), 13th Annual Out! Raleigh Pride (June TBD), City of Raleigh July 4th Celebration at Dix Park (Jul. 4), GalaxyCon Raleigh (July 24-27), 16th Annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County (Aug. TBD), Hopscotch Music Festival
Sir Walter Coffee + Kitchen
Retail shop Green Monkey
(Sept. 4-6), 15th annual Raleigh Wide Open Bluegrass (Oct. 3-4), Raleigh’s International Wine & Beer Festival (Oct. 18), Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting (Nov.), 81st Annual Raleigh Christmas Parade (Nov.), American Indian Heritage Celebration (Nov. TBD), THE RINK at Red Hat Amphitheater (Nov. – Jan.), Downtown Raleigh Illuminate Art Walk (Dec.), State Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony (Dec.), 54th Annual Oakwood Candlelight Tour (Dec.), and First Night Raleigh (Dec.).
5. People
The most recent numbers from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance show there’s a bona fide residential boom underway. A total of 2,482 new residential units, including 1,772 units in 16 different developments currently under construction, have been added in Raleigh’s downtown core, bringing the total residential units to nearly 10,000. In one of the nation’s best downtown markets, with an apartment occupancy rate of 88.7%, the boom shows no sign of slowing down. An additional 41 planned and proposed developments are expected to bring another 7,820 residential units along with 1,590 hotel rooms, 368,300 square feet of office space, and 243,507 square feet of retail, contributing to the more than $7.4 billion in the DTR development pipeline. From Glenwood South to the Warehouse District, the transformation of downtown is being led by the growing number of people who live there – or soon will.
6. First Friday
On the first Friday of each month, thousands venture downtown to visit art galleries, studios, and other locations that are open late to host exhibits, artist talks, and creative activities. Retailers and restaurants also get in on the fun with live music, vendor markets, and promotions. Enjoy special exhibits, performances, and unique retail offerings at downtown destinations including Artspace, Contemporary Museum of Art (CAM), Arts Access Gallery, CoLab at the Carter Building, Lump Gallery, The
7. Sip n’ Stroll
Adding to the DTR experience is Sip n’ Stroll Downtown, Raleigh’s alcohol-friendly social district, allowing those 21 and up to enjoy beer, wine, or cocktails as they move about within the district boundaries. Social districts have been implemented across North Carolina since 2021 when state law began allowing municipalities to designate areas where alcoholic beverages can be purchased and taken outdoors. Sip n’ Stroll Downtown, in effect seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., serves as a valuable tool in increasing economic activity and vibrancy in DTR, where there are 68 participating venues serving drinks and 22 establishments where sippin’ and strollin’ is welcome.
8. Live After Five
Live After Five, downtown Raleigh’s favorite afterwork party, returned to City Plaza in 2024 and will continue in 2025. The free, all-ages show takes place from
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month from May through August. The monthly event includes food trucks, vendors, and beer and wine for purchase. Last year, the series featured a theme celebrating women in music and showcased both national and North Carolina-based acts, including Sunqueen Kelcey & The Solar Flares, 22 Strings Band, Elora Dash, Azul, Kate Rhudy, Blue Cactus, Brooke Hatala, and the Grammy-nominated, Billboard Music Award-winning pop group Sixpence None the Richer, known for their 1999 hit, “Kiss Me.” The 2025 Live After Five line-up will be announced this spring.
9. Public Art
Downtown Raleigh is home to more than 170 public works of art, several of which are new additions in the last year. They come in the form of painted utility boxes, kiosks, sidewalks, planters, parklets, street crossings, railroad bridge trestles, sculptures, and large-scale murals, adding color, energy, and uplifting messages to the urban streetscape. Highlights along a walking tour could include David Benson’s Great Raleigh Acorn, the nine-foot bronze Sir Walter Raleigh by Bruno Lucchesi, the iconic Shimmer Wall and sculptures by Thomas Sayre, murals by Luke Buchanan, Alex “Hense” Brewer, Taylor White and Clark Hippolito, and the Beacon of Freedom, designed by the late Phil Freelon and the centerpiece of NC Freedom Park, North Carolina’s first urban greenspace honoring the African American struggle for liberation. A complete listing of public art in all downtown districts is available at www.downtownraleigh.org/explore/public-art.
10. Parking
In November of 2024, the City of Raleigh announced a new parking program trial aimed at enhancing the downtown experience for residents and visitors. Five downtown parking decks began offering 2-hour free >>>
Davie, Designed for Joy, Slim’s Downtown, Curate, Legends Nightclub, and other participating venues.
One of two new public art murals in Glenwood South
One of the popular Live After 5 concerts in City Plaza
You can walk and drink throughout most of downtown Raleigh
parking to encourage more people to explore the vibrant downtown area. The participating decks include Blount Street Deck (314 Blount Street), City Center Deck (429 S. Wilmington Street), Moore Square Deck (233 S. Wilmington Street), Municipal Building Deck (201 W. Morgan Street), and Wilmington Street Station Deck (117 S. Wilmington Street. Scheduled to continue through the end of February 2025, the program will be assessed for its impact on foot traffic, with the possibility that it may continue beyond February. For more information and to
provide feedback about the parking pilot’s future, please visit https://downtownraleigh.org/parking.
For clickable links in this article, visit our e-issue at www.triangledowntowner.com.
Victor Lytvinenko and Sarah Yarborough of Raleigh Denim
First Friday at Gallery C
From the Publisher
As we enter the second month of 2025, we’re looking forward to what we hope will be a great year. There’s so much going on in downtown Raleigh as well all the cities and towns throughout Wake County. With our new mayor Janet Cowell, City Counselors, and initiatives from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the City of Raleigh, there’ll be lots of positive changes. We’ll be going through our own changes here at the Downtowner as well, with a new direction centering around local business, entrepreneurs, startups, community leaders, nonprofits, performing and visual arts, and much more.
Want to help us promote local like never before? We’re always searching for new contributing writers, so if you’re ready to join our team of talented authors, email us at writers at welovedowntown dot com. Tell us any topics you’re passionate about, and don’t forget to include a few links or examples of your work.
local authors
We look forward to working with you in promoting the diverse people and companies that call greater Raleigh home. Together, we can share engaging stories that capture what makes working here a great place to be.
Cheers,
Crash S. Gregg
Publisher, Triangle Downtowner Magazine • 919.828.8000
Residential & Commercial Realtor. Sotheby’s • 919.828.8888
I proudly donate 10% of listing commissions to my clients’ favorite local charities. I would be honored to help sell your home, search for a new one, or work with you on any commercial real estate needs. Join me on Facebook and Instagram at @crashrealtor and LinkedIn at @crashgregg.
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Our publisher Crash S. Gregg with Hurricanes TV/radio broadcast commentator Tripp Tracy at a recent hockey game
Champion pitmaster Christopher Prieto knows that good things come to those who wait. Good barbecue, after all, is all about patience.
Prieto racked up a myriad of awards and trophies – plus wrote a cookbook, taught ‘cue classes, ran a catering company and made a number of television appearances – while traveling the competitive barbecue circuit in the 2010s.
He broke ground on his first restaurant in Knightdale – a 20-minute drive from downtown Raleigh – in 2018, ultimately opening the long-awaited Prime Barbecue in early 2020. It’s now one of North Carolina’s most trip-worthy foodie attractions. On any given day patrons stand in line trading stories of how far they had driven to get there (departures from South Carolina, Georgia and beyond are commonly overheard).
Having grown up in Texas and moved to the Raleigh area as a teenager, Prieto’s barbecue offering blends Texas, North Carolina, and Kansas City philosophies: source the best quality meats, keep it simple, cook it the right way, and sell out every day. You’ll find pulled pork, yes, but also brisket, housemade sausages, smoked turkey, beef ribs (on Fridays), and even whole-hog lechon (on Saturdays, an ode to the pitmaster’s Puerto Rican heritage).
Prieto’s best advice for a visit to Prime? Come early and come hungry (and don’t miss the Texas cobbler for dessert!).
Wake County Earns Four James Beard Award Semifinalist Nominations
The James Beard Foundation announced its list of chef and restaurant semifinalists for their annual James Beard Foundation Awards (often referred to as the “Oscars of the food world”), and the greater Raleigh area is well represented!
First given out in 1991, this year marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. Finalists for the awards will be announced on April 2, and winners will be unveiled at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 16.
Chef Bhavin Chhatwani – new to Raleigh but no stranger to high-end eats – was recruited to help put Tamasha on the map. Safe to say: mission accomplished.
The upscale restaurant – opened in the Park District of North Hills in February 2024 – has lived up to both the pre-opening hype and also the name (Tamasha can translate to “grand performance” in Hindi). The cuisine is modern Indian – a blend of northern and southern regions of the country – with a contemporary presentation that includes a dash of “gastronomic illusion.”
Chhatwani has previous experience at San Francisco’s Taj Campton Place (the world’s only two-star Indian Michelin restaurant at the time) and at Adaa in Hyderabad, India (widely recognized as one of the country’s top restaurants), just to name a couple of stops on his award-winning journey around the globe prior to landing in the City of Oaks.
This also isn’t the first time Chhatwani has been picked as a rising star –food magazine Plate labeled him one of 15 “Chefs to Watch” in the September 2024 issue.
Christopher Prieto, Best Chef: Southeast Bhavin Chhatwani, Emerging Chef
Undoubtedly among the Tar Heel State’s most acclaimed chefs, Scott Crawford’s booming restaurant empire is now putting Raleigh in the national spotlight when it comes to food and hospitality conversations.
Crawford himself is a five-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, and his original Raleigh restaurant – Crawford and Son, opened in 2016 – was a finalist just last year in the category of Outstanding Hospitality.
In 2019 Crawford opened the beloved Jolie, a French bistro with a rooftop dining space, and then began to the lay the groundwork for what ultimately became a very memorable 2024: Brodeto, a dreamy date-night outpost inspired by a trip to the Adriatic coast, opened to significant fanfare at Raleigh’s booming live-work-play Raleigh Iron Works district in March;
Sous Terre, a 1,000-suare-foot underground cocktail bar, opened beneath Jolie in May;
Crawford’s Genuine, an upscale bar and grill at RDU International Airport’s Terminal 2, opened in September; and the chef’s biggest restaurant yet, the 114-seat Crawford Brothers Steakhouse – featuring Prime Black Angus and Wagyu beefs plus more than 700 wines to choose from – opened in December at Cary’s Fenton shopping district.
For chef-owner David Ellis, the opening of Figulina – one of just 30 selections by the Beard Foundation up for the title of America’s best new restaurant – is both a pursuit of a new passion and a clever nod to his British roots.
At its core, Figulina is a handmade pasta shop – a cozy neighborhood spot in downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District meant for good wine and good times with family and friends.
In addition to a selection of shareable small plates, the dinner menu features a half-dozen pasta options – rotating on a constant basis – made with local ingredients and influences from the South and beyond.
Recent menus have showcased some beautiful pasta shapes less commonly found – cappelletti, caramelle, rotolo, cappellachi, and more. A peak into the open-view pasta room allows guests to see the delicate pasta making and shaping process first-hand.
Ellis – who previously held the title of chef de cuisine at Poole’s Diner, perhaps Raleigh’s most iconic restaurant – hails from Stoke-on-Trent, England, a city known for being the “world capital of ceramics.” The name Figulina can translate from Latin to English as “potter’s workshop,” and it’s fair to say the work within the pasta room is a chef’s equivalent craft. You’ll find aesthetic nods to this connection throughout, from the handmade ceramic lights over the bar to the English pottery on display.
Portions of this article and images originally appeared on the visitRaleigh.com website and are featured here through a collaborative partnership with Visit Raleigh and Triangle Downtowner Magazine. The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (aka Visit Raleigh) is the official and accredited destination marketing organization for all of Wake County. For more things to do in the Raleigh area, check out www.visitraleigh.com.
Scott Crawford Outstanding Restaurateur
Figulina, Best New Restaurant
