The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association has occupied the building located at 209 Fayetteville Street in a prominent part of downtown Raleigh since 2012. Many years before that, previous owners renovated the building and installed a cultured marble facade that has leaked like a sieve. The current owner’s have asked Gontram Architecture and Ten Penny Construction to remedy that situation, and return a more traditional curb presence to the building. That project, several years in the making, is now underway.
First on the chopping block is the subgrade exterior garden area that was never realized to its full potential. 1 story below street level, the garden area was a good attempt at bringing some exterior experience to the offices on the basement level. But a constant source of maintenance, and an attractive nuisance from nightly revelers, the garden area was a liability and lost square footage. This project will enclose that area for an interesting multi-purpose meeting space, viewable from street level, but inaccessible to the public.
Work is scheduled to be complete in September 2020.
