Students Redesign Developer's Plans

RALEIGH, NC-For the past 32 years, Peter Batchelor has looked for real-life architectural problems to bring to his students as case studies. This year, Batchelor has found a situation in Raleigh, 150 miles northeast of Downtown Charlotte. He is asking his students to accomplish what he alleges a local developer has failed to do–create workable redevelopment plans for North Hills Plaza. The objective is to meld the development ideas with the wishes of an active and tight-knit community.

Earlier in the year, John Kane of Kane Realty Corp., unveiled plans to redevelop the aging plaza into a dense, mixed-use development with several high-rise buildings and a parking garage. Not pleased with what they saw coming, neighbors quickly organized the North Hills Neighborhood Association to fight the plans. The conflict presented a chance for Batchelor’s students to participate in a real-life situation.

Leland H. Ulery, a 34-year-old student who is also an intern with an architectural firm in Raleigh, became interested because the project was actually on the drawing board. The projects from all seven students were displayed at the university’s School of Design and had to meet several requirements to receive a passing mark.