Bryan Johnson, AIA talks about the rewards and challenges of serving as project manager for the first phase of the Peace Mixed-Use Development in Downtown Raleigh

If you travel anywhere near the North side of Downtown Raleigh, chances are you’ve seen the Peace development.  Standing twelve stories at its highest corner, the project boasts 417 apartment units with over 30 different unit plans across nine levels. There are 18,000-square-feet of amenities including an elevated pool and courtyard area with breathtaking views of downtown Raleigh, two parking structures, 55,000-square-feet of retail and the first grocery store in Downtown Raleigh. 

We sat down with Bryan Johnson, Associate Principal at Cline Design and Project Manager for Peace, and asked him what it’s like managing an over 900,000-gross-square-foot urban development that will serve as the new Northern Gateway for Downtown Raleigh.  Here’s what he had to share.

There is a long history of architects and designers breathing new life into vacant, neglected and underutilized buildings.  Adaptive reuse, the art of connecting the past with the future, is a practice that is rewarding for designers, clients, neighborhoods and communities alike.  It is a method that provides a new thriving project while still retaining much of the architectural character, history and memories of the existing structure.

As Cline Design continues to welcome new projects and new clients, they’ve also hired many new talented designers, architects, project managers and interns during these last several months.

“We’re excited to welcome so many new faces with such diverse backgrounds.” stated Gary Cline, president and managing principal of Cline Design. “It is the diversity and level of talent that helps us grow and challenges us to do better for our clients, to exceed their expectations. I’m excited to see our teams continue to evolve and provide the highest level of design in all of the market sectors we serve.”

April is World Landscape Architecture Month, so we decided to sit down with two of Cline Design’s Landscape Architects and talk about their career in this specific field of study. 

Why is landscape architecture important to the design community?
Janet: It is a design field that is broad reaching in its expertise and encourages a more collaborative and comprehensive approach to design.

If there were one piece of wisdom you could pass on to the next generation of landscape architects/planners, what would it be?
Janet: Every difficult design challenge is not a hurdle to overcome, but an opportunity to create something great.
Elliot: The technology around us is changing every day and you’ll need to learn it and use it. But you’ll still need to know how to take out a roll of trace and quickly sketch through your concepts and ideas.

What inspired you to become a landscape architect/planner?
Elliot: I grew up working at my grandparent’s landscape nursery during the spring and summer. I also grew up with a love of sketching, drawing, and creating art. Landscape architecture seemed to be the perfect combination of these two worlds that I had been living in for so long.

What are your top 3 favorite projects you worked during your time here at Cline Design?
Janet: PPD, 140 West, and The Cardinal.
Elliot: 1) Gateway Gardens – After it was built I got to take my 4 year old daughter to the grand opening. Watching her experience a project I had put a lot of effort and thought into made for a really amazing day. 2) Sojourn Glenwood Place – One of the highlights of a project is getting positive feedback from the client and the feedback we got back for this project was really positive. Seeing a project get built and knowing that the design decisions you made were the right ones is a great feeling. 3) Lonnie Poole Clubhouse – We designed a fire pit seating area that has amazing views of the sunset and Downtown Raleigh. It’s great to see a space get built and end up being a place that people really enjoy being in. 

April is National Internship Awareness Month, and we asked Kathryn McNeil, our Interior Design intern (and soon to be full time employee!) about her time at Cline Design Associates for the past year and a half – see what she has to say!

What were you looking for in an internship when you applied to Cline Design?

When I applied to Cline I was currently working at a high-end residential firm. I loved working for my previous employer but I wanted to find a place that gave me more responsibility in the design field, and would help me grow and learn further as a designer. I’d always had residential internships up until Cline so I decided to give the commercial field a shot. It ended up working out much better than I expected! I wanted to find not only just a team that I meshed well with, but the whole company.

What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned working at Cline Design? How has it prepared you for a future full-time job in Interior Design?

There have been so many valuable things I’ve learned at Cline. It’s hard to pick just one! I’d say one of the most important things I’ve learned is how to be more independent on projects, and feel more confident in sharing my opinions and ideas. The thought of taking charge of any part of a project used to intimidate me, but now I see it as a fun and a new opportunity to learn something. I used to get nervous when one of the designers would ask me to work on something and I’d think to myself, how do they want it done exactly? What if they don’t like it? What if it’s not enough? There are still times that I can feel a little overwhelmed, but I now feel more comfortable when I am working on a project. Over the past year and a half at Cline Design, I feel like the other designers I’ve worked with have learned to trust me and my designs, which has helped build my confidence- and now I enjoy a challenge!

What has been your favorite part about interning with us?

My favorite part has been the people and the unique connection that they offer. Before I worked here I never really felt at home with previous internships. I always felt like I was at just at work instead of a second home- I was always looking forward to 5:30. Here I feel like I have made friends within the company. We enjoy hanging out and doing things together outside of the office. They’re not only friendships, but it feels like there is a mentor around every corner. We also have great leadership in our Raleigh office that coordinates our social events which anyone can sign up for. My favorite part is our volleyball league we have every year. I enjoyed playing sports in high school and college so it’s nice to find that connection with others in my company as well.

Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you?

A typical day for me is never the same. Since I work under 6 designers, there are many people I am working with every day. Tasks can range from the following: selecting and ordering finishes and furniture, creating a concept presentation, working in the Adobe Suite, tracking FF&E for a project, calling reps and vendors, site visits, going to an installation, simple admin tasks like library organization, sitting in on a client meeting, working in Revit on a construction document set. Since we have so many phases in our projects, it’s nice to always be doing something different. It keeps me on my toes and keeps things interesting.

Do you have any advice for those who want to apply for an internship at Cline?

Be yourself! Often times in interviews we want to pretend to be this hypothetical person that you think they are looking to hire. Be honest with your previous experience, and tell them what you are looking for. Know what you want from your internship experience, and prove to them what you are capable of. If you don’t get the internship you are hoping for, know that you will find one that will be a great fit for you. There are so many incredible opportunities out there in our industry that we don’t always take advantage of. When you take the step to explore something new you just might find your next job!

The Pavilion at South End will undergo a complete renovation starting in early 2019 announced Friday on the Charlotte Business Journal. The 31,000 square-foot strip shopping center is located at 2041 South Blvd across from Atherton Mill in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood, and was built in the 1950’s.

Once the renovation is complete, tenants will consist of high-quality food and beverage establishments, as well as a brewery, beer garden or taphouse.

Cline Design Associates is the architect for the project.  (Read More)

Congratulations to Ryan Landis (Charlotte, NC office) and Martin Chavanne (Raleigh, NC office) who were voted as our two Employees of the Year for 2018!

In addition, we are happy to announce our most recent promotions:

Associate: Logan Luzader, Martin Chavanne, Steve Lineberger, Stacy Magan

Senior Associate: Dan Rider, Katie Burke

Associate Principal: Bryan Johnson

Principal: Carl Winstead, Mark Ward

Senior Principal: Orlando Pizarro

Our Charlotte office keeps growing, and we’re excited to have Ali Pugliese join us as an Intern Architect. Originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Penn State in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Architecture and a minor in Architectural History. While in college, she also co-founded a 3-D printing and design club called DigiDigits with a group of fellow Penn State architecture students to help children in need by creating more prosthetic-like training devices for children who have hand/arm malformations or disabilities.

While not working, she enjoys traveling (9 countries and counting),  cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State Nittany Lions, and going to concerts. She recently made the move to North Carolina in November and is excited to begin her career with Cline Design Associates.

Inspire SouthPark , a 359-unit luxury apartment complex located in the SouthPark neighborhood of Charlotte, won a very high honor at the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2018 Heavy Hitters Commercial Real Estate Awards. Morgan Bond Companies was awarded “Top Apartment or Condominium Development” at the Westin in Uptown Charlotte for their Inspire SouthPark Apartment project. Director of Cline Design Associate’s Charlotte office, Orlando Pizarro, said, “This award is an honor and we’re proud to be a part of a team that worked so hard on this project. Being recognized for this achievement raises the expectations for our future projects in Charlotte and the surrounding areas.” This was the Charlotte Business Journal’s 5^th annual Heavy Hitters Awards and “turns a spotlight on the past year’s developments in the Charlotte region.”

Cline Design Associates provided architectural services, Samet Corporation was the general contractor, and Ellinwood Machado Structural Engineering, Design Resource Group, and Jordan and Skala Engineering were the engineers. (Read more)

The Boulevard apartments, formerly known as Third and Grand, has signed on Orange Theory Fitness as a tenant in its commercial space. The mixed-use project is on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and Third Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

The development will include 231 apartments and 21,00 square feet of commercial space. Pre-leasing for studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units begins next month, and range from 900 to 1,150 square feet.

Cline Design is the architect for the project. (Read More)

The Hub South End, a mixed use project at the corner of Hawkins and Dunavant Street, has recently broken ground in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood on a 4.4 acre site. The development will include 265 apartments and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space. The site will also include 29 two story townhouse style units. The project is expected to be finished in the spring of 2020.

Cline Design Associates is the architect on the project. (read more)

A new condominium complex is going up on the corner of Chatham Street and Urban Drive in downtown Cary, NC. Chatham Walk will offer three floor plans and includes a private balcony for each unit. Before construction begins, the site work includes moving the Williams House to a vacant lot on East Chatham Street across from Mid-Town Square.

Cline Design Associates is the architect. (Read more)

Meeting Street Lofts, located at 601 Meeting Street in Charleston, S.C. has signed on three new commercial tenants. Located at the base of the Ravenel Bridge on Charleston’s upper peninsula, Green and Grounds, Iron Tribe Fitness, and Nail So Dep have all together leased 7,296 square feet at the base of the apartments. About 9,250 square feet of commercial space remains available as of now. Cline Design Associates is the architect for this project. (read more)

Cline Design Associates has teamed up with Madison Capital Group for plans to build a 45-unit apartment on 901 River Road in Charlottesville, VA. Being built along the Rivanna River, the city is confident the apartments would be met with high demand from young professional working in the area. The apartment complex is expected to create higher traffic for the area, as opposed to the previous plans to build a storage unit on the property. (read more)

The Downtown Wilmington Riverfront will look quite a bit different once Flats on Front, a 300 unit apartment complex, is developed. The complex will cover 6-acres and consist of three separate buildings. It will also include a parking deck and surrounding surface parking. Flats on Front will be located at the corner of North Front Street and Cowan Street.

Cline Design is the architect (read more).

An upscale senior living community, called the Retreat at Coastal Grand, is coming to Myrtle Beach, S.C. With numerous amenities including a pickle ball court, bocce court, and nature trail, the apartment complex will be located at 381 Seaboard Street. Coastal Grand Mall sits across the street.

Renderings of the proposed property are by Cline Design Associates. (read more)

Blue Heron Asset Management’s project, Foster on the Park, a 164-unit apartment community overlooking Durham’s Central Park, has received a construction loan for its development. The space is expected to feature ground-floor retail and dining space and will be located at 545 Foster St., next to Durham’s Innovation District and Historic Durham Athletic Park.

Cline Design Associates is the architect for Foster on the Park. (read more)

Cline Design has partnered with White Point Partners to assist in the redevelopment of the Chadbourn Hoisery Mill, located at 451 Jordan Place in Charlotte’s “NoDa” district. The historic mill, originally built in the 1930s, will be turned into a 40,000 square foot office space, along with a 200-unit apartment building facing North Davidson St. adjacent to the site.

Originally expected be transformed into retail space, White Point Partners said the high demand for fast-growing companies seeking converted warehouse space along the light rail has risen, changing their mind.

Chadbourn Mill is one of eight projects currently underway along the Lynx Blue Line Extension. (read more)

Another apartment complex is coming to the outskirts of uptown Charlotte, on the corner of South Tryon and West Morehead streets. Broadstone Queen City will have 260 apartment units and is expected to deliver in the spring of 2020.

Broadstone Morehead LLC is associated with Alliance Residential and purchased the 1.9 acre property.

Cline Design is the architect for Broadstone Queen City. (read more)

Charlotte developer Crescent Communities has begun construction on yet another multifamily project in the Queen City.

Novel Research Park, at the intersection of West Mallard Creek Church Road and Senator Royall Drive in University, will include 280- units with one, two and three bedroom apartments. According to the developer, Crescent rezoned the 37.5 acre property in early 2017 to develop apartments as well as retail space and a 200-room hotel.

Cline Design Associates is the architect and Crescent Multifamily Construction is the general contractor. (read more)

Construction is officially underway for Broadstone Bryant Park, a multifamily community consisting of 345 units. This is Alliance Residential Co.’s first project in Charlotte, N.C. and will include studios, as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Far from the normal amenities include a yoga studio, Wi-Fi co-working space, dry cleaning pickup, and a pet spa. The site is expected to finish in summer of 2019.

Cline Design Associates is the architect. (read more)

Steele Creek, one of Charlotte’s fastest growing neighborhoods, has a new apartment complex coming to the Berewick community. Solis Berewick Commons, located on Berewick Commons Parkway and Dixie River Road will include 230 apartment units, and is expected to finish construction in fall of 2019.

Charlotte’s multifamily firm, Terwilliger Pappas, is the developer on the project, and Carocon is the general contractor. Cline Design Associates is designing the interiors. (read more)

Laurel Street Residential announced a senior living development coming to Berewick in southwest Charlotte. With an expected delivery date of late spring 2019, Belvedere at Berewick will have 108 units and provide housing to adults 55 years and older. Rent will range from $1,000 to $1,500 per month and residents can choose from one- or two-bedroom units. The age restricted housing community is part of a 1,200-acre mixed use development site.

Cline Design is the architect of Belvedere at Berewick. (read more)

An office building was demolished Thursday to continue making room for Southpark’s newest apartments going up at 4401 Barclay Downs Drive in Charlotte, NC. Hazel Southpark will be a six-story luxury-style apartment complex featuring 203 units. The ground level will feature a 6,000 square foot restaurant, along with an 8,000 square foot boutique retail store.

Located adjacent to the Southpark Mall, the first phase of the project is expected to deliver in Q4 2019.

Cline Design Associates is the architect on the project. (read more)

A new grocery store in downtown Raleigh was confirmed Thursday as a Publix supermarket in the ground floor of an apartment tower on the corner of Peace and West streets.

The site is in an area that has been an unfocused spread of small stores, state offices and land that is beginning to take shape as a defined commercial and residential northern border of downtown. (read more)

A 275-unit apartment project in Steel Creek is now open and leasing.

Terwilliger Pappas opened its formal leasing center at 9550 Gannon Drive a drive weeks ago. Solis Berewick is the multifamily component of Berewick Town Center, part of a master-planned development by Pappas Properties. Ground broke last Septmember for Solis Berewick. (read more)

SunCap Property Group has broken ground on a new, boutique apartment community called Draper Place, bringing high-end apartments to Randolph Road.

The four-story building will include 47 units, both two and three bedroom apartments varying from 1,650 SF to 2,200 SF. The first apartments are expected to be available in late 2018. (read more)

Third and Grand’s groundbreaking officially took place in October, construction is starting to increase on the mixed-use project near the Fisher building. This six-story development will bring 231 new apartments to New Center in 2018. The project is the first of its kind in the area in 30 years.

The 356,000 square foot mixed-use development should open in summer 2018 with 21,000 square feet of commercial space.
(read more)

No sooner had the developers of the Solis Ninth Street apartment project in Durham finished and sold the building in mid-June than construction crews are being prepped for another major project less than a mile away.

Charlotte apartment development firm Terwilliger Pappas on Wednesday confirmed that construction has started on the 194-unit Solis Brightleaf apartment building at 1005 W. Main St. in downtown Durham. The project is next to the landmark Brightleaf Square dining and retail destination, formerly the site of the now-shuttered Howerton-Bryan Funeral Home. (read more)

A former Walmart near the Lynx Blue Line will soon be converted into creative office space.

Atlanta commercial real estate firm White Oak Real Estate Advisors acquired the big box structure at 801 E. Arrowood Road for $3.8 million in a sale that closed April 20, according to Mecklenburg County real estate records. White Oak, a firm new to the Charlotte market, plans to upfit the former retail store at the intersection of Arrowood and Old Pineville roads into a 110,390-square-foot, high-density office building. (read more)

When I toured Charlotte’s newest high-end apartments last fall, I didn’t see how the amenities could get much nicer: Waterfall hot tubs, massage rooms, dog washes and more marked a level of luxury I certainly didn’t get when I rented my first apartment a whole decade ago.

Turns out, there’s a whole level of apartment amenities even beyond those. Charlotte’s high-end apartments are turning to amenities with a higher level of service, even splashier rooftop pools and decks and exclusive features such as private bars to differentiate themselves.

“The level of amenities in some of these projects is over the top,” said Gary Cline, managing principal of Cline Design Associates. He was speaking at a Bisnow forum on apartment development, held Wednesday at the Duke Mansion. “That’s just normal.” (read more) 

The Wade, high end, five story condominium project is moving a step forward toward breaking ground. On the drawing board for close to two years, developers are telling potential buyers that the condos should be ready to move in by fall 2018.

Beacon Street Development has started site work and staging of this 27-unit building near Cameron Village and Fred Fletcher Park at 620 Wade Ave. (read more)

The former Carmike movie theater site on James Island plans for 132 apartments. Charleston’s Design Review Board listened to concerns from a half dozen residents and then gave plans for James Island Apartments conceptual approval. Representatives of the developer pointed out that the six-acre site on Central Park Road just west of Folly Road is zones for 153 units. (read more)

A number of development projects are planned or underway in Charlotte’s SouthPark, a submarket that’s undergoing renewed real estate activity.

Many of the projects are repositioning dated office buildings and aging apartment properties into denser, more urbanized mixed-use developments. The new investment and redevelopment in SouthPark has even spurred a collective group of landowners, residents and real estate professionals active in the submarket to plan out a cohesive vision and plan for SouthPark’s future.
(read more)

The Bowers Fibers building in lower South End of Charlotte, NC will be getting a face lift, as the space which was previously used for Bower’s Fibers operations for over 70 years, will be redeveloped for leasable retail and office space. The space includes 73,000 square feet and will pay homage to the building’s past by being called Bowers.

Near by are establishments such as Queen Park Social, Sugar Creek Brewing Co, and The Olde Mecklenberg Brewery.

Construction is aimed to begin in May and is expected to deliver in late 2017.

Cline Design Associates is the architect for the project. (read more)

Crescent Ninth Street
2016 Golden Lead Award  |  Large Development Award

2016 Golden Leaf Award Winners

Parkside Town Commons
2015 Real Estate Award | Top Retail Development

Clouds Brewing
2015 Real Estate Award | Top Restaurant Development

Crescent Cameron Village
2015 Real Estate Award | Top Multifamily Development

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/real-estate/2015/12/tbj-2016-space-awards-winners.html

Peter Cummings, the Detroit developer who brought Whole Foods to midtown and shepherded the deal for the Fisher Building, told Curbed that he plans to build a 230-unit midrise apartment building in New Center. This summer, rumors about Cummings’ plans to buy the parking lot at 3rd and Grand (pictured above) from Henry Ford Health System were met with a firm “no comment” from Cummings. Now, he says that there’s an agreement to purchase, and that architects have been selected for the project.
“The sale hasn’t happened yet,” Cummings explained, “But I do have a firm agreement with Henry Ford Helath system. I want to build 230 units,” Cummings added. Cummings has already tapped Chapel Hill, NC, Cline Design for the new development which will combine retail with residential units just steps away from the Fisher Building. “They did a great job for me on a similar scale project, housing over parking and retail in Chapel Hill,” Cummings said.

Cummings says there’s a timeline in place and that the sale should be finalized soon. “We would like to launch the project in summer 2016,” Cummings said.Cline Design built 140 West Franklin for Cummings’ former Florida venture, Ram Real Estate. The eight-story, $55 million, mixed-use building in Chapel Hill opened in 2013 after nearly a decade of work.

Trifecta: Crescent sells third Triangle luxury apartment complex, grosses $208M total
. The developer and owner of the new Crescent Main Street luxury apartment complex in Durham, Crescent Communities of Charlotte, has sold its third new property in the Triangle at another near-record-breaking price.
 (read more)

@DHICInc received tax credits for Greenfield Place in Chapel Hill @chapelhillgov and Pennington Grove in Garner @TownofGarner.

Myers Park Place in Charlotte. Drone view under construction video.

The Cardinal at North Hills has broken ground! Located in the vibrant North Hills Midtown District, this new full continuum senior living community will be steps away from a variety of restaurants, shopping and entertainment options. Go out or stay in – your home at the Cardinal will offer not only spacious, beautifully appointed residences but a warm, inviting community to share with family and friends, discover new passions and create The Art of Living Well on your terms.
 (read more)

An apartment complex just off Park Road and Woodlawn Road is set to be demolished and replaced with a new, upscale complex, according to rezoning plans filed with the city.
 (read more)