Kane Realty moves ahead with 15-story North Hills tower despite public pushback
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kane Realty filed site plans for a 15‑story, 246‑unit tower at North Hills.
- Project includes 342,694 sq ft residential, 18,000 sq ft retail and 483 parking units.
- Neighbors mobilize, cite traffic, shadows and conflict with 2020 plan.
Despite public pushback, Kane Realty is pressing ahead with plans for a 15-story residential tower in North Hills.
Less than three months after its controversial rezoning win, the Raleigh-based developer has filed site plans for a 246-unit apartment building at 4000 Center at North Hills Street. The 1-acre site sits next to Restoration Hardware and the One North Hills office tower along Interstate 440. It’s currently a vacant parking lot.
Site plans show 342,694 square feet of residential space: 39 studios, 107 one-bedroom units, 87 two-bedroom units, and 13 three-bedroom units. It also includes 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 483-space parking deck.
The project’s timeline remains unclear.
Kane Realty’s office declined to comment.
It’s the latest phase of the firm’s long-term vision to revitalize North Hills’ Main District. Under new allowances, Kane Realty could have built up to 20 stories on the site.
In recent months, the firm has faced growing backlash to its expansion. In January, in a split vote, the city approved the firm’s rezoning request that allows buildings up to 37 stories tall on 11.4 acres in the Main and Lassiter districts.
As part of the deal, Kane Realty agreed to contribute toward affordable housing $40,000 per dwelling unit for 1% of approved units built on the property. The firm also increased its contribution to the Raleigh Fire Department from $400,000 to $500,000.
Despite these concessions, concerned residents say they’re worried about worsening traffic on Six Forks Road. They’re also frustrated that the city isn’t sticking to the 2020 Midtown St. Albans Area Plan, which capped heights at 20 stories.
“The city of Raleigh must acknowledge our well-founded concerns and take necessary actions to address them,” said Randy Jones, 69, a retired asset manager who has lived in Midtown since 1998. He recently founded Midtown Neighbors United to fight what he calls “inappropriate” rezoning.
Over the last 20 years, Kane Realty has transformed a one-time 1960s enclosed mall into a 12-story, mixed-used district with offices, apartments, and retail. Recent additions include Highland North Hills Apartments, One North Hills Tower, and 4114 Center. The firm plans more development in the district on various tracts at the intersections of I- 440 and Lassiter Mill and Six Forks roads.
