RDU aims to develop Lake Crabtree park land and wants your ideas and feedback
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- RDU plans to redevelop 136 acres at Lake Crabtree County Park.
- FAA rules require RDU to gain fair market value for leased park property.
- Public workshops offer feedback opportunities on Pacific Elm's draft plans.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport plans to redevelop 136 acres that were once part of Lake Crabtree County Park and says it wants to hear your ideas for the project.
RDU and the developer, Pacific Elm Properties, have scheduled three workshops where people can learn more about what the airport calls a “recreation and wellness destination.” The goal, according to RDU, is to create “a unique destination that serves the community, respects the natural character of the site and generates revenue for the airport.”
The first workshop will take place Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cary Senior Center on Maury O’Dell Place. Additional workshops will be held in Raleigh in September and Research Triangle Park in October.
Many would like the Lake Crabtree County Park land to remain as it is and told the airport as much during a public meeting in January. The county leased the park land from the airport for a nominal fee for decades, and the cycling trails that coursed through the woods between the lake and I-40 helped make the park the most popular in the county system.
But RDU officials insist they are compelled to find a developer for the property by the Federal Aviation Administration. They say under FAA rules airports that receive federal grants are now required to get fair market value for property they lease to outside businesses and organizations.
In June, the airport signed a 20-year lease with the county, preserving the 70 acres of parkland closest to the lake. The annual rent starts at $214,488, increasing 3% per year.
Last year, RDU began looking for a developer for the rest of the park. It received one solicitation, from Pacific Elm Properties, the Dallas-based firm that has also teamed up with the Carolina Hurricanes to develop 81 acres around the Lenovo Center a few miles from RDU.
The Raleigh project aims to create a sports and entertainment district with retail, a concert venue, offices and apartments in buildings as high as 40 stories. The company’s previous work includes six towers in Dallas with office, residential, hotel and retail space.
Last month, RDU and Pacific Elm signed an agreement that gives the company exclusive rights to develop a plan for the property over the coming year but doesn’t obligate either side to follow through.
Pacific Elm’s early concepts at Lake Crabtree include recreational activities such as climbing, skating, zip-lining, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. Supporting those would be restaurants, retail and perhaps a hotel.
The public workshops are informal. People can drop by any time between 4 and 7 p.m. to ask questions of RDU and Pacific Elm representatives and provide feedback. Here are the dates and locations for the workshops:
- Aug. 19, Cary Senior Center Ballroom, 120 Maury O’Dell Place in Cary.
- Sept. 23, Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Road in Raleigh
- Oct. 21, Frontier RTP, Building 700 on Park Offices Drive in Research Triangle Park.
For more information about RDU’s Lake Crabtree project, go to www.rdu.com/recreation/.
