City leaders, business owners and residents gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Martin Marietta Center for the annual State of Downtown Raleigh meeting, a wideranging discussion that highlighted the city’s growth while acknowledging the challenges still face the city center.
Bill King, president and CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, opened the event by reflecting on how far the city has come. He described downtown’s past as a “crisis,” marked by empty storefronts, a failed pedestrian mall and a lack of activity after business hours.
“Downtown Raleigh had lost its place as well as heart,” King said. “We’ve gone from a sleepy town to a big city.”…