News
December 30, 2008
Convention Center Opening, Drought, Economy Headline Raleigh's 2008
The following is a look at some of the challenges and accomplishments of the City of Raleigh in 2008:
Historic Drought
Raleigh began 2008 in the grips of the most severe drought in history. The historic dry spell was officially declared in August 2007. On Christmas Day 2007, Falls Lake reached an all-time low of 241.52 feet and a water supply of 91 days. Despite most welcomed holiday rains of Dec. 15, Dec. 26 and Dec. 30 that added a foot to the lake, Raleigh ended the year with a rainfall deficit of 7.2 inches.
The La Nina effect kept its stranglehold on the Triangle until spring. By mid-2008, the rains came and by year’s end the area had officially measured in excess of 50 inches of rain for the year, erasing 2007’s 7.20 rainfall deficit.
Getting through the drought required constant monitoring, education, conservation and action. The City Council created the Water Conservation Advisory Council to explore means of further and permanent conservation. The City changed its water bills to make it easier for customers to track their usage. The average daily consumption was changed to gallons on the bills.
On Feb. 15, all Raleigh water system customers were under Stage 2 water conservation measures. This prohibited the use of public water for irrigation. The City Council also requested that businesses and residents install low-flow shower heads and faucet restrictors by March 1 and to use water collected in rain barrels for watering vegetation.
On March 4, Mayor Charles Meeker announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) had agreed to reduce the amount of water it releases at the dam from Falls Lake daily by 27 cubic feet per second. This is 17 million gallons per day (MGD) or 500 MGD per month. (The COE manages Falls Lake, which is Raleigh’s water supply.)
On March 10, the City of Raleigh began voluntary inspections of offices, hotels, fitness centers and apartments to see if they had complied with the City’s request to install low-flow faucets and showerheads. Eight days later it was found that an overwhelming majority of randomly selected businesses and apartment complexes had installed the water-saving devices.
On March 12, the City of Raleigh revealed a way of comparing neighborhoods’ water consumption to the same period last year and to other Capital City neighborhoods. The City’s Geographic Information Systems’ staff created the maps from billings posted from Jan. 1 to March 1.
In addition to selling rain barrels, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department hosted four workshops to teach Raleigh residents how to construct their own rain barrels.
Rains leading up to March 18 increased the supply pool to 73.9 percent and prompted the City Council members to set markers as to when to lift water conservation standards and consider what measures should be adopted permanently. It was decided that the City would move to Stage 1.5 when the supply pool climbed to 90 percent and to Stage 1 when the supply pool hit 100 percent.
City staff found new ways to conserve. The City refilled three of its swimming pools with treated water that had been used to flush the water distribution system. The Public Utilities Department made high quality reuse water available at the Smith Creek and Little Creek water treatment plants. The Fire Department used rain water collected in barrels to wash vehicles at the Western Boulevard station.
Falls Lake recovered its deficit and is measured full April 5. Raleigh returned to Stage 1 water conservation measures on April 7.
In April, the council kicked off it “Slow the Flow” logo that was designed gratis by Clean Design.
A poll conducted by OnPoint Polling and Research in April found that registered voters in the Triangle are overwhelmingly aware of the area’s water shortage and are willing to do their part to save water.
In the wake of the worst drought in North Carolina history, WaterFest focused on water conservation and using water wisely. More than 3,400 Wake County schoolchildren attended the three-day event at the E.M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant.
In late May, Raleigh went to revised Stage 1 water conservation measures.
In September, the Raleigh City Council agreed to an interlocal agreement with Johnston County for emergency water services during times of need by either county. The agreement helps reduce vulnerability and provides more redundancy in water supply sources.
While the rains of Hurricane Hanna put a damper on the first evening of Raleigh Wide Open 3, it finally put an end to the worst drought in the state’s history.
On September 16, the Raleigh City Council approved permanent everyday water conservation rules that were recommended by the Water Conservation Advisory Council.
Raleigh tallied more than 50 inches of rainfall in 2008; that is eight inches above the average and 15 inches more than fell in 2007.
Convention Center Opens/Downtown Continues Resurgence
Sept. 5 marked the dawning of a new era in Raleigh with the opening of the Raleigh Convention Center for business. The process to create the half-million square foot, $222 million facility began in January 2002. Hundreds of public meetings and more than 1.85 million man hours of work (done without injury) later, it was completed. The first event to take place after the building was officially opened was a naturalization ceremony in which 1,000 immigrants celebrated becoming American citizens.
The opening of the Raleigh Convention Center was part of Raleigh Wide Open 3, the Capital City’s annual downtown celebration. In addition to enjoying their first look at the center, visitors were treated to the Raleigh World Wide Expo and International Festival which showcased the center’s sprawling 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
There was a lighting party on the eve of the opening and the Cree Shimmer Wall wowed them all. Cree, a Durham-based world leader in LED technology, gave $1 million to the City of Raleigh for the creation of contemporary artwork for the western wall of the Raleigh Convention Center.
In its first months of operation, the convention center hosted 17 conventions that brought more than 18,000 people to Raleigh for an average of three to five days.
To accommodate the added traffic resulting from the opening of the Raleigh Convention Center and other development in Downtown’s south end, the City converted portions of South and Lenoir streets to two-way traffic.
Just days before the center’s grand opening, the four-star Marriott City Center opened directly across Salisbury Street. The hotel and convention center are linked by an underground pedestrian connector. Built as part of the $42 million underground Convention Center Parking Deck, the connector actually is a separate building from the convention center, hotel and parking deck.
The opening of the Raleigh Convention Center and Marriott City Center were just the latest events in Downtown’s renaissance. Progress Energy celebrated its 100th anniversary this year in its sparkling downtown offices. The RBC Bank headquarters opened in October at the corner of Martin and Fayetteville streets. Several mid-sized companies, including Capital Bank, Optimal Technologies and Headway Corporate Resources, moved their headquarters downtown.
Residents are eager to be part of Downtown Raleigh. More than 7,000 call it home. An additional 2,000 residential units are planned or under construction.
Government is getting in the game as well. State government’s Green Square will expand the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and relocate the offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Wake County complex will bring 20 new courtrooms to Salisbury and Fayetteville streets.
Property owners also are revitalizing historic structures and making them a key feature of Downtown’s 21st century profile. These include the renovation of the late 19th century Heilig-Levine building, the renovation of the early 1900s Raleigh Times building, and the façade renovations that are revealing the distinctive Victorian and Edwardian storefronts. The Blount Street redevelopment project was kicked off this year. It will restore 25 historic and elegant homes and create 500 new residences.
Downtown was the setting April 26 for the largest military parade in North Carolina’s history. The “Salute to Our Troops” was a day-long show of appreciation to the men, women and families of the United States military.
The City’s new Blount Street Parking Deck opened Aug. 20. The facility has a total of 1,232 spaces and supports the nearby 33-story RBC Plaza mixed-use tower.
In early September, the City approved the site plan for a mixed-use condominium development on a 2.9-acre site downtown. “The Edison” will be comprised of two 574-foot towers and two 369-foot towers rising above a shared nine-story base.
The City of Raleigh officially began work on “celebration central” – officially known as City Plaza – at noon on Oct. 20. The event marked the beginning of the transformation of the 500 block of Fayetteville Street into the Triangle’s defining cultural and social public place. When completed in 12 months, the plaza will welcome concerts, markets and just about any event that celebrates life as we know it, love it and live it here in the Triangle.
Sustainability to the Fore
While the City of Raleigh has been a responsible steward of the environment for years, in 2008 it became a top priority.
On Jan. 8, the City Council agreed to a joint purchase with the Town of Cary, Wake County and the Triangle Land Conservancy of 38.27 acres of land adjacent to Swift Creek for $762,000. The City’s share of the cost will be $254,000. The property will be used for future greenways and will remain otherwise undeveloped to protect water quality in Lake Wheeler and Swift Creek.
In January, the City further expanded its “green” fleet by purchasing three diesel hybrid-electric buses that offer reduced emissions, reduced noise and improved fuel economy over standard transit buses.
Later in the winter, the City added 15 new biodiesel fuel (B20) buses. B20 is a domestically produced renewable fuel derived from vegetable oil that significantly reduces harmful elements of diesel exhaust, such as carbon monoxide. At least 75 percent of the City’s diesel fleet – or 186 trash trucks, recycling trucks and street dump trucks – have operated on B20 since 2002.
In October, the City traded in two gas-powered pickup trucks for two electric cars.
Nitrogen discharged into the Neuse River dropped dramatically to unprecedented levels in 2008, continuing a trend that began with the installation of denitrification facilities at the City of Raleigh’s Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant (NRWTP). Nitrogen levels remain far below State-mandated limits.
The Raleigh City Council unanimously withheld its support for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility proposed for Butner. The facility will be placed in Kansas.
The Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded the City of Raleigh two water quality grants in March. An award of up to $1.1 million was given to improve water quality in the Pigeon House Branch watershed. The second grant was for $323,000 and was to be used for stream enhancement projects along Bertie Creek and a lake preservation project at Upper Longview Lake.
The Capital City celebrated Earth Day 2008 by presenting its 1st Annual City of Raleigh Environmental Awards. The awards were created by the City’s two-year-old Environmental Advisory Board.
The City’s Solid waste Services Department added its seventh recycling drop-off center. It is located at the Wake Habitat ReUse Center on Raleigh Boulevard.
In early May the City purchased 41.53 acres in the RiverTowne subdivision. An additional 7.74 acres is being dedicated to the City by land owners. The acreage will be a greenway and park site.
The Raleigh City Council approved new standards for City buildings that will improve energy efficiency. They include: any building of 10,000 square feet or more should achieve LEED’s Silver-level certification; smaller structures would not seek the certification but would be designed and built to be eligible for such certification; structures smaller than 10,000 square feet must achieve minimum energy-efficiency of 30 percent better than code-required by LEED’s water efficiency standards; use of LEED’s guidelines for existing facilities to maximize sustainability benefits; and, existing facilities should be evaluated for LEED certification as funding and resources become available.
The City Council approved recommendations related to low-impact development on June 17.
In July, the City began construction on a multi-purpose project to implement a regional reuse water distribution system.
The City contracted with the Furman Company to conduct master development services on the Randleigh Farm property. The City and Wake County jointly purchased Randleigh Farm from the State of North Carolina in 2005. Once completed, Randleigh Farm will be transformed into a unique, sustainable model community with two schools, private homes, open space, parks, an environmental education center and a mixed-use campus.
As gasoline prices soared to $4 in mid-August, Capital Area Transit’s (CAT) new Wake Forest-Raleigh express bus picked up the passengers, serving nearly 3,000 commuters in its first six weeks.
Actually, all of CAT’s routes packed on the riders, with CAT carrying more than 422,000 passenger trips in the month of July. This represents a 24 percent increase in ridership over July 2007 and a 6.4 percent increase over June 2008’s ridership.
In September, the City Council voiced its opposition to the Town of Rolesville’s request for extension of its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) into the Little River water supply watershed. Raleigh has a long-standing policy prohibiting the extension of water and sewer utilities into all water supply watersheds as a means of limiting urbanization and subsequent water quality problems in watershed.
The Raleigh Convention Center was opened on Sept. 5. It is in the process of being certified as a LEED building. The half-million-square-foot building contains recycling materials in its frame. Most of the construction debris also was recycled. The center’s carpets, adhesives and paint are all low volatile organic compounds. The center is built on a Brownfield redevelopment area, which now is one of the more environmentally friendly buildings in North Carolina. The convention center features an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system. It is replete with features that reduce the overall electrical demand. Using drip irrigation, low-flow fixtures, and plants that require less water, the new convention center reduced water consumption through irrigation by 50 percent and overall water use by 20 percent.
The City continued to advance its use of LED technology in 2008. As a pilot project, the City installed 23 LED streetlights on public streets that surround the new Raleigh Convention Center. The streetlights are expected to save nearly $100,000 in energy costs over the 20-year service life of the system.
On Oct. 11, the City of Raleigh’s NeighborWoods Street Tree Program held a tree planting, marking the 1100th tree delivered and planted through the program. The program is designed to add significantly to the trees lining Raleigh streets by planting trees on public rights-of-way along City streets.
On Nov. 4, the City Council approved a contract amendment for the continuation of work on the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement and preliminary design of the dam for the proposed Little River Reservoir Project.
On Dec. 2, the City Council approved an agreement between the City of Raleigh and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) that addresses growth and water management. Raleigh had been working with the Towns of Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon and NCDENR to develop a secondary and cumulative impacts management plan. The plan is to be used to address the growth-related environmental impacts from implementation of the City’s 10-year Capital Improvement Program funded water and wastewater projects.
The Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the completion of a water garden and wetland feature at Fred Fletcher Park in December. The water garden is located next to the “Redbird” sculpture.
Service Improvements
The City Council voted unanimously to construct an indoor competition venue and recreational style aquatics facility at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park.
In March the City Council authorized City staff to proceed with design services for the satellite senior center located at Millbrook Exchange Park in conjunction with design services for the Whitaker Mill senior center.
Jack Duncan stepped down as the City’s Parks and Recreation Department director on June 1. He had held the position for 23 years. City Manager J. Russell Allen tapped Diane B. Sauer to succeed. Ms. Sauer is a 22-year veteran of the department.
A contract for nearly $1 million was awarded in early May for the construction of a 3,300-square foot neighborhood center at Sanderford Road Park. Sparrow Construction Inc. projects the project will be completed by the summer of 2009.
On June 6, George Foster, a 24-year veteran with the Solid Waste Services Department was named the City of Raleigh Employee of the Year. Mr. Foster began his service with the Capital City as a laborer. His current position is that of Yard Waste Center crew supervisor. Mr. Foster was chosen from a field of eight other department employees of the year. They were: Paul Roberts, Fire; Kristopher Larson, Development Services; Luther Williams, Administrative and Support Services, Mikaela Kelsey, Emergency Communications; Danny Morgan, Parks and Recreation; Allen Simms, Police; Perry Allen, Public Utilities; and Larry Wiggins, Public Works.
By a vote of 5 to 2, the City Council approved the City’s Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget on June 23. The budget continues Raleigh’s tradition of investment in its infrastructure and programs and services. The budget also maintains the City’s AAA quality credit rating.
In mid-summer, the City Council voted unanimously to increase educational incentives offered to the City’s police officers. Police officers who have an associate’s degree now receive an incentive of $560, up from the $350 previously offered. The payout for obtaining a bachelor’s degree is $1,320 up from $700. The increased educational incentive is designed to help the City retain officers.
At its Aug. 5 meeting, the City Council approved a three-year agreement with Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. for operational management of Raleigh’s Safelight red-light camera program. The contract calls for expansion of the program from 12 to 15 intersections. Since the beginning of the program in 2003, the Safelight program has issued over 89,300 citations and reduced angle accidents at the camera locations by 83 percent. The four years prior to installation of the cameras saw 337 accidents at the intersections and only 58 throughout the four years after the cameras were installed.
In the early autumn, the City’s Inspections Department began providing a new service that offers building inspections after normal business hours. Later in the season, the City partnered with Mecklenburg County in launching a joint online review service for residential master plans. Builders who are doing identical construction projects in Raleigh and Mecklenburg County no longer have to file the plans separately in both jurisdictions. One electronic filing is all that is needed for the E-Plan Review program, saving time and money.
Mayor Meeker announced Nov. 13 that next fall the City’s Police Department’s headquarters temporarily will be located at 6717 Six Forks Road. The north Raleigh building was purchased for $6.23 million and will house several divisions of the Police Department that currently are located at 110 S. McDowell St. This facility will be brought down to make way for the Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center. This 16-story facility will serve as headquarters for the Fire and Police departments and will house the Raleigh/Wake Emergency Communications Center.
The City completed its installation of approximately 174,000 new water meters in late November. The new meters will allow for more accurate and efficient reading for utility billing purposes.
December brought the final authorization of the Hillsborough Street/Morgan Street roundabout project. The improvements are necessary for the conversion of Morgan Street to two-way traffic.
At a Dec. 16 press conference, Mayor Meeker said that the City of Raleigh was actively seeking its share of the proposed federal stimulus funding package to improve its infrastructure, environment and economy. He said that 44 projects have been identified as designed, permitted and ready to implement in six to 12 months.
Community Strengthening
In February, the City Council approved an additional $300,000 loan for a joint-venture project with the Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation for the purchase and rehabilitation of Dacian Glen Apartments. The 71-unit complex is located at the intersection of Dacian and Glenbrook roads. In 2006, the City agreed to a $1.1 million loan for the project. The loans will be paid at two percent interest over 20 years.
In May, the City Council approved Raleigh’s 2008-09 Community Development Action Plan. This approval authorized the expenditure of more than $12 million in funds from federal and local sources, including the City’s Affordable Housing Bond.
Also in May, the City Council voted unanimously to provide low-interest loans to two new affordable rental housing projects. Approved was $850,000 for Autumn Springs Apartments, a development of 48 apartment units for elderly residents with low incomes. Evergreen Construction is building the development at 3701 Eck Drive. Also approved was $200,000 for Wakefield Manor, a development of 96 apartment units for qualifying elderly residents. In 2006, the City committed $1.2 million to Wakefield Manor, which is located at 10731 Common Oaks Drive. The Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation (DHIC) is constructing Wakefield Manor.
On June 30, Mayor Meeker announced an enhanced relationship between the City and the state’s official orchestra. Mayor Meeker announced that the City is extending its lease by a dozen years, keeping the symphony in its current home – Meymandi Concert Hall in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts – through 2030. The City also doubled its annual financial support of the symphony to $200,000.
The City Council voted 5 to 3 July 1, to changes in the Probationary Rental Occupancy Permit (PROP) ordinance. The new rules that go into effect Jan. 5, 2009, include: requiring all Raleigh landlords to register their rental property with the City; issuing civil fines of $100 to tenants for noise and nuisance party violations; adding the crimes of prostitution, possession of stolen goods, violations of some state alcohol and liquor regulations, unlawful weapons, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, gaming violations and disorderly conduct to the PROP ordinance; and, adding all rental properties, regardless of the number of units, to the PROP ordinance.
The City Council approved the temporary refinancing plan for the former Murphey School property located at 443 N. Person St. It approved the extension of the maturity date as well as the reduction of the interest rate on the current loan to the DHIC and to subordinate the interim refinancing of the first mortgage.
The City’s budget for the fiscal year allocates more than $700,000 in human services funds to 28 non-profit organizations. The budget also added three new positions to the Community Services Department for its fair housing compliance efforts as well as a supervisor position to oversee two neighborhood community centers in southeast Raleigh.
On Aug. 5, the City Council approved funding for two proposals from Community Alternatives for Supportive Abodes (CASA) to provide affordable housing. CASA received $327,923 for acquisition and rehabilitation of a seven-unit development for persons with low incomes. The dwelling is located at 701 E. Franklin St. The second project, known as George’s Mews, is located at 615 and 625 Washington St. The Council approved funds at $926,164 for the acquisition and rehabilitation of the 26-unit development for persons with low incomes.
A façade rehabilitation grant program for businesses and commercial properties in parts of southeast Raleigh was approved by the City Council on Sept. 16. These grants are offered in the form of rebates for 75 percent of exterior rehabilitation costs up to $10,000.
Staff was authorized to solicit formal bids for the construction of the infrastructure for the State Street Redevelopment Affordable Housing Project on Nov. 6. In 2002, the City Council adopted the Garner Road Redevelopment Area Plan in an effort to create new affordable housing stock for residents with low and moderate incomes and to increase the percentage of owner-occupied housing in the area. Toward this end, the property east of State Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Bragg Street was acquired and cleared. The single-family affordable housing project will require the installation of a new cul-de-sac in addition to road, water, sewer and stormwater improvements. The estimate for these improvements is approximately $500,000.
Nobody can say how North Carolina State University (NCSU) came to have it, but on Nov. 19 it was returned to its rightful owner – the City of Raleigh. The object in question is a 1,000-pound, bronze bell that sat atop Raleigh’s City Hall through the last decades of the 19th century and for the first 14 years of the 20th. For the past 60 years the bell sat silently on the roof of NCSU’s Withers Hall. NCSU Chancellor Dr. James L. Oblinger participated in the transfer of custody with Mayor Meeker and Fire Chief John McGrath at a ceremony at Fire Station 1 on Dawson Street.
The City Council adopted ordinances designating the following Raleigh Historic Landmarks: Chavis Park Carousel, Arkansas Delaware & Vermont Connecticut Royster Confectioners Building at 207 Fayetteville St., Saint Monica’s School at 15 North Tarboro St., James S. Morgan House at 1015 Oberlin Road, and the David and Ernestine Weaver House at 1203 E. Lane St.
The City Council voted unanimously at its Nov. 18 meeting to create a program that offers loans of up to $135,000 to qualified residents to reconstruct their homes. The loans carry a fixed-interest rate of either zero percent or three percent, depending on household income, adjusted for family size.
At its last meeting of 2008, the City Council approved revision to the City’s investor rehab loan program to assist with rehabilitation of rental property. The new program is available citywide and is limited to a maximum of $45,000 for property rehabilitation. Defaults in the investor portfolio forced the temporary suspension of the program while the Community Development Department’s staff re-examined the underwriting criteria and studied similar programs offered by other cities.
On Dec. 3, a draft of the Comprehensive Plan update was presented to Raleigh. The draft update was the culmination of 18 months of work on the part of City staff and consultants. The plan provides the framework to guide Raleigh’s growth through 2030. It has a firm grounding in both data and analysis, represented by a 400-page community inventory and an audit of more than 5,000 previously adopted policy, goal and action statements. Three public workshops will be held in January to allow citizens to review the plan, ask questions and provide input.
Hardy Watkins brought his 33-year career with the City of Raleigh to a close with the dawning of the New Year. He has served as the director of the Community Services Department since 1997.
Growth
In January, the Department of City Planning released its biannual population estimate that indicated that Raleigh had grown to the 49th largest city in the nation, surpassing Minneapolis, Minn., in population.
The City Council approved a resolution that established guidelines for the City to use to evaluate the impact of pending planning and zoning cases on Wake County public schools.
The Council Members also approved a text change that requires the City’s Planning Department to notify Wake County Public Schools of all rezoning petitions.
In March the City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Wake County to build a branch library on approximately 58 acres on Country Trail known as the Leesville Community Park in the Leesville Road area.
One year after the City broke ground for the new Dempsey E. Benton Water Treatment Plant, the media was treated to a tour of the site to see that construction is proceeding on schedule. Located on 55 acres at Lake Benson off of N.C. 50 at Buffaloe Road south of Garner, the $90.5 million plant is set to open in February 2010. The new plant, coupled with the E.M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant are expected to meet the area’s water needs through 2018.
The Council Members voted unanimously May 6, to approve $325,000 for preparation of an environmental impact statement for the Little River Reservoir project. The City is working with Wake County and four other municipalities in the eastern part of the county to build the Little River Reservoir and dam on the Little River north of the crossing with U.S. 64 between Wendell and Zebulon. The four other municipalities are Rolesville, Wendell, Zebulon and Wake Forest. The reservoir will be another source of drinking water for the area, providing 20 million gallons per day. The reservoir is scheduled for completion in 2020.
The City Council voted unanimously July 15 to establish a municipal service district (MSD) – or business improvement district – on Hillsborough Street. The objective of the MSD is to revitalize areas along the street. The City has a similar MSD Downtown. MSDs are a funding mechanism used to provide revenue for a variety of services that enhance existing municipal services. Additional revenue collected from special assessments on property owners in a MSD is used for maintenance, business recruitment, advocacy, management, marketing, security and other services. The special tax rate will take effect on July 2, 2009. The Hillsborough Street MSD will run east to west along the street from St. Mary’s School to Meredith College.
The mid-year population estimate placed Raleigh’s population at 380,173. That represents 5,853 more persons than the Jan. 1 estimate. Raleigh’s population grew by 12,178 a 3.3 percent increase from July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2008.
According to an analysis by Moody’s Economy.com done in October, about two-thirds of the country’s 381 metropolitan areas are in recession and another one in five is at risk. That leaves only 14 percent of America’s metropolitan areas reporting economic growth. Raleigh was among the 56 metropolitan areas the study found was growing. An economist who worked on the Moody’s report said that areas with growing economies were those more reliant on education, health care and energy. He cautioned that indicators are pointing down even in these areas.
Prepared by:
Jayne Kirkpatrick
Director
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
Jayne Kirkpatrick
Director
Public Affairs Department
222 West Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-996-3100
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