(This is an opinion piece I submitted to New Raleigh as part of their discussion on whether or not the Municipal Building should be saved. Read their article for more viewpoints and discussion.)

In mid-March, the Raleigh City Council stalled on the resolution to replace the old Municipal Building with the new Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center. In the past few days, there has been a renewed push in exploring ways to overcome objecting Councillors’ concerns about the cost of the project.

The debates both for and against building the new Lightner Center had valid supporting arguments, but noticeably absent from the debate was the case for preserving the existing structure. That has changed in recent weeks, and I’m going to add my voice to the growing chorus of citizens calling for preservation rather than destruction.

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Bike to Work Week 2010 kicks off Friday, May 14th from 3-6PM at Marbles Kids Museum on Moore Square. The event will host a kids bike rodeo, a giveaway of kids helmets, a Cycling and Environmental Expo, and a group ride through Raleigh at 6PM.

The event is part of the national Bike To Work Week, which is May 17th through May 21st. It is being sponsored locally by GoTriangle and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

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Lobby of the Lawyers Building

In a few days, Wake County will hold a ground breaking ceremony for the new Justice Center on Salisbury Street. One year ago, two buildings and a parking deck were demolished to make way for this new court house. While most (including myself) focused on the loss of the iconic Garland Jones Building, there were few voices lamenting the loss of the older Lawyers Building.

What made this building significant is that it was the last remaining part of the once grand State Theater, which opened in 1924 and closed around 1975. The Lawyers Building served as the entrance and lobby.

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