RALEIGH – Backers of the $2.2 billion Downtown South project have added a group of Black developers to its development efforts.
Raleigh Raised Development, whose partners include NC Central University basketball coach LeVelle Moton, disclosed its decision Monday night to join the Downtown South project backers including Kane Realty and the North Carolina Football Club.
Raleigh Raised Development, or RRD, “will be working with the project team to guarantee significant participation of local minority businesses throughout the entire development, beginning with the contracts and construction of the District,” the partners said.
Moton and partners Clarence Mann and Terrell Midgett, who grew up in Southeast Raleigh, say they want to “shine light on the under-representation of the Black community in local development efforts” and “continue to give back by lifting up the voices of development in Southeast Raleigh by focusing on the promotion and development of locally-owned, black businesses.”
The news was announced the evening before a Raleigh Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday morning. The project was rejected, but the stage is set for two public meetings later this month so the project is not dead yet, according to a report in The News & Observer.
The impact of the massive project on local neighborhoods has been a sore spot since Kane and partners including NC Football Club owner Steve Malik first announced the project.
- MORE COVERAGE: Read the full RRD announcement online
“RRD collectively, and I personally, am excited to help shape and champion the local participation and workforce development of this district,” Moton said in the announcement.
“The community of South Raleigh will benefit greatly from a project of this magnitude. The endless possibilities of economic growth and career opportunities is long overdue and will continue to persevere for generations long after.”
Mann is Manager of Vistabution, a minority-owned Raleigh-Based, general contracting business
Midgett is co-owner of Management Professionals, Inc., a facilities and maintenance company in Raleigh.
“The team looks forward to RRD joining us in this significant effort to shape our city and we’re excited for their counsel and support to ensure we’re doing so in an equitable way. This is an important step toward creating a district that reflects what we all want our community to look like,” Malik said in the announcement.
Kane, founder and CEO of Kane Realty which also developed North Hills and numerous other projects in Raleigh, noted that the Downtown South project’s team growth “has been a work in progress.”
“As we’ve heard in our community engagement, local minority business participation is crucial to creating an equitable and just district and we’re excited to take one more step toward implementing that goal,” Kane added.
The Downtown South project was announced last year.
