Raleigh, North Carolina’s capitol city, has been proving its commitment to downtown revitalization for many years now, making the area more attractive than ever to citizens and visitors seeking dining, entertainment, convention facilities, shopping and public transportation.  With the addition of amenities such as the new convention center, City Market dining and retail spaces, auto-friendly Fayetteville Street (the main thoroughfare), a new city bus terminal, and new parking facilities, to name just a few, “downtown” has become a destination of choice for business and pleasure.

In July, a new project called City Plaza was begun, as heralded by the unveiling of four 55-foot stainless-steel light towers built at the south end of Fayetteville Street.  City Plaza, scheduled for completion in October 2009, is designed to host everything from a restful retreat for tired feet, to concerts and other public events.  In addition, four glass enclosed pavilions will be built on the plaza to showcase an array of retail shops and eateries.

Contributing to the appeal of the plaza will be a motion-sensitive water fountain some describe as a miniature version of the famous waterworks at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  Several other art projects are planned, which include interactive LED panels displaying an array of pre-programmed images, and pedestals for an annually rotating schedule of sculptures.

For more information visit the Raleigh web site…

The Reserach Triangle area of North Carolina, anchored by Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, continues to attract national and international attention for its support of the arts. In press releases this week Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, announced it will host an exhibition of 60 works created by Picasso from August 20th to January 3rd.  The show is entitled “ Picasso and the Allure of Language”, and focuses on the artist’s lifelong relationship with writers and ways language affected his work.

The Nasher Museum of Art on campus will host the exhibition, whose stars represent works created between 1900 and 1969, four years before Picasso’s death at age 91.  In addition, other exciting programs relating to the show are planned, including a free family day event, poetry night, panel discussions, a film series, a workshop for teachers, and other programs. The Carolina Ballet will also participate, presenting a newly choreographed ballet, “Picasso,” inspired by the exhibition.

Tickets go on sale August 4, 2009, at 10am.

For more information, visit www.nasher.duke.edu…

Wake County, North Carolina is looking ahead as growth projections indicate continued high demand for new infrastructure, services, and policies.  The county Board of Commissioners has instituted the Growth Issues Task Force to examine growth management strategies to help balance growth and preserve the quality of life in Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest and throughout the county.

The task force has announced its calendar of meetings, and the public is invited.  Dates and locations can be found at the Wake County Government web site, along with agendas and links to information about the long range plans in place for participating jurisdictions.  While one meeting was previously held in April, there are five additional monthly meetings planned through September.  The next meeting will be at 2 P.M. on May 21, 2009 in the Wake County Office Building, at 337 S. Salisbury St. in Raleigh.

For more information, visit the Growth Issues Task Force at WakeGov.com.