RALEIGH – Raleigh City Council has approved rezoning for the Raleigh Housing Authority’s Heritage Park property, allowing buildings up to 12 stories and greater residential and mixed-use intensity.
The Sept. 1 council agenda identifies the property as 405 and 416 Dorothea Drive, bounded by West South Street, South Dawson Street, Western Boulevard and South Saunders Street. Rezoning case Z-19-25 raises the maximum height from three to 12 stories, increases allowable residential, commercial and office uses, and requires dedicated affordable housing units.
Raleigh Housing Authority describes Heritage Park as an 11.61-acre downtown site that contained 122 apartments built in the 1970s. The authority says the aging buildings were costly to maintain and that redevelopment is intended to produce more modern, energy-efficient housing along with mixed-use space.
The full site plan has not been finalized. Axios Raleigh reported that the approved zoning allows up to 870 apartments and requires at least 122 affordable units. The City of Raleigh previously said the project’s first phase will include 51 senior apartments and that the broader redevelopment is expected to provide homes for about 1,000 residents.
The Raleigh Planning Commission recommended approval 9-0. RHA says it is pursuing low-income housing tax credits for the project and is targeting a fourth-quarter 2026 closing for the first block.
Image credit: NC Business Desk.