North Raleigh Today

The city of Raleigh has unveiled its largest on-street mural, a 4,000-square-foot artwork that is part of an initiative to revitalize Commerce Place in the downtown Warehouse District. The mural was created by artist Mary Carter Taub in collaboration with Raleigh Arts and the City’s Urban Projects Group. The project took over 200 hours and used 100 gallons of paint. It is expected to remain for two to five years.

Commerce Place will host the Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s First Friday event on November 1 from 4 to 8 p.m., where visitors can enjoy snacks, games, live music, and a raffle featuring items donated by local businesses. Attendees are also encouraged to share their thoughts on the new vision for Commerce Place.

Commerce Place is currently a mid-block alley primarily used as a shortcut for cars and parking. The City aims to transform it into a pedestrian-friendly area with open seating, public art, overhead lighting, and other features that align with future plans for making it a usable public space. This effort involves collaboration between the City’s Urban Projects Group, Raleigh Transportation, Raleigh Arts, Empire Properties, Turnbridge Equities, and other City departments.

Raleigh Arts plays a significant role in this transformation by fostering arts within the community through various programs under the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department.