Glenwood South report says neighborhood generates $1.2 billion in economic impact

Raleigh’s Glenwood South may be getting a bad rap for its boozy after-dark bar scene of late.

But residents and business owners want the public to know there’s more to this eclectic urban neighborhood than its nightlife.

A new report funded by the Glenwood South Neighborhood Collaborative estimates that the district generates $1.2 billion annually in resident and visitor expenditures, higher than it was pre-pandemic.

Prepared by Montana-based Circle Analytics, the report used data from several sources, including U.S. Census Bureau, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Arrivalist, and Placer.ai.

Among its other findings: 18,500 jobs supported, $124.7 million generated in local food and beverage sales, and $110 million produced in indirect taxes.

“Glenwood South is thriving,” Larry Miller, the group’s president, told The N&O. “It’s an entertainment district that people actually want to live in.”

Miller, a retiree and empty nester, moved from Cary to Glenwood South nine years ago. The collaborative he leads has roughly 974 members, mostly residents and local business owners, promoting neighborhood engagement.

After a recent spike in crime pushed Raleigh officials to crack down on noise and crime in the district, Miller said the group commissioned the report to counter some of the “negative publicity” and to quantify the district’s economic impact on the city.

“It felt like we were getting picked on,” he said. “We wanted to present a better image. If you talk to the vast majority of people that live here, they think it’s a great neighborhood.”

Miller plans to present the findings at the next City Council budget work session on Monday, June 26. He said the group hopes the report will spur more investment from the city for projects like expanded sidewalks and a railroad quiet zone.

“We deserve our share of resources from the city.”

‘Growing pains’

Glenwood South is a half-mile stretch of Glenwood Avenue from Peace Street south to Hillsborough Street.

Over the last two years, it has emerged from the pandemic as one of the city’s biggest draws, with a wave of new businesses opening. It’s also one of the fastest growing neighborhoods. New apartment and condo buildings are changing the neighborhood’s landscape, drawing a unique mix of people: college students, young professionals, retirees and even lawmakers who live part-time in the district.

More than 7,000 people were living downtown and in Glenwood South in 2020, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last Thursday. That’s an increase of 82.2% over a decade ago, while the city’s population grew 15.8%.

However, the district’s explosive growth has come with some growing pains.

Reports of crime in Glenwood South have been up over the last year, The N&O reported in early March. In a presentation to Raleigh City Council, Lt. R. Bowen of the Raleigh Police Department said the number of “illegal firearms” collected more than doubled in 2022 compared to the year before. And while calls for service were down 18%, the number of “reported incidents” increased 16%.

Perhaps the most damning incident came from one of its most high-profile residents: North Carolina’s first lady Kristin Cooper, who questioned the neighborhood’s “vibrancy” when a man tried to kick-in the door of the couple’s residence in Forest Park in late April.

“This is not what ‘vibrancy’ looks like to me,” she wrote on her neighborhood listserv.

Residents concerned about increase traffic, noise and crime persuaded city leaders to make changes earlier this year. The police chief increased patrols in the area and new signs have been installed to discourage people from parking in nearby neighborhoods.

Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, who has reviewed the collaborative’s report, said she’s determined to “strike a balance” between entertainment and safety.

The increased police presence in recent months is helping, she said.

“Crime is actually down [this second quarter],” she told The N&O this week. “The total reported incidents is down by about 22%, and violent incidents are down 28%. Even the number of firearms confiscated was down 15% [compared to last year].”