Soleil Center

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The Soleil Center would stand as the second-tallest building in Raleigh upon completion.
The Soleil Center would stand as the second-tallest building in Raleigh upon completion.

The Soleil Center is a 43-story skyscraper and condo-hotel currently under construction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 480 ft (146 m) building is located next to the Crabtree Valley Mall on Glenwood Avenue (US 70) just north of the I-440 beltline, in an area now known as "Midtown Raleigh."[1] When completed in 2009, the Soleil Center will become the second tallest building in Raleigh and in the Triangle region. The new RBC Plaza building in downtown Raleigh will be the tallest when completed in late 2008. The Soleil Center will contain a 290-room four-star Westin hotel, 54 condominiums, 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) of office space, a spa and a 600 car parking garage. The total cost for the project is estimated to be $175 million dollars and is a private investment project of the Soleil Group.[2][3]

The construction project was approved by the Raleigh City Council in November of 2005, but after uneven bedrock conditions were discovered, test drilling of every column location was required causing a year-long delay.[3] The original plan by developers was to build just a hotel, the Westin Hotel Crabtree, but no residences. After additional funding and investors were secured, the Soleil Group decided on building the larger project.[4] The Soleil Center replaces the old Sheraton hotel that was imploded in May 2006.[5] The condominiums, officially called The Westin Raleigh Soleil Center Residences, are priced starting at $1 million and the penthouses at $4.5 million, making the residences the most expensive condos in the area.[3] The Soleil Group has plans to build a second tower, the 18-story Soleil II, that will connect to the current building and offer additional office space.[6]

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