**Headline:** Raleigh Residents, Developer Clash Over Proposed 30-Story ‘West at Peace’ Downtown Project

**RALEIGH, N.C.** – A contentious joint development meeting on Monday night at the Halifax Community Center saw Raleigh residents voice strong opposition to the proposed “West at Peace” development, a 30-story mixed-use tower planned for the city. The meeting brought together concerned citizens, city officials including Mayor Janet Cowell and Councilor Jane Harrison, and representatives for the Raleigh Development Company to debate the project’s scale, impact on affordable housing, and the rezoning required for its approval.

The heated discussion centered on the significant height of the proposed building. Roy Attride of Raleigh Neighbors United argued that the tower is out of character with the existing downtown landscape.

“This is just a bad deal all around,” Attride stated during the meeting. “There are only two buildings in the entirety of downtown Raleigh that are this tall.”

Affordability was another major point of contention. Despite a commitment from the developer’s representative, Jason Barron of Morningstar Law Group, to contribute $1.2 million to the city’s affordable housing fund, some residents felt it was not enough to address the larger issue of displacement.

“I think there needs to be way more concern about affordable housing because people who can’t afford to live in the Raleigh area, in the downtown area, are being forced out,” said Raleigh homeowner Matthew Brown.

The meeting also featured emotional testimony regarding the project’s potential impact on local youth services. Justin Dunston spoke passionately about a community space threatened by the development.

“I grew up there; that place saved my life,” Dunston said. “There’s other people who are just like me who will need that. That place is a safe haven for youth, and we need that place.”

Representing the city’s planning perspective, City Planner Matthew Klem presented a case for high-density development in the urban core. He argued that concentrating growth in such areas aligns with Raleigh’s long-term goals.

“From a big picture planning perspective, these are the places where you want to put people,” Klem explained. “It’s where you want to put your future residents.”

The Raleigh Planning Commission is expected to continue its review of the rezoning request for the West at Peace project in light of the feedback from Monday’s meeting. No final decision has been made.