DILLON SUPPLY CO WAREHOUSE: A STUDY OF PLACE AND CHANGE & SYNTHESIS
“But rather than the hustle and bustle of industrial work taking place, the sound of the passing freighter was simply a reminder of an era long passed. The time of downtown Raleigh’s industrial past has long since come and gone.” – John Morris, Goodnight Raleigh
The Dillon Supply Co. building in the Warehouse District in downtown Raleigh is undergoing a transformation. Once a thriving industrial center, the district has experienced revitalization over the past two decades, making the redevelopment of the Dillon Supply Co. warehouse imminent. Surrounding this site, traces of a lively cultural community are visible in various forms that range from murals and galleries to great food and creative companies. In 2017, the completion of another development will propel this district into a new phase of growth. The Union Station, with construction now underway, will bring hundreds of people into this district everyday by rail, something to which this area is unaccustomed and one of the first things passengers will see when they get off of a train is “The Dillon,” a 17-story, mixed-used development. Currently, piles of bricks and a few intact façades, this construction site represents a conversation between the building’s history and its future self.