Raleigh looks to the trees to brighten downtown and improve a major corridor
Fayetteville Street’s trees are getting a bright makeover with new lighting meant to make downtown sparkle.
The Downtown Raleigh Alliance installed white LED lights on the 88 trees that line Fayetteville Street between Memorial Auditorium and the Capitol.
“It will certainly improve the aesthetics of the street,” CEO Bill King said. “We think it will make it a lot nicer place to walk, which will then generate more commerce, generate more businesses for our small businesses and hopefully bring more visitors down here.”
Installation began in early June and should take two weeks, depending on the weather. The lights will turn on at dusk, remain on after the bars close and turn off before the sun rises.
The lights are privately funded by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and King declined to say how much they cost.
“It’s our business community in downtown showing its investment in the public realm,” he said. “We want to encourage investment in our public spaces downtown, including Fayetteville Street, but this is a way that we’re showing the business community is putting in money to help improve this area.”
The lights will wrap around the trunks and some larger branches, but will stay out of the canopy to prevent any damage to the trees, which are highbeam overcup oaks planted when the street was reopened to cars in 2006.
“We’ve worked closely with the city arborist on all that, so we’ve been given clear guidance on how we do this in a way that protects the trees,” King said, adding the lights will come off once a year to trim and maintain the trees.
Fayetteville Streetscape Plan
The corridor between Memorial Auditorium and the Capitol has struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic and rise of remote work.
In addition to the new tree lighting, the city is updating its streetscape plan, which outlines rules for landscaping, lighting, public art and pedestrian improvement. The $500,000 project was included in a detailed plan to improve Fayetteville Street, that also made recommendations on issues such as public restrooms and more space for outdoor dining.
One of the state’s largest restaurant groups opened Birdie’s Barroom & Kitchen on Fayetteville Street last year. Representatives of LM Restaurants said in a 2024 interview that the city’s center is on the rebound, The News & Observer reported.
“We’re very excited about creating a warm and inviting atmosphere to what I consider to be the main street of North Carolina,” Chris Moutos, with LM Restaurants corporate affairs, said in an interview Monday. “I think that creating a sense of assembly and congregation is an asset to our city, but especially to our city core which is the heartbeat of Raleigh.”
The city will hold a drop-in open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 16 at the City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville St. to share feedback about the future of Fayetteville Street.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Raleigh looks to the trees to brighten downtown and improve a major corridor."
