A rezoning case seeking an allowance to build up to 30 stories and add more than 900 apartment units next to the future Smoky Hollow Park won a unanimous recommendation from the Raleigh Planning Commission Tuesday.

Why it matters: The rezoning application by Raleigh Development Co. at the intersection of West and Peace streets in downtown has faced pushback from the nearby Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood, which has expressed concerns about reduced sunlight and traffic issues.

• A previous version of this request had been rejected by the Raleigh City Council in 2023.

Driving the news: The planning commission, which gives a recommendation to the Raleigh City Council, heard from supporters and opponents of the plan on Tuesday morning.

• Ultimately, it voted to recommend the project, saying it was consistent with the city's comprehensive plans, especially in relation to transit.

Zoom in: The application by Raleigh Development Co. calls for the project to be split in half, with 30 stories allowed facing Peace Street, but only 20 stories farther back from that street.

• It would also contribute $1.2 million to the city's affordable housing fund if more than 500 units are built on the site and include pedestrian connectivity on the park-facing side of the property.

What's next: The Raleigh City Council will now set a public hearing over the rezoning request in the coming weeks, and a final vote on the rezoning will happen after that.

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The Triangle's booming construction industry is more reliant on foreign-born workers than the country as a whole, according to an analysis of Census data.

Why it matters: President Trump earlier this summer acknowledged that his massive immigration crackdown is "taking very good, long-time workers away from" the farming and hotel industries, and promised changes.

• Yet there's still no major policy decision from the White House, which must balance economic realities with demands to ramp up deportations.

By the numbers: More than 27% of the Raleigh metro area's construction workforce comprises foreign-born noncitizen workers, according to Census data.

• Nationwide, that rate is 17.5%.

Zoom in: With a record amount of apartment construction and homes being built at a fast clip across the suburbs, construction employment has soared in the Raleigh area over the past decade, with nearly 55,000 people now working in the sector.

• That's up from 33,500 a decade ago.

Yes, but: A labor shortage in that industry has caused hourly wages to surge for construction workers in the Triangle, which has in turn made it more expensive to build new homes, apartments and roads.

• The immigration crackdown is making it harder to find workers for contractors and construction firms, WFAE and WRAL have reported in recent months.

Go deeper into how an immigration crackdown could affect North Carolina employers.

🎓 A new program will automatically grant admission to 11 UNC System schools and 29 private colleges to any North Carolina high school senior with a 2.8 GPA who has completed a fourth-level math class. (WUNC)

• Universities participating in the program include Appalachian State, East Carolina, Campbell and Gardner-Webb, among several others.

🏫 North Carolina public high schools will no longer be allowed to fail students because they have too many absences in a class if they have a passing grade in the course. (News & Observer 🔒)

🔊 Parts of Raleigh's ordinance to stop excessive noise levels in the Glenwood South neighborhood were ruled unlawful by a Wake County Superior Court judge. (INDY Week)

🎤 Chase Rice, the country music star and Carolina football alum, will headline the inaugural Chapel Thrill Concert Series on Sept. 1. He'll perform a free pregame concert in front of Wilson Library starting around 6pm, two hours before kickoff against TCU. (UNC)

Ridership on North Carolina's Amtrak rail service continues to grow.

Why it matters: More than 720,000 people rode North Carolina trains in 2024 — a new record.

• The state-supported Piedmont line between Raleigh and Charlotte, which added a fifth daily train trip in 2023, is driving much of the growth.

Driving the news: Train ridership grew by 4% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the N.C. Department of Transportation.

• Stations with the biggest growth in ridership included 13% growth at the Salisbury station, 12% in Burlington and 11% in Kannapolis.
• In the Triangle, Durham's ridership grew by 7%, Raleigh's by 6% and Cary's by 5%.

Zoom in: Between 2022 and 2024, ridership statewide surged 38%, state data show.

What's next: More improvements to the line between Raleigh and Charlotte could be coming.

• Last year, the rail corridor landed $170 million in state and federal funding to allow trains to go faster and face fewer delays from freight traffic.