AuLukey

We stayed at a Marriott in DC this past week and found something unexpected; as soon as you turn on the tv in your room there is a Marriott video loop highlighting the innovations that take place in their Charlotte (no NC) City Center location. They call it “M Beta” and they really hype up Charlotte in both the video and on their website for the hotel. Here’s a little bit from their site: “Charlotte has undergone dramatic growth over the past decade, and we are right in the middle of it all. Charlotte Marriott City Center breaks the mold of hotel innovation trends with a whole new way of thinking. The evolving Charlotte community has brought an influx of entrepreneurs and businesses that embrace change, making it the ideal location for our innovation hotel. Part showcase, part lab and all hospitality.” I can’t say for sure, but I feel like this same video probably plays in every Marriott in the nation (if not the globe.) https://www.marriott.com/hotel-info/cltcc-charlotte-marriott-city-center/m-beta/22umtoc/home-page.mi

They could have used spread out pavers or grid/checker pavers with moss in between; would have held up to foot traffic and grown without much sun. I honestly don’t expect this to be a high traffic area, it doesn’t connect anything. So I highly doubt there is a need for artificial turf over low-light-requiring ground cover. There is, however, sustainable/responsible turf out there that also looks pretty convincing. And, due to the lack of water/chemical needs, it actually helps buildings reach LEED certification. So, yes, urban heat is a problem. But this small patch is not going to have an effect; it won’t get sun, so it won’t reflect the heat. Not to poke the bear, but the real problem contributing to our heat island is the asphalt roads and parking lots, not this.

See what you’ve done?...

I’ve always wondered what the fudge that was. I just assumed it was some kind of urban fire preparedness/training tower.

“Only”... sigh

Forgive the terrible picture. But I’m glad they’re covering the open parts of the deck. This is awesome looking in person. I wish this is what they would do with the deck at 230 South Tryon.

New Orleans

Up up and away! These hotel rooms are gonna have a killer view though.

Man, Tryon Place is such a letdown. I can’t believe how insignificant it is from this angle. You think the RNB tower will still poke out behind the finished crowd at LU?

I use the turnpike every time I head down to south Florida and the interstate tolls lanes in Atlanta and Miami. They each have their merits, but I feel like a separate toll road would have been much less polarizing than using the space on a previously un-widened I-77. The issue is the “why not me” problem. Every other interstate and major highway in Charlotte has been widened with free lanes while Northern Meck remained congested. When it finally became their turn, it seems like they got the shaft. I found this graphic on highway creation and widening in Charlotte. It’s obviously skewed, but it does a decent job of explaining the point.

Speaking of cheeses, now it’s just time for that road to go on a diet.

R.I.P., my favorite art in Uptown

I really hope it’s in the plans to have highway polls dividing the toll lanes from the free lanes. A solid white lane does nothing to prevent people from diving in and out. Sure, laws; but how often does this happen with HOV lanes already? They’re proven to reduce crashes and improve traffic flow. Example: South Florida I-95 http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article168641872.html

I both love and hate this idea. I love the fact that this won’t just be an empty building anymore. But I absolutely hate that this shopping center has about zero percent engagement with Tryon. I wish that either this was a teardown, or the parking lot was replaced with a deck wrapped by office/retail/res so that it had meaningful purpose while also engaging with the vision for that area. Sure, keep the building and use it for office, but place replace some, or all, of the parking lot. I also noticed the other day how insanely diverse the Boardwalk area is. By diverse I’m of course describing the occupancy rates. Everything on the south side of the lake is full to the brim and bustling with pedestrians, while the north side, where there’s an Office Depot and pretty much nothing else anymore, is a ghost town that just serves as parking for the lake and Chick-fil-A. It’s unreal.

That actually makes it easier for a developer to swoop in. “Hey, let me buy that land from you for a reasonable price and I’ll reserve parking and build meeting/community space for you as part of the development.”

You’re a day late for April Fools

Already making a pretty decent impact on the skyline from the north(westish)

Going off topic for a second here. I believe I read in the CO a month ago that the city is going to cut down all of the Bradford pears that line the streets in Charlotte and replace them with something hardier over the next few years. I think the upkeep was getting too costly and they were becoming a danger to cars and pedestrians. And, while this was greenspace, I never really found it all that inviting. To me, it just looked a good place for a homeless camp.

I will defend DD, just not their donuts. I’m a big fan of their coffee and their breakfast croissants if you’re in a hurry. Definitely better than KK in that regard. As for donuts, it’s not even a contest. There was a stand-alone KK in downtown Sydney a decade or so ago. Not sure if it’s still there or not. It was right at the transfer spot for two of my busses. Warmed my heart (and maybe my stomach a few times) every time I saw it.

I’ll second that opinion. For now, until the line is extended, riding the Gold Line is pretty useless. If we notice a train is waiting to disembark under CTC we’ll hop on it to grab a bite to eat up by Presbyterian Hospital. But unless the train is about to arrive, we usually just walk back to uptown, never being passed by a train the entire time. It’s just as quick to walk, if not quicker. I see it as a cute attraction that is really only convenient if you get there right as the train arrives. That, and it’s convenient for those that are physically unable to walk that distance. Once the line is extended and updated with faster, more frequent vehicles, then I could see it being a valid mode of transit worthy of being advertised on the Blue Line. Edit: I think it is a bit of a waste that, since they are updating the maps on the trains anyway, they may as well include the gold line (and draw dotted lines for the future segments.) Just to make people aware. I’ve seen this done on maps for pretty much every other rail system I’ve been on.

I don’t understand why a round trip ticket doesn’t count for the deck.

Okay now THAT really doesn’t make sense. Why would the machines only collect between 3 & 6? I know back when I was a wee lad at Charlotte I was usually getting out of my MonWed(Fri) lectures at 1 or 2 and my TuesThurs lectures at about 6. How many students end their school days between 3 and 6 these days? If anything, I feel like only collecting between those times would only discourage commuters getting to the station around 530, not students trying to skip parking fees. Am I wrong? Do most classes end during these times now?

I believe this was discussed a LONG time ago and I think the verdict was Harris at JW Clay at the time. Eastbound Harris has 7 lanes if you’re including turn lanes, Westbound Harris has 6 lanes, McCullough has 4, and JW Clay has 5. Not sure if that is still the current record holder anymore.

A couple observations from riding the entire length of the line Saturday: 1. As many have mentioned, a lot of areas look incomplete or forgotten about. It definitely feels like they rushed to finish to make sure they didn’t have to push out the opening date again. 2. The area between Sugar Creek and Old Concord Road is yeeeash. I actually overheard a few people mention “no way would I ever get off at this (Sugar Creek) stop!” I know a lot of areas on the original line weren’t developed at the time, but this portion of the line looks pretty hopeless. 3. Nobody seems to know how to board public transit. I think CATS really is just lacking proper markings on the platforms. There needs to be lines and arrows so people know where to stand to board and where not to stand as not to be in the way of departing passengers. Plenty of other mass transit lines around the country have clearly marked indicators to make it easier for people to understand. 4. The “do not stand here zone” at the edge of platforms should probably also include those words. Too many people had to be continually ushered away from the edge. 5. Of the three trains that we rode on throughout the day, only one had an updated map. 6. Opening on the same weekend as the NCAA tournament, the parade, and the bar crawl may have made the line look extremely successful; but I got the impression that the overcrowded cars and stations turned a LOT of people off to the idea of ever using the light rail again. 7. People actually think “light” rail means it is solar powered and, therefore, that is why it is called Lynx, not light rail... I overheard a middle aged gentleman explaining this to a group of people. It took every last iota of my patience not to correct him for the betterment of society. 8. People. Are. Asshats. Not all people, but just enough to ruin a good thing for everyone else. My two friends and I are riding back to the beginning of the line, we sit in the seats that face each other; we have two king-sized pillows, a shopping bag, and a purse. We leave enough room for someone else to sit with us if they’d like, someone eventually does. Well, this woman on the other side of the aisle sits in the aisle seat, puts her feet up across to the other seats, and then proceeds to act like she’s asleep every time more people would board the train. A couple said something, she ignored them. This went on for about seven stops before a lady, who had two kids with her, just kept tapping her on the leg until the woman finally moved her legs with an over-the-top eye roll and sigh. Then she puts her purse on the seat next to her; so the kids had to sit on the same seat together with their mom... People blow my mind sometimes. Sorry, that’s a LOT more than I meant to type!

I don’t mind the box in this instance. As@dubone said, they need space for an amenity deck, so unless they purchased the air rights over part of the existing deck (which would be preferable IMO,) the flat top is unavoidable. They could have done some screening on the 77-facing side to give a little more texture/depth at the top, but that’s about it. So sure, the squareness could’ve been played off a bit better, but, given the limitations, they get a pass. Tryon Place, however...