urban980

The fence could be part of the 2nd tower's grand opening. My guess is that the public relations folks didn't want the place to look like a construction zone.

Hotels tend to cluster together; just look at the area around the Square. Just off the top of my head, there are 4 or 5 different hotels within 2 blocks of Trade and Tryon. A major hotel near the Westin actually makes sense (especially with all of the development we've seen around the Duke Energy Center area over the last 5 years).

The following is now my new favorite shot of Charlotte's skyline. I found it here.

Hopefully it is proposed for some of those ugly vacant lots near Bofa Stadium. That area is worse than the vacant lots near TWC arena. As for South End projects, I must say that I am VERY impressed with Charlotte's effort to bring "real" urban life so close to the LYNX. I was shocked at the level of development going on near the Mecklenburg Area Catholic schools' headquarters in South End. The condos and row houses in this area doesn't even look like "Charlotte". It almost looks like something out of Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I LOVE IT!

^^^Great minds think alike lol. Check my edit above. I was thinking about the Hearst too! The Hearst is "up hill" compared to the Vue. How much difference has that hill made? If the drop from Tryon to Pine is 32 feet, that equates to roughly 10 meters off the height of the Vue (when compared to buildings on Tryon Street).

Sorry if this question has already been answered. Will (has) the Vue reach 200 meters tall? I know it was going to with the help of the two spires, but will it do so without them (the spires)? The reason why I ask this, is because the Vue might be just as tall as the Hearst (201 meters). The Hearst appears to be a taller building than the Vue, however the Vue sits "down hill" from the Hearst. I wonder how much this "down hill" location takes away from the Vue's relative height in the skyline. I ride my bike quite often Uptown, and I would say there is a good 25 foot drop (maybe more) from Tryon to Pine. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yeah, I am surprised that there aren't more pics taken from "da hood" areas of NW central Charlotte. This area has great skyline views. Also, there is a pedestrian bridge over I-77 near Oaklawn. I have not been on this bridge in years, however I am sure that bridge has an awesome skyline view. The only problem is one would have to aim their camera lens through the fence that surrounds the bridge to avoid any obstructions.

Is it just me, or would the Vue make one kicka$$ hotel?

Or the project could have exceeded the $180 million mark 2 months ago and the bank said "you're done, no more money honey". The fact that the developer did away with those million dollar spires was probably an effort to get this project back within the budget. I think the developer knew all along that this project will (or did) go over budget. They "hoped" that high condo sells would help them secure more money from the bank, but the condo sells have been flat for quite awhile I've heard.

Since we are on the topic of parking, would it have killed them (the developers) not to build these massive decks? I understand that Charlotte's culture is dominated by the mighty auto. However, I wonder just how many folks living in the "new urban South End" will own cars? In some cases, these decks are almost larger than the actual condo building. It just seems like a huge waste of money and land IMO. If the deck is only 1/3 full on most days, what are they going to do? Are they going to make it smaller? I doubt it. I personally think developers should build decks as needed. In other words, secure the land for the deck, but only build it when (or if) parking becomes an issue. If parking never becomes an issue, the developer can either further develop the land (or sell the land).

Me thinks Donald Trump could buy this (soon to be foreclosed) building for a steal. He did say it is "cheaper to buy than build". He probably saw this coming with the Vue and simply waited for the storm to arrive.

Good Point!!! I think we sometimes forget that LYNX has tons of TODs that have not come on line yet. When people start moving into these apartments, row houses, and condos in South End; it is going to be CRAZY!!!

You underestimate what trucks carry. Here is a hint. We carry EVERYTHING LOL! As uptown adds restaurants, food distributors (big rigs) will make their rounds into uptown. I haul gasoline. I deliver to the Circle K in 4th Ward and the Petro Express on 3rd and Charlottetowne. Many truckers deliver to places like Subway, Quiznos, and Starbucks (uptown has tons of these). If you get rid of Brookshire, guys like me would be on Graham St. If you get rid of John Belk, guys like me would be on Stonewall. It is just that simple. And don't even get me started on the number of moving trucks (people's furniture) in and out of uptown. Like I said, we haul EVERYTHING!

I am not concerned about the "car" traffic in and out of uptown. I have made it clear in a previous post that trucks (big rigs making deliveries like the one I drive) is my biggest concern. As uptown grows, so does freight deliveries and pickups in and out of uptown. Normal commuters have MANY non-vehicle options into central Charlotte. I myself NEVER drive into uptown for leisure. However, the freight haulers only have roads. It is a bad idea to put trucks onto central Charlotte's grid. I have driven big rigs on central Charlotte's grid. I assume not many of us on UP are local truckers (correct me if I am wrong). Not too long ago, I helped a lost trucker get out of 4th ward because she lacked the experience to make the tight turns. Without a freeway, there will be many more big trucks on uptown streets (not able to make tight turns). Stonewall, 3rd, 11th, and just about every west/east street in uptown will have lots more trucks if we remove any portion of I-277. This is a fact. I am all for urbanity, but building freeways to the burbs (I-485) and then taking a freeway away from the center of town (I-277) is just plain silly. People (urban lovers) poke fun at Atlanta's planning, but let's face it. Atlanta did what had to be done to compete with its suburbs. Do you guys really think Midtown, Buckhead, and Downtown Atlanta would be stronger if they did not have a freeway? Seriously! Urban is one thing, but reality is another. There isn't a "NYC" in the South. Maybe if we had NYC density, things would be different. The fact is we don't. Removing a freeway from uptown (while building freeways in the burbs) will give developers a very clear message. Removing I-277 will be the death of uptown Charlotte (and the rebirth of places like Ballantyne).

After giving it some thought, I am open to replacing the loop with a single west/east connector. However, the cost is still an issue. If we replaced the loop with a single connector road, how wide must that road be to handle the traffic of Brookshire and John Belk? I am starting to get visions of the I-85/I-75 "river" through downtown Atlanta. Do we want that? I certainly don't. I think the EPA standards brought up by another poster is something we all have over looked. Removing a freeway (any freeway) and replacing it with city streets would make Charlotte's air worse. Most cars burn 30% to 50% less fuel on a freeway as opposed to a city street with stop lights and low speed limits. Maybe we should start looking into a Boston styled "big dig"? If the NC turnpike authority takes over the burial of I-277, sold the new land created to the highest bidder, and made it a toll road, we could afford to do this. The questions now are: How much would Charlotte's "Big Dig" cost? How much can we sell the new land for? How much will the tolls have to be to make up the difference? Maybe we should bury the LYNX while we are at it?

I understand your point. However, one of the biggest restraints of engineering is cost effectiveness. Is it more cost effective to cap a portion of the freeway, or remove a portion? I think the engineers have spoken with their CAP plan. It is the most logical solution.

You are correct about Charleston, however I never said the freeway was the cause. The freeway IS an asset. Have you ever driven into Downtown Charleston via US 52? Did you notice all of the traffic lights and urban blight north of Downtown Charleston? I most certainly did. I-26 bring visitors into downtown very quickly. This is what people want. A fast road in and out. I-26 also serves as a major evacuation route during a hurricane threat. The inbound lanes of the freeway are sometimes converted to outbound lanes in a weather emergency. Charleston's downtown freeway is more vital to sustaining downtown than I-277 is to sustaining uptown Charlotte. So you are saying that Charlotte's corporate presence is the "effect" and Charlotte's size is the "cause". Most folks would argue that the corporate presence in Charlotte is the "cause" and Charlotte becoming the state's largest city is the "effect". My question to you is what caused the "cause". The answer is infrastructure, elected officials, and the free market in which we live. Do you not agree with this?

Raleigh has arguably the weakest corporate presence of any downtown (for a city Raleigh's size). If Raleigh is your example of "success", I would much rather see Charlotte "fail". The lack of a direct freeway is one of the reasons why Downtown Raleigh struggles at landing corporations. The North Hills area of the city (I-440 and Six Forks Road) gets the majority of new corporate investment. When it comes to population and business growth, Charlotte's uptown is by far the state's fastest growing. Uptown also has the most freeway exits of any downtown in this state. Coincidence? I think not! Let's not forget that I-26 dumps you off in the middle of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. And we all know what their downtown area looks and feel like. As for Louisville, they are not foolish enough to get rid of their central freeway. They are just getting rid of its MANY ramps (as of now it looks like a bowl of pasta). As for San Fran, Charlotte can do the same thing when we have a rail system like BART and a density of nearly 20,000 people per sq/mi. The reality is that Charlotte still has very low density. Low density areas need roads. Like I said before. When there are 100,000 or more people living inside of I-277, we can then either bury it or remove it. Right now, Charlotte is not at that level. Removing a freeway now will make uptown less attractive to new businesses. Development follows freeway exits. I can not understand why anyone would want to take this asset away from uptown. Cap the southside of the freeway and be done with it. Remove the freeway when Charlotte has real "big city" density. It is just that simple. Great question and an even better post. To answer your question, just take a drive down I-40 from Asheville to Wilmington. Notice the look and feel of the cities with downtown freeways vs. the cities without them. The answer to your question is in your own state.

^^^Awesome pic man!!! I do use your pics quite often when I am "showing off" Charlotte. I give you full credit everytime and I hope you don't mind. Back to the topic, I was thinking of the Plaza Midwood area when I posted about changing the intersections. I used to attend a Catholic School near that pic (Our Lady of the Assumption). The school has since relocated to Shamrock Drive because of the construction that took place awhile back on Independence. Speaking of which, Independence (the new freeway styled Independence) was designed worse than I-277. I remember when Independence and the Morningside area was actually a neighborhood. My mom (R.I.P. ma) and I used to eat at the KFC on the corner of Independence and The Plaza. I think there was a Krispy Kreme there too if I remember correctly. Anyways, I-277 is heavily used by us freight haulers. Places like Presby, CMC, and the Elizabeth area all get a decent amount of local big truck deliveries. Big trucks even deliver into places like Hearst Tower and the Harris Teeter at 5th and Poplar. Getting rid of I-277 would not affect the western side of central Charlotte, but it would hurt the eastern side BIG TIME. I don't want any part of central Charlotte to suffer in the name of "urban progress".

I guess I am in the minority here, but I think it is silly to remove a freeway that MANY truckers (like myself) use to make deliveries into uptown. Again, I am all for urban planning, but putting more people into uptown (and taking away freeway access that freight delivery drivers need to bring these uptown dwellers their goodies) is just plain stupid. I hate to be blunt, but it is what it is. Freight doesn't come into uptown by streetcar and light rail. More people=more freight. Cap the freeway and be done with it. Even NYC has an extensive expressway and parkway system (big trucks are not allowed on the Parkways. I learned that the lesson the hard way). I get so sick and tired of the so called "urban planners" making "boneheaded" decisions that end up costing everyone. I bet none of you ever thought about what taking a freeway away from Uptown would do to the cost of hauling freight into uptown. If the cost of hauling freight into an area becomes too costly, development will go some place else. This is a fact. Thousands of trucks (big, loud, nasty, anti-urban, pollution spewing trucks YUCK!!!) use I-277 a day. OK. Let's just tear up I-277 and put all these bad boys on the city's grid. Yeah!!! That's the "urban" thing to do. It'll be GREAT!!! Nothing like that big truck (that used to have the John Belk) making his way down Stonewall instead to deliver at Midtown. Good idea guys. I like the idea of giving the intersections a smaller footprint. There should not be ANY cloverleafs on I-277. I also LOVE the idea of a freeway CAP. To me, this is the perfect solution.

^^^This is true, but think about the smaller streets leading to I-77. Think about the traffic during the rush hour and special events. I am ALL for urban planning and pedestrian friendly design, but I wouldn't support removing any existing infrastructure. Like I've said, getting rid of infrastructure already in place is a silly mistake Charlotte has made in the past. Everyone thought it was so smart to get rid of Charlotte's old streetcar network. Today, we would "kill" for a streetcar to Dilworth and Elizabeth. I think a cap over the southside of the freeway would be perfect. It would fix an urban mistake and it saves a MUCH needed transportation asset for uptown. Besides, real cities (NYC, Tokyo, Osaka) could easily fit 100,000 people inside I-277. When Charlotte gets to that point, I am all for removing I-277. As for now, 7 times more people work in Uptown as opposed to living in Uptown. Which means the vast majority of Uptown workers and visitors drive in. Knowing this, how much urban sense does destroying I-277 (the one road that carries the majority of this crowd) make? This is why Boston performed the "Big Dig". They knew how important it was to keep their central freeway. If urban Boston saw a need for such a freeway, why on Earth would Charlotte remove such a freeway? Especially when Charlotte can "fix" I-277 at a fraction of what the "Big Dig" cost.

^^^^ You mean the same way MANY cities got rid of their streetcars when it was considered "cool" and "progressive" to have buses instead. I agree, I-277 is a bother (and eyesore) at times when it comes to getting into Uptown, but imagine uptown without it. Think about the thousands of workers, sports goers, and concert goers. Without direct freeway access, Uptown would struggle to move large amounts of people in and out. This could actually hurt uptown in the long run. If a city like Boston saw the need to keep its downtown freeway and spend BILLIONS burying it, Charlotte can certainly cap the southside of I-277 for only millions. One of Charlotte's biggest mistakes (and often repeated mistake) is getting rid of infrastructure that already exists. I say cap the freeway and keep it. We'll be sorry if we destroy any section of it.

Well, Halloween is coming and it would make a GREAT "haunted condo".

In InitialD's photos, a rail line can be seen. Wouldn't it be nice if CATS build a light rail spur to NCMF? I can't imagine nearly 5000 cars trying to get in at once.

Retail and real estate are all about location location location. Metropolitan has a great location. I seriously doubt a Wal Mart (a couple of miles away at that) will make a difference. However, if there isn't a significant increase of development between uptown and Metropolitan, The Met is in trouble. The Nascar Hall is suppose to be the catalyst for such growth in this corridor. Only time will tell. It is interesting that Charlotte does not have any Whole Foods. There were plans for one in Elizabeth, but I have read that they(Whole Foods) have pulled out. Whole Foods is a logical choice for the Met, but I have heard the rumor that some group is trying to keep Whole Foods out of the Charlotte market. If this is true, I wonder if it is the same group that ran Hannaford out of Charlotte. At any rate, Whole Foods should try to set up shop at Met. IMO