Third Strike

Looking like an Aldi is going to be built at this shopping center. Address is different on this permit, but at the same shopping center but on the opposite end. https://aca-prod.accela.com/CHARLOTTE/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=LandDevelopment&TabName=LandDevelopment&capID1=23LBX&capID2=00000&capID3=00302&agencyCode=CHARLOTTE&IsToShowInspection=

New grocery store is proposed for 9601 North Tryon. This is the shopping center that’s close to the JW Clay Lynx Station and Food Lion. Not sure who the tenant might be: https://aca-prod.accela.com/CHARLOTTE/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=LandDevelopment&TabName=LandDevelopment&capID1=23LDC&capID2=00000&capID3=00110&agencyCode=CHARLOTTE

Yeah, It really does seem like Metropolitan has been struggling for a minute. No one has taken the old Staples space yet (besides the seasonal Spirit Halloween), which is surprising, as I thought Ross was moving there. I also noticed many of the Best Buys in Charlotte got full remodels, except for the Metropolitan location, which makes me question it’s future. Maybe the nearby Pearl District and other development can help with the vacancies.

Please vote for the best park design the county should pick for the Eastland Park: https://publicinput.com/P51002

Can’t say I’m totally surprised. The station was wedged between a neighborhood and car dealership. Accessibility would have been terrible for this station. I do think this station and area would have had a chance if the old Coliseum Shopping Center had been redeveloped as TOD rather than a car-centric development.

I feel like the only way you could force Levine to do something is slapping a land value tax on the parcel.

Yeah, that plan got pulled late last year I believe. This new development is the current rezoning for these parcels.

Apple Pay is rolling out to Kroger and Harris Teeter. https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/15/kroger-fred-meyer-apple-pay/

Do we have any renderings or site plans for the UNCC “Main Street”?

There was a presentation from Virginians for High Speed Rail, hosting the director of NCDOT’s rail division. Lots of info regarding the current and future state of rail in NC/VA: Some notes relating to Charlotte: • 2026 is the year they are aiming for the completion of the Gateway Station • Fourth Piedmont service starting next year • Many projects for the S-Line, between Raleigh and Richmond, are planned or are being currently worked on. Once completed, it would mean quicker and more efficient passenger service for cities along the NCRR • Spoke briefly about the Salisbury-to-Asheville line • On the “Potential Passenger Rail Opportunities” slide, I noticed a new station in Kings Mountain, the P&N as a passenger corridor between Charlotte and Gastonia, and the O-Line (Red Line) from Charlotte to Mooresville • Continued focus on improving rail along the corridor with focus on 110 MPH, grade separations, track improvements, etc. • Not completely Charlotte related, but a Raleigh to Hampton Roads passenger rail is a project that the NCDOT is interested in

Interesting, the newsletter mentions four stops along the line. That’s less than what previous proposals showed. I’m guessing the stops will be Salisbury, Statesville, Hickory and Asheville. I’m also interested in what kind of impact the closure of the Canton paper mill will have on the railroads in WNC. Someone on the Asheville subreddit said that most of the freight trains they saw were typically heading to Canton. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but if it is, I’m curious what that means for Norfolk-Southern and the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad.

Looks like Amtrak is applying for a grant on a study to extend the Crescent line to Dallas/Fort Worth. This would mean the line would run from New York to Dallas, along with various stops in the Northeast and Southeast, including Charlotte: https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-seeks-expansion-of-crescent-section-to-dallas-ft-worth/

Paper mill in Canton is closing. Seems like a major economic hit to the town. https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/35241-canton-mill-will-close-by-summer

Slides on the three Eastland proposals:

Apple Store at Northlake is permanently closing. Another Charlotte area store will open sometime early next year. Bloomberg says it was because of the recent shootings at the mall. https://www.apple.com/retail/northlakemall/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/apple-abruptly-shutters-store-in-north-carolina-after-shootings#xj4y7vzkg

Micro Center is coming to Charlotte. Location will be off South Boulevard, in the Woodlawn Marketplace: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2023/02/23/micro-center-enters-market-south-boulevard-store.html

Regarding the proposed Salisbury-to-Asheville rail line, what kind of speed should we expect on this line? There’s about a two hour drive between the two cities, about 128 miles apart. If we’re talking speeds of 30mph, then it would take four plus hours, not including the stops in the cities between. Likewise, if the new Amtrak line does become a reality, I do hope CATS considers a bus that runs from Charlotte to Statesville, along I-77. Maybe an extension of the planned MetroRapid BRT to the future Amtrak station in Statesville.

Looks like the Asian Corner Market has officially closed: https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/stunned-east-charlotte-asian-market-closes-after-nearly-30-years-business/6R4Z3GM555EHLFBSZCB43EKSPY/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook Has anyone seen any site plans for what’s replacing the mall?

Got the heads up that a new Best Buy distribution center will be opening up in July. It will be located near the Amazon warehouse near the airport, next to the I-85/485 interchange. Best Buy currently has a smaller warehouse located near NC 160 and Shopton, next to I-485. I’m guessing they’ll close this location once the new warehouse is open.

I believe I saw a submission for express lanes in the Triangle area. Might have been for I-40, I-440 or I-540.

For Albemarle Road at least, there are future plans of widening the median from Central Ave to East WT Harris and widening the road to six lanes from East WT Harris to I-485. CATS should work with the NCDOT to preserve and design the median for future transit, like how the new US 74 bridge across the Catawba has space for the Silver Line.

Lake Norman towns explored using Elon Musk’s tunnel company to connect to Charlotte… oh boy: https://charlotte.axios.com/316142/lake-norman-towns-explored-using-elon-musks-tunnel-company-to-connect-to-charlotte/?fbclid=IwAR3uNiWNRYQI_UqgwT_pFy4_khNcZFR3_drdikh0b19wq5LyYivu12wNJ60

The mall has been losing tenants for the past few years and I can only imagine it will continue, especially with shootings like this one. Curious if Apple plans to leave. I wonder if they would consider an Uptown location, or head further north to a location in one of the lake towns.

Can’t see the rest of the article because of a paywall. What’s the third proposal for this site? I completely agree with @kaymanabout the aquatic center, though I do like the tennis court proposal, especially for pickleball. Really wish we someone would consider bringing back a skate park to the site, especially after losing the community-built one.

The ACRW plans to purchase the railroad they’ve been operating on from Norfolk Southern, between Charlotte and Gulf, which is in Chatham County, which is also in the Research Triangle region. I had always assumed that the ACRW had acquired the line from NS a long time ago, so this was surprising news. I don’t think this will have any impacts on our region’s transit plans, but with a direct rail line between two of North Carolina’s largest metropolitan areas soon to be owned by a shortline, I thought this would be worth noting. https://www.railwayage.com/freight/short-lines-regionals/acwr-seeks-to-acquire-nss-piedmont-subdivision/