TotalLamer
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Posts posted by TotalLamer
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As far as what traffic they might be expecting? It's hard to say. Charlotte itself of course is becoming more and more of a "big deal". Right now, the only intermodal train that leaves Charlotte and is crewed by Charlotte guys (the intermodal to Greenwood doesn't run with Charlotte crews) is the one to Florence, but I've heard from some of the guys that have been around longer than me that at some point an intermodal from Charlotte to Wilmington was being discussed. I've also heard from some other guys that CSX has been considering moving some of the traffic that runs through Greenwood to the Charlotte route. Who knows how true that is. Rumor is RIFE on the railroad pretty much all the time... and only a few things ever become reality, so who knows.
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You're most likely correct about #1. I've been furloughed for awhile so I haven't caught the most recent news, but there is a good reason CSX spent so much money improving Pinoca Yard this past year. I'm not sure if you've been down Rozzles Ferry recently, but the yard lead all the way down to the 85 bridge is now double-tracked and Charlotte has signals for the first time ever, all the way from Freedom Siding to the far side of Pinoca Yard. Last I heard, their next plan is to put in signals nearly the entire way to Monroe and add a siding at Matthews. If they're putting all this work in, they're doing it for a reason... I'd presume a lot more traffic is expected, so it makes sense they're designing with eventual double main line in mind.
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The bakery on N. Tryon across from UNCC is going to be demolished as a result of the median widening. They were just on the news. They are not happy. At all.
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Crane is on the ground over at the new Gateway West Apts. It's a big sucker too, how many stories was this thing supposed to be? The foot print is much larger than I anticipated.
When I used to live over at Ten05 W. Trade, I remember the rendering on the fence by the construction site seemed to show most of the complex being 4-5 stories, with a smaller section being an ~8 story tower.
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No I wouldn't rather. I love what was done with Alpha, Highland, etc and generic dribble like some examples even in NoDa is the last thing I would want. This will be equally great to the other mills and the neighborhood will get what it wants. Great, the neighborhood wins. Except that it is a tremendous waste of money for the token affordable units that will be drop in the bucket of need for affordable housing in Charlotte. That money and the rest that Escapist referred to can go a lot further for ground up is all I'm saying.
And Esacpist you are right; it hasn't been used and that's a shame. The reason is because more neighborhoods in Charlotte aren't like NoDa. The majority have the "not in my back yard" mentality. Kudos to NoDa for welcoming it. Groups like Charlotte Housing Partnership and even CHA are having a hard time finding sites they can be allowed to build and put that money to use.
Are "workforce housing" and "affordable housing" and "Section 8" all the same thing?
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No money is free, but it was waiting on affordable housing to be put to use. I think the insanity of it being applied to this project becomes clear when you look at how much it is going to cost to fit these units into buildings that are falling apart. Then the amount of money spent for the up keep. That 1.25 mil could have been more efficiently applied to ground up construction. But the NoDa residents that have been living here for 5 years are nostalgically attached to these mills that shut down 25 years ago, and council members need their votes, ergo 1.25 mil (which is about the price TCB paid so they are basically just giving them the land for free).
So, no Whistle Stop, you're not alone. I am glad for the eventual result in that we won't have these buildings falling into the ground anymore, but not particularly happy about how it's going down. TCB is gaming the city expertly to make up for their mistake in paying too much for the land and the city is going along to make up for their mistake in misleading the bidders.
You'd seriously rather have 1.25m built on some form of generic, from scratch, stick-built apartments rather than converting these buildings that actual have some semblence of history and character? Both things Charlotte lacks greatly.
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Approval last night for $1.25 M from the city for TCB. They were able to miraculously find a way to do it for half of what they originally asked for! Ha ha. It is basically just the city paying them to move forward and forget that the city misled the bidders. If I were one of the other bidders I would have something to say about this...
Well, in the end it is a great thing for the neighborhood and I hope it can make the wheels turn. The neighborhood turned out in support and that's what makes our neighborhood so great; it's active.
This is great news. There would be no greater shame than letting those buildings waste away.
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Interesting to see the P&N extension tying into the station.
Highly unlikely. Currently, the P&N is only in service from Pinoca Yard down to the BlueLinx lumber yard. There is a derail there and everything further, heading towards Cedar and Freedom, is out of service and has been for a few years now. Also, the track that IS still in service is just abysmal. It's scary going down there to work the few industries that are left.
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It's a theme park, not city blocks in the heart of a city pushing 2m people, that was part of the city plan in the 1700s and populated for 200 years and for 100 years had brick industrial warehouse buildings that are perfect for adaptive reuse to interesting restaurants and clubs.
Enter Daniel Levine: wrecking balls and asphalt paving trucks. I think we know what is soulless.
Except you said he was talking about Disneyland Main Street... which has none of that soul or history.
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Did anyone else notice that he praised Disney for EPCOT while also knocking Magic Kingdom Main Street for being soulless? At any rate, his plan to develop the periphery of his land first could be a strategy to wait for increased demand and therefore increased density closer to the core of Uptown, but I have a feeling he is really biding his time until he can sell that land in a few years for a huge windfall.
I wouldn't say he's wrong. Main Street IS soulless... especially at it's time, it was a bunch of brand new buildings dressed up to pretend as if they were period... trying to evoke the sort of "personality" people like in places like NoDa without actually having any history at all. That defines soulless.
Whereas Epcot is at least true to itself, whether or not you happen to enjoy modernist stuff. Personally I do. I love looking at pics of Brasilia and that sort of thing.
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Yeah, there is a rendering for it in their rezoning. It's a standard modern vet building, but since it's my vet I know first hand it is in need of new facilities.
On the plus side, it will at least rid us of another horrid vacant lot.
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Would be nice, except the ADM plant is no longer planning to relocate.
From what I've heard our yard Trainmaster saying (I work for CSX), they're looking at options to either increase car capacity directly at the ADM mill on their tracks or perhaps building out Tryon Yard a bit more. So no, sounds like they're not planning to go anywhere anytime soon. I'm actually on the job that works that plant and ADM's sugar / corn syrup place a little farther down the line next week, heh.
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Now I'm no newbie to Charlotte (been here since 89) but I can't really remember what ever used to be in that HUGE empty area where Cedar Street dead-ends at Morehead... they've recently put up some rather nice looking black fencing and landscaping around the vast emptiness... is there a plan for something to go here? Did something used to be here?
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In the vicinity of Alpha Mill, the BLE will under 11th and Brookshire, across 12th, then up and over CSX (retained fill and short bridge), landing back down across 16th. You can zoom-in on the aerial and profiles of the BLE plans (see 9th to 25th PDF map):
http://charmeck.org/...gnmentMaps.aspx
In the vicinity of the ADM Plant, the CSX will go under NCRR and future Red Line. The limits of the new trench will be Church Street to Hamilton Street. You can see visuals for that project online here (see map on slide 12):
http://www.mumpo.org.../Rail/CRISP.pdf
Interesting... how old is that slideshow? It would be -so- nice if that grade crossing was seperated. If anything it would make servicing ADM there a lot less of a hassle, as it currently is. I know one of the mentioned projects is already complete, although it's not really an "expansion" of the CSX Intermodal facility... more of a streamlining. The new track is finished and they may have turned the signals on this week, not sure.
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(mainly because you can't see the back of Garrison from it).
Seriously... what were they thinking with this? I hate to go on a tangent, but never before have I seen a building where two sides look beautiful (I love the old-warehouse-turned-lofts look, even if it's a new building) and the other two sides are absolutely hideous the way the Garrison has turned out.
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It's going to be so nice to walk down from Latta Arcade and NOT see it open out onto those hideous surface-level parking lots stretching out to the horizon.
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Is the Blake Hotel opening up a rooftop bar? I noticed that there's now a canopy attached to the stariwell/elevator tower on the roof and railings around the entire rooftop section of the tallest of the two buildings. Anyone know anything about this?
No idea... but I really wish those buildings down there would get a thorough renovation. The two hotels and the government mid-rise... all three are HIDEOUS structures.
I don't understand why people still build stucco high-rises. They NEVER look good. EVER.
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Unfortunately, due to the physical constraints of going under I-277 and over CSX, it's very impractical to locate a station between 10th and 16th Streets for Alpha Mill.
In development news, the corner of Pecan and Commonwealth is seeking a building permit. Add the site on Central beside DQ (also in permitting) and the Plaza-Midwood area is quickly joining the urban apartment boom.
On a somewhat related note... just HOW do they plan to deal with the (pardon my French) clusterfudge of highway and rail as you head north past Alpha Mill? I work for CSX and riding along the line towards Tryon Yard as it stands now... I just don't see how it's going to fit through there. Are they going to have an elevated portion over the CSX main line where the Southern crossing used to be and then parallel the NS like they do down south around the Cargill plant?
On a totally unrelated note, if anyone's interested, word is that CSX is -still- considering tunneling their main line under the Big Southern Crossing at Interstate Mills. Can't imagine how that would work, but it'd be nice.
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I just have to say... I live in an end unit at the Ten05 W. Trade complex direcly beside where Gateway West is going up... and I'm glad my lease is up at the end of July, haha. Construction noise is horrific... and it won't be done for another 2 years!
Charlotte Gateway Station and Railroad Improvements
in Charlotte
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One thing to note though is that doublestacks can't fit under CSX's bridge over the Catawba. Granted, that bridge is in desperate need of replacement anyway, so perhaps that's in the cards.