RVA2CLT
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Posts posted by RVA2CLT
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I believe this is discussed in another thread 'Battle of Ballantyne', or something like that, when it got media attention back in 2012.
Ballantyne has been quiet about de-annexation since then, but there is still a grass-roots push down there to do so and conversion into a much larger area of south Mecklenburg called 'Town of Providence' which, funny enough, embraces it's history when the area was referred to as Providence Township circa 1860s.
The group for de-annexation is called SMART 'South Mecklenburg Alliance for Responsible Taxpayers'. Their website is HERE
On a side note..
When I moved to CLT and began working in Btyne in 2011 I couldn't help but wonder how this place came about.
I found this pdf of Ballantyne from 96-06 which has some arial pics of the area when only the road were laid page 11, (page 22 also shows 485 being laid) and the original master site plan page 15 if anyone is interested in taking a look.
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How did that happen? Who said "Yes this all fine, go ahead and build it."
Johnny Harris and Terry Knotts developed Ballantyne Community Master Plan pre 1996 (circa 93-95?)
In 1996 Smokey Bissell acquired the rest of the commercial acreage from Harris and ground breaking for Ballantyne One office building and clearing for the golf course began.
Just some good ole boys, never meaning no harm, beats nothing you ever saw, been suburban office sprawl since the day it was born.
And the rest folks.. is history.
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Hey SouthEnders!! (as well as neighbors, friend and visitors of SouthEnd!)
Next Thursday @ Triple C
CCP wants to hear from those whose ideas, commitment and support will help transform the current trail along the Blue Line into a Linear Park of gardens, public art, unique spaces and activities.
"You'll get started by attending one of three brief staggered sessions in Triple C's brewery where you'll hear about the Rail Trail Vision, the Framework Plan in process, and next steps. Then, you're invited into Triple C's warehouse to experience the Rail Trail like never before. Taste some brews, grub at your favorite food trucks, jam to music, pick up a game of ping pong, mingle with neighbors and contribute your ideas to the Framework Plan."
Come enjoy and participate in shaping the future of the Rail Trail!
RSVP for one of three start times: 6:00, 6:30, or 7:00 HERE
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^yup, Tozmervo shared it in the 'Perception of Charlotte' thread on Jan 29th.
Out of curiosity, why is this posted in the thread for 'Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line'?
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The news made it to an article on the MLS site!
Getting some national attention is always good to see.Also.. some of the comments make a good point that as a regional drawing card, the team have more of a regional name, rather than a Charlotte-centric name.
Therefore I propose '1663 Province Carolina FC'
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Read from QCO post that a couple names floating around where 'Independents' and 'Royals'....
'Queen City Royals' wouldn't be too bad...
But I agree it should something along the lines of Charlotte FC... (just not based on an animal like the NASL Carolina Railhawks)
perhaps.. Queen City FC (QCFC) or dare I say Queen City Utd. -
Sooo stoked to read this yesterday! An actual USLpro team (for profit and non-religiously affiliated) is exactly what I've been wanting here.
Can someone throw me in a cryogenic sleep and wake me up in 2017 when everything is up and going in center city?-
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So looks like no brew-pub, bar or restaurant at the ballpark across from the Romare Bearden.. just Year Round Fro-Yo...
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Keep in mind Ballantyne's office park area is so spread out that it's footprint, mostly acres of open parking lots, is almost the same size as Uptown's inner ring (277 noose/NS line).
Realistically. if you got LRT down there, there would still need to be some sort of 'Ballantyne Circulator Shuttle' that navigates from the LRT Station only around the corporate park for it to be an effective transit solution for working commuters, or an even longer shot, add a Ballantyne Streetcar Circulator that connects with the LRT station.
Either one would need to, at the very least, navigate around the Ballantyne Commons / Ballantyne Corp Place loop, which then still neglects the offices on North Community House Rd (Met Life) and does nothing for the offices North of 485.
Just a LRT stop in Ballantyne would not cut it as the area is too spread-out and a good amount of commuting workers will still end up walking nearly a mile to get to/from their office.
It needs a circulatory counterpart or it's going to be severely under-utilized, especially since Ballantynians usually only go to Uptown on weekends and they drive or take a cab back home, this will not change anytime in the near future.
Again, CATS should just work on the enhancing the current bus service out there.
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My wife and I live in Southend and work in Ballantyne, and have commuted many times via LRT and 43 Bus connection at Sharon Rd Station.
It's a 16 mile drive down 77-485, and takes about 25 mins (30-40 in heavy traffic with no accidents) door to door.
The fastest I can get to work after stepping on LRT/Bus is 1 hour, and that's if I catch the last train to meet the 43 Bus as it's pulling out, no traffic, not too many stops for passengers and stop-lights.
During morning/afternoon rush-hour, there is a bus twice an hour, half hour apart.
During normal service, there is only 1 bus ever hour from Sharon Rd Station to Ballantyne.
The last bus from Sharon Rd to Ballantyne is 8:11pm.. you miss it. call a cab
The last bus from Ballantyne to Sharon Rd Station is 8:50pm.. you miss it. call a cab
So Rail would amazing.... but just enhancing the frequency and availability of the current 43 Bus would go a long way too... again only for the people working in Ballantyne and wanting/needing transit... b/c anyone that lives down here is NOT getting on the bus and are driving right past the 485 park & ride LRT
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Great picture from today's RTD:
I can't believe Richmond ever got rid of it's streetcars!
This makes me sick. There is absolutely no reason we shouldn't have at least one historic streetcar line, even if just for the sake of tourism, running through the slip.
GRTC's BRT study for Broad Street is a joke compared to what this city had and did with it's street rail infrastructure.
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As frequent visitor, fond admirer & hopeful future resident of Savannah I so hope to see this Vision for the 'Canal District' becomes a reality.
Check out the detailed vision plan here
Utilizing the western boundary properties, historic canals and railroad viaduct for active greenway space will do much to help revitalize/redevelop this area and more cohesively connect it to the core historic district so that these areas of Savannah's transportation history become one with the core historic district. This development in conjunction with with the planned/proposed extended streetcar service and arena will be hugely transformative and allow the western boundary to become a destination for locals and visitors. Very exciting.
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just did a quick google for "The Fountains and car breakins". Found them on apartmentratings.com. It seems the car breakins are true. The Fountains removed the back gate, which allows access to anybody. Guests do no have parking on site. Somebody was robbed a gun point. The biggest thing that stood out to me is residents having their cars towed by the front office. Each post other residents have commented as well.
Seems like theres a HUGE mess at The Fountains.
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/NC-Charlotte-Fountains-Southend.html
Regarding car break-ins.... I'm in Mosaic, with gated/secured parking garage only accessible with a key fob and we have had a rash of recent car break-ins, enough so that our leasing office included a notice/warning in the last newsletter. Probably more holiday related as 'targets of opportunity' especially with persons not used to living in Urban environments leaving their daily-used valuable in plain site.. i.e. shopping bags, GPS units, designer accessories, etc. etc.
It's robbery and violent crimes against persons you want to be most concerned with, just keep a watch on that. Otherwise.. that's why you have insurance.
I've had my car broken into in much more rural places than this and also in Dallas b/c I left the face on my stereo and it was a target of opportunity, Progressive let me pick a new deck of equal or lesser value and installed it along with a new window & loaner car while it got done. $100 deductible Love me some Flo.
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^ That's DC's Chinatown! We have the best Spanish, Irish, Japanese, American, Barbecue, Mexican, Indian, and Italian food there. Oh and also like two Chinese restaurants on random side streets. Truthfully though, a restaurant cluster would be a huge draw. There's not much (anything?) beyond Rock Bottom.
You are correct sir!
Whenever we take the redline to the Verizon Center or International Spy Museum (love this place!) we always stroll through Chinatown.
There's always something fun/interesting to see, hear, smell, eat, drink or buy in Chinatown.
Not to mention the backroom Death Rabbit fights!
*extra points if you know the reference for this.
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^^that annnnnnnnnd.... Lets build Chinatown!!
I mean all great cities have one.. right?-
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.. I don't know that I like diagonal parking, would really prefer traditional parallel spots and have slightly wider sidewalks instead, even if there is a big give up in parking, unless you mean diagonal only on the LRT (east side) of Camden, but hopefully they still can run a sidewalk there, as its very annoying how pedestrian unfriendly Camden is on that side currently.
Parking would definitely only be on the east side of Camden, but again it is part of the study. Although, since this development includes a parking deck of 254 spaces, parallel parking space may be a better for that area if any parking at all.
I won't lie, my one personal, and possibly selfish, goal for SouthEnd is to turn into an open container stroll disctrict.
'Tour the breweries of Southend Charlotte without needing to leave your brew at the bar!'... awww yeah!
Southend is practically already an open container stroll district on Panther Game Day, so lets just treat everyday in Southend like a Panther Game Day!
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I'll give Gains Brown about another 2 years before he sells out or develops the food truck lot.
Once Camden West goes up and has retail, and this spot goes up, that will be the last plot of open real-estate on Camden to develop.
The neighborhood association and CCP plans are for Camden to be a the shopping & stroll district/heart of SouthEnd.
In conjunction with the plan, there is a Southend parking study that just came back and there is also a study to turn Camden into a one-way street (toward uptown) with diagonal parking spaces and more pedestrian/bike friendly treatments as well as even allowing curbside parking on Tryon, with parking signs, during the weekends and after after rush hour during the weekdays to make it more convenient to stop and shop. -
"Hey that looks like my building!" said everyone renting an apartment in Southend.. ever...
How long does it usually take to re-develop redevelopments?
Note: This snarky response was based on mis-information provided by ricky_davis_fan_21. Regardless, I still stand by the truthiness of this response.
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anyone want to buy this and see where these mine shafts are? http://nc-maps.stores.yahoo.net/ncopre20oldg.html
From the looks of that cover shot it appears there may be a mine shaft on one of those cleared lots for the pipe foundry. There's your 'mine exhibit site right there if the.. *insert organization here* could manage to hornswoggle the land back
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quote from out-o-towner in 2016... 'So I can ride the Lynx Gold Line to the Gold District right?'
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^^All good, I must say that CLT news travels fast In NYC.
The mines intrigue me as they were the first 'historical' aspect of CLT I discovered when moving here. Being from RVA, I love discovering the layers of history that can be peeled back in a city.. and for CLT this is about as historically intriguing as it's going to get I think.. -
Looks like local business finally want to publicly address Charlotte's gold mining history by carving out a 'Gold District' in that part of South End.
CBJ Article here Thoughts and opinions? -
Gaaah that's absolutely disgusting!
Let's take it to them and let them know what a POS design this development is becoming.
Blast em here folks: http://www.nwrliving.com/contact-us/ This shall NOT pass!! -
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I just wanted to share this to illustrate how fast a 'first phase' of Gateway could be built if NCDOT & local support got fully behind it.
Norfolk VA, - Amtrak began service from downtown Norfolk last December 2012; this marked the return of intercity passenger rail service to the city for the first time since 1977.
At a cost of $3M, a newly built Amtrak station will open today; it began construction in February 2013 and includes the following features:- 3,500 square foot station.
- The building includes a ticket counter, a waiting room & bathrooms.
- The platform will be 725 feet long and partially covered with canopies.
- The station, just near Harbor Park, will be looked at as a potential multi-modal station in the future to include rail, light rail, bus, cab, and ferry services.
This is a great model to the beginning development of the Multi-modal station Norfolk is looking towards building-out in the future.
I feel it would a great way for Gateway's Multimodal station to get off the ground by develop in phases, so we could actually see Intercity rail service in the heart of Crowntown by mid-decade. Just get the trains arriving/departing in center city with a station that is comfortable but will be expanded and built-on as rail services and ridership increases.
I know it's not a fair comparison.. and there is a lot of physical rail work to do here as well as NS ROW schedule/usage requirements ... but.. it's just look what can be done in less than a year with a single new train service being added!
and here we are... just waiting, with no real plans to move forward... only more 'studies' ahead.. and still with a slight metallic taste in our mouths from the NS/CSX grade separation that will not happen partially thanks for the leadership and planning capabilities of NCDOT.
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Ummmmmm
The mines intrigue me as they were the first 'historical' aspect of CLT I discovered when moving here. Being from RVA, I love discovering the layers of history that can be peeled back in a city.. and for CLT this is about as historically intriguing as it's going to get I think..
Charlotte Photo of the Day
in Charlotte
Posted
awesome yet kind of heart breaking... So many early 20th century 2/3 story brick buildings If only more could've survived urban renewal.
I would all love to have back as small businesses, bars cafes, shops etc scattered in between the vertical glass, steel and concrete of today.