[Charlotte Photo of the Day]

Took a short day trip into uptown the other day. I have to say the coast live oak at Ally Center looks like it'll pull through, barring some exceptional freezeout in the next few months. Also it seems the Carolina Theatre is still coming together, despite everything? We had some truly good luck as far as buildings that were funded and started before COVID changed the world.

I still think the Liz Hair nature walk is a golden asset for the city and I will die on that hill.

P.S. I think the Ratcliffe on the Green retains the title of my fave residential building anywhere in the QC. So magnificent.

[Misc. Uptown Projects/News]

2 hours ago, nicholas said:

Everyone is so freaking paranoid about literally everything.  Can't take a picture of some building because it's a national security issue.  Can't go to a climbing center without signing your life away.  Can't go into a restaurant without proof of vaccination.  Etc.  I'm not saying we should all be running around willy nilly doing whatever comes to mind, but there are way too many people obsessed with covering their a$$es and minimizing anything unpleasant happening to them (no matter how unlikely) that we're all forgetting how to just live.  Rant over.

On a more related note, I have been told by security in North Hills not to take pictures of buildings due to "branding".  Sorry but this does not make any more sense than "terrorism".  Someone please explain to me how preventing photography minimizes terrorism.  There are pictures of every company's buildings all over the internet, and Google Earth lets you pinpoint exactly where every building is in each city, and usually will let you toggle around in a 3D view.  I find it hard to believe that a terrorist trying to blow up a building is going to conspicuously be taking pics of it.

I agree about the first two of those, but vaccination is headed towards being *rightfully* mandatory. As I type this my aunt is in a hospital, intubated, and has been given a 20% chance to live. She is unvaccinated. This pandemic is historic and horrific and bears no meaningful resemblance or similarity to overcaution about taking pictures, because photos aren't a contagion.

There, I've said my off-topic yet personal piece. Resume.

[Charlotte Weather]

6 hours ago, JRNYP2C said:

And just like I heard Brad Panovich say the other night, this is all going to flow downhill, so be prepared for the Catawba and South Fork to rise over the next several days!  Stay safe!!

If there's one saving grace for us (which sadly doesn't help those in the mountains and what they're dealing with) it's that the Eastern Continental Divide which runs all down the Blue Ridge divides up the watersheds. About everything in the light pink there and west will flow towards the Mississippi, not our local rivers. Everything east of there though will definitely have to make its way down the Yadkin, Catawba, Broad rivers etc.

Also it's odd that the text in that rain total map says Hurricane Frances, and the wrong year as well.

[Charlotte Weather]

I have to say, as a resident of Gastonia who works in Stanley and had to drive home through the final squall line, this was no joke, no matter how paltry totals were in the central and eastern QC metro. I have NEVER driven through rain that hard in my life, and I've been in 6-hour downpours in the mountains that registered double-digit inch totals. I couldn't see two feet in front of my windshield at any time.

If we were abnormally dry in any way before, we sure aren't now. 

[Villa Heights Projects]

On 4/12/2021 at 7:26 AM, Urban Cowboy said:

No. A/C screening (lack thereof) looks the same. And looks terrible.

Damn, that's unfortunate. Well I won't hold my breath on if it gets built more quality-rich,  but at least they're saving a historic property and making some unique living quarters for the new tenants. :/ I'm a hopeless optimist that way.

[Villa Heights Projects]

Any updates, esp. of a photo nature, on the Parkwood Church Apartments? This is one of the coolest repurposed properties IMO in all of Metrolina. Have they progressed on the AC screening, and if so, does it look as tasteful as in the renderings?

[Charlotte area population statistics]

The biggest problem with Gastonia is that its CBD/ downtown is incredibly piecemeal, and not well-activated in the majority of blocks. Yes, it's made some great strides in the past few years, revitalizing the area near the courthouse, but at the end of the day it suffers terribly from this AND its poor connectivity to Charlotte (I-85 loses a lane before it even gets CLOSE to central Gaston, and anyone who's taken the Sloans Ferry Bridge that carries 74 across the Catawba knows it is a *scary* piece of road and in no way a fostering agent for growth).

Given Belmont's raw proximity to Meck, and its great work w/ revitalization in the past 20-some-dd years, i don't see it being impossible at all that Belmont becomes the next powerhouse of Gaston and might absolutely pass Gastonia in population. it won't be tomorrow, or next year, but it's definitely a place to watch.

[Charlotte area population statistics]

6 hours ago, krazeeboi said:

For one, the presence of the Catawba River is a big reason. This article sums it up pretty well. An excerpt:

Why not put the new settlement on the river? Well, the river was miles from the trading path, and - worse by far - not a navigable passage for trading craft...

“The river was of negligible importance - until James Buchanan Duke figured out how to dam it up,” said Hanchett. When the company that would eventually become Duke Energy began building dams to supply textile mills with hydroelectric power in the early 1900s, it kicked off a major economic boom. And as Duke grew, so did the dams and lakes, until the biggest, at Cowans Ford, established Lake Norman in the early 1960s. 

The dams created huge bodies of water near Charlotte that were now available for recreation and lakefront homebuilding, including Lake Norman, Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake. Duke owned much of the waterfront, and its subsidiary Crescent Resources (since spun off, and now Crescent Communities) developed much of that land into luxury subdivisions like The Sanctuary at Lake Wylie. Most of the waterfront near Charlotte has thus remained in private hands with limited public access points, with the exception of a few areas such as Lake Norman State Park. 

Another reason Charlotte can feel disconnected from the water is the way the city’s airport grew and effectively blocked a lot of development from moving west. The least developed part of the county now is the stretch of land between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the river, most of which is still forested or farmland and looks like it’s from another decade (There were goats wandering one of the roads the last time I drove through there). Most of the land still doesn’t have sewer lines, another major roadblock to development.

Add to this the relative lack of east/west road connections between Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, the western portion of I-485 being the last to get built, and the move to conserve land in the Catawba River Basin starting in the early 90's that gave birth to what is now the Catawba Lands Conservancy; because of its efforts, nearly 17,000 acres of land within the vicinity of the river in NC is preserved, with a nice chunk being located in eastern Gaston County.  

Also Gaston County has historically had the largest textile industry within a textile-rich region which made it a bit more economically independent than other surrounding counties--which also means it got hit a bit harder with the decline of the industry, especially without any other sizable industries, institutional anchors, or spillover economic growth from Mecklenburg to help cushion the blow.  York and Lancaster counties have the advantage of being located in SC and the ability to leverage differences in costs and regulatory structures with NC to lure jobs and residents, which is made easier by their proximity to I-485 early on, Ballantyne, and Lake Wylie; York County also has Winthrop as an institutional anchor. Union County benefits from proximity to booming, affluent southeast Charlotte and the earliest segments of I-485 to open. Cabarrus County was able to capture spillover growth from University and build upon that, especially with respect to retail, as well as the Speedway and motorsports industry. Iredell County attributes its growth to Lake Norman, the motorsports industry, and Lowe's HQ.  Gaston is at a relative disadvantage with western Mecklenburg being the last frontier for development in the county due to land use patterns and lack of infrastructure, so there's no type of spillover Gaston could've benefited from due to increasing development on the other side of the county line (which resulted in more undeveloped land near the Catawba River that could be more easily put into conservation). Aside from that, it doesn't have the motorsports presence, a legacy corporate headquarters like Lowe's, or a sizable university like Winthrop to help drive growth (Belmont Abbey is nice, but rather small). 

Obviously things have changed within the past 10+ years as bordering counties get more crowded and congested in the parts closest to Mecklenburg and folks have realized how nice places in eastern Gaston (Belmont, Mount Holly) are, plus you have I-485 attracting more development to west Mecklenburg like the Whitewater Center, the outlet mall, the Amazon facilities.  With the development of the River District, expect Gaston County to eventually look just like the other bordering counties. 

This is a really good synopsis of exactly why Gaston's development has been so different (and less) than Cabarrus, Union etc. I was born and raised in Stanley, and honestly it's just within the past year or two that I've seen noticeable acceleration in growth. Without major engines or drivers like Winthrop, HQs and so on, it took people discovering how pleasant and quiet these communities are (AND lower costs of living therein) to finally kick off meaningful explosions in economy and population.

Belmont and Mount holly have hit a good stride with booming suburban growth, and Belmont will one day be larger than Gastonia, maybe in my lifetime. Stanley and Dallas are starting to feel their own booms, adding housing and infrastructure. Bessemer City and Cherryville will likely maintain their small-town, non-suburban character for the rest of my natural life, but who knows about afterwards. we're finally seeing Gaston and Meck try to grow together. Time will tell.

[Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network]

One underrated aspect of this finally opening is that UNCC, CPCC and Johnson C. Smith will be linked by mass transit, and permanent lines too (not changeable like bus routes). It won't mean much for older residents but for the collegiate set I see it helping social- and connectivity-issues. Especially once COVID is fully squashed.

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

2 hours ago, j-man said:

I really hope all that space in front towards the streets is a unique outdoor space and not just concrete slabs. There need to be more greenery instead of the treats planted to line the streets. 

One thing I wish was planted more often in urban environments is Chinese Wisteria. So long as it's surrounded by sidewalks and streets its penchant for being out-of-control is eliminated (nowhere to spread), and not only are the flowers in Spring absolutely gorgeous AND fragrant, but the leafing habit is handsome in its own right the rest of the growing season.

The only big drawback in my eyes is the tenderness of the flower buds when young. One good frost will often knock down the blooms in Gaston county and other points west or north of the city.

[Charlotte Photo of the Day]

Southend's midrises are a breath of dense air among sparse southern neighbourhoods.

I'm so proud of Charlotte, it's built some truly urban fabric in the 33 years I've existed.

[Belk Place: Carolina Theater and Hotel Intercontinental]

It is such a tables-turned feeling, after months and months of us bemoaning the lack of visual progress, to see this finally accelerate construction while so much of the world has come to a standstill.

That said, I'm giddy that it's on its way to glory!

[Charlotte Photo of the Day]

11 minutes ago, Seabrooke said:

Legend has it if you put baking powder on your bumper and put your car in neutral on the 3rd level, you will start rolling uphill. Once you get out and look at the bumper you will see the handprints of all the architects past that worked on the projects that died in Levineland.

This made me imagine seeing apparitions from inside the deck, not of people but of buildings, all the renderings of scrapped projects.

OJ coming out the nose does not feel good. 

[110 East: 23 story Tower by Stiles/Shorenstein]

16 minutes ago, Synopsis101 said:

Doesn’t fit South End. Would be better if the base were brick. 
I’m expecting a value engineered rendering in 6 months.

As much as it pains me to, I have to agree here. Not only is this beautiful alone IF the context of neighbourhood architecture weren't calling this out in the worst way, but this is in no way how it will look when it's done. We will not have this as an end result, in any possible outcome.

[Plaza-Midwood Projects (Central, Commonwealth, The Plaza)]

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

 

 

 

 

I will always love that this exists. And I will never not think of "No Parking Hare".

[Grand Bohemian Hotel – 15 Floors – 254 Rooms – Boutique Hotel]

I also stan those awnings something fierce. Though this building is a net-positive for the city, I wouldn't feel nearly as glad it's here were it not for those. 

Not really a similar design, but it brings to mind the old design of the Belk's store entrance at Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, before its years-ago renovation and facade change. The awnings were dull green, rounded, ominous in the coolest way to kid-me at the time... Certainly caught the eye and brought people in. 

[Charlotte Weather]

I actually left for Boone on 321 at around 2:30 PM yesterday, right when the snow was at its heaviest. I stayed under flurries or bursts of thicker flakes basically all the way until the Big Climb begins at Kirby Mtn. Road, then they tapered off, but picked up again in Blowing Rock. About an inch or so stuck to the ground in Watauga but basically nowhere before there. Roads were all fine and barely wet.

Ah well, it was pretty at least.

[SkyHouse Charlotte, Publix and 10Tryon Tower in 4th Ward]

I am honestly the most hyped about this versus any other project in uptown, excepting maybe the FNB tower. 

Adding an amenity like Publix to a very sparse area of Uptown is gonna be transformative. Utterly. And I can only imagine how this accentuates the foot traffic to First Ward Park, even from a slight distance.

I only wonder how the tiny Teeter down the road will be affected, businesswise. Lol.

[Crescent Stonewall Station]

I'm sorry, I guess I didn't think it through very much.

Eternal optimist, me.

[Crescent Stonewall Station]

57 minutes ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

I can envision their slogan now. “Don’t like to co-work? Join MeWork and rent your private cubicle today!”  

lol I’m just kidding. But that is such a peculiar spot for office space. It would have to be something special or unique to draw ppl there due to the reasonings above for retail. Something that lacks in Uptown to draw them from below or to take the train to. I was thinking a bubble tea and sandwiches like banh mi. Hell, put a Jenny’s ice cream/sandwich shop there to relieve some pressure off of south ends location (y’all have seen the lines). There also looks like vacant retail space at the Westin entrance of Stonewall station too. Not sure on that though but there is wrap on the windows. Would hate to see that jewel box filled with office though. 

Thank you! Yes it presented some challenges when it was cut off from Whole Foods downstairs, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. Whole Foods Uptown gained the sq. ftge. that an elevator/escalator would have poached from it, and this space can ABSOLUTELY thrive with a unique and/or underserved "destination" business.

Express or Express Men could open here, after already putting their feelers out in the temp store during the NBA All-Star weekend, or some other apparel store. Dry goods in general would draw people but clothes in particular would make a killing anywhere NEAR there.

[B Tower (5th Street Retail Infill Building)]

6 minutes ago, j-man said:

Southpark is very tiny compared to all major city’s “Luxury Malls” look it up. And you may not know but stores surrounding the mall not attached are included in the square footage. So for the mall itself it is not big at all.  But Northlake is where the Apple store shouldn’t be. 

I still stand by my point. I don’t think y’all understand that stores that have left uptow n do not cater to people there, and I am simply saying an Apple Store would and people wouldn’t have to go to the mall just to go to the store just like any urban city like NY, Chicago, and other cities though I know CLT isn’t that big but you have to start somewhere and I’m sure the other developments will follow. 

It sounds to me like you're comparing SP to absolute mega-draw malls like Houston's Galleria, Atlanta's Lenox/Phipps etc. when those cities have easily twice as many people in their metro areas (and usually more than twice as many tourist-type activities or reasons for a mall to get even more traffic from vacationers and not *just* the local shoppers. Huge luxury meccas are something Charlotte has not yet reached the tier to support or possess so I don't see why that should be a mark against SP or even necessary to mention.

I do agree an Apple store would do relatively well in uptown, but as someone said before (and I'm currently too lazy to scroll up and check, hah) what Apple THEMSELVES would care about is whether a new Apple store in Uptown would do as well as a suburban location, and given the nature of our city's activity, when it happens and what kind, they could not right now assert that it would. Business is inherently sociopathic, which in this case means they have no higher duty towards placemaking in Charlotte if it conflicts with their profit margins.

TL;DR I also want an Apple in Uptown but I don't wonder why we don't have one yet, since corporations have their own priorities.

[I-485 Development (Prosperity Village, Riverbend, Crosswind, etc)]

I suppose this is the right thread, if not, my bad... But now that Harris Teeter is open and thriving in their new locale at Riverbend, what would you like to see replace its footprint across 16 at the old center?

Personally I think a Big Lots or a Sam's Club would make a killing there, the area still has a large amount of people who shop for bargains (either income level or just buying habits) so I'd like to see that. Maybe a Stein Mart or a Roses if neither of the other two are options, but I'm not sure if those chains still expand into new places or just keep to their strongholds nowadays. Retail landscape in the internet age is weird.

[B Tower (5th Street Retail Infill Building)]

Are there any updates to this, and how far they've made it on the final finishes of the exterior?

[Charlotte Photo of the Day]

It nearly never gets said, but the Ratcliffe on the Green is one of my fave residential projects in uptown. Nothing else here looks like it, and the florist building facade save was inspired.

Loving these pics!

[Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction]

I finally got to utilize the widened Lanes on 85 through Rowan county when I went to Burlington for a holiday in-laws visit. Though the one bridge close to China Grove is still "solidlaned" (white lines are solid underneath the bridge, disallowing passing) due to work, no lane closures existed and it easily shaved 15-20 minutes off my commute.

I want more mass transit options most of all, esp. between uptown and the airport, but the importance of inter-metro roads in this state can't be understated. As most Southern cities were laid out in a way that flatters/encourages car culture, we can't underfund nor undervalue their existence.

Soapbox over, happy holidays everyone!