[Charlotte Gateway Station and Railroad Improvements]

I've been hearing of an Amtrak station in Uptown since 2007.  10 yrs have passed and still nothing, and they said it was because of delays in funding, rising construction costs, Norfolk, NCDOT, etc.  I might be leaving Charlotte soon and not even get to see anything happen... I'm starting to not even believe in this project anymore. I don't know if I'll even be around 2024.   If it doesn't happen, then rest in peace gateway.

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

10 minutes ago, norm21499 said:

Why is the building set so far back from the road?

Perhaps future patio seating, is that a restaurant?

[Legacy Union (former Charlotte Observer redevelopment)]

Awesome picture of the future, I wish we had a full view though of the North Side including Skyhouse towers, UNCC building and the other buildings are etc.

[Charlotte Gateway Station and Railroad Improvements]

I' not sure scale of the train lines is necessarily important. Charlotte would be a stop along the journey, not necessarily a place where trains come and linger like Union Station or Penn Station. As far as commuter rail, if Charlotte were to start investing in this, trains could easily pull into the station and pull through to a switch yard further north or south. I would much rather have a station with 4-6 platforms than something that cuts off the urban fabric like Union Station in DC.

 

 

I've ridden the Shinkansen train in Japan from Tokyo to Osaka many times in the past, it's quite possibly the best high speed rail in the world.  I've also lived in China for a few years and the Shanghai to Beijing fast train comes a close second.  When I rode these trains, I was just awe of the sophisticated technologies and construction magnitude that goes into it.  I spent my formative years in Charlotte, then moved to Asia the last 5 years.. you can guess how shocked I was after growing up in Charlotte and then going to small Asian villages with train stations that makes Charlotte's Amtrak station look like a hobo. I think Charlotte's improved in transportation a lot, but not enough.  The US has no such rail line that comes close to these trains, it'll probably be another decade or 2 before the US actually has a full functioning rail line like that on the West Coast (LA to San Fran) or East Cost New York and DC or  (extended from DC to Atlanta).  I'll probably have grandkids by then.. so, it won't ever really be for my generation...but what the US still has are regular passenger trains that hit most major cities.  If Charlotte happens to be along the line, Charlotte should definitely invest in more transportation and catch up with the rest of the world.  It's a no brainer that the station should be in an area that is more accessible for newcomers to experience the city.  Charlotte has literally one of the most ugliest train station's in the world on North Tryon street.  No joke, how ugly it looks.  If they decide to build a new train station, they should totally demolish the old train station...or make it into a train maintenance yard.  Even the train station in Ipoh, Malaysia beats the crap out of Charlotte's Amtrak spot... I mean Charlotte's Amtrak is dust compared to the station in Ipoh.. and who in the world has heard of Ipoh?   Even Durham's station in NC (smaller than Charlotte) is more pleasing to the eye.  Relocating it to Gateway will help Charlotte's image and give a better impression for visitors as people pass through the city.  Why not stop in Charlotte and walk around?  First thing one'll see is the ballpark, Romare park and restaurants/retail around it...  When you step out of the Amtrak on N. Tryon, all you see is a run down decrepit area with hobos approaching arriving passengers, and the only building that looks ok is the WSOC 9 news building, but there's fences around to keep the hobos away.  Gateways has hobos too in the area, but not to the extent of the area around N. Tryon.  It makes Gateways look tame in hobobility compared to N. Tryon.  When I rode the Shinkansen trains from Tokyo to Osaka, I used to stop by Kyoto, which has a lot of qualities similar to Charlotte (clean, similar climate, beautiful, and a midsize Japanese city, much like Charlotte is in the US).   I assume it would be the same if a fast rail line like that ever gets built through Charlotte in the future.  Passengers will want to check out Charlotte, so will foreign tourists taking the train.  A full New York to ATL or Miami line would be a popular tourist line in the US.  To not build a station that is inviting or architecturally and aesthetically pleasing in Gateway, would be seriously a travesty for the city of Charlotte.   This is coming from my own perspective and experiences as an Asian-American from Charlotte who's lived here for 20 years.  

[Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network]

Does anyone know when they the line is extended towards West Trade Street and through Johnson and Wales, where the stops potentially might be?

[Crescent Stonewall Station]

Bring on "Crane City"!

 

They should just change the state bird from the Cardinal to the Crane!