MrBluePrint

BTW as a Black person, I love being called racist. Just shows how little the word means today. Also, the Protagonist is moving...because of the street vendors disrupting its business. There was an altercation between Cabo and the street vendors that almost came to blows, I understand. The vendors are an issue nobody wants to address.

Can you compare the size of this development to anything existing or under construction in the area? You mentioned it's an acre larger than .... but what is closer in size and scope? Camden? Commonwealth? Just trying to get an idea. A neighbor has met with the YMCA and the Y wanted to hear what we would "like to see" in the design and promised it won't be a "big blocky box."

Do you know the timeline, or any idea of where the parking and entrance/exits will be? I believe they have to preserve green space facing N Davidson as there are heritage trees. I understand at the tallest, the building could be 100 feet? I also wonder how long it would take to build something like this. For example, they've been working on the Commonwealth for almost two years now, and it seems like they are not very far alone. To address the other previous poster, the YMCA did some community input sessions, coming up on four years ago. They did not, as far as I know, address any possibility of a grocery or apartments on the site. Nor do they care that their casual research was done in 2019, when the neighborhood was quite different than it is now. Also, I understand the area around the Indie is not considered NoDa. They are trying to market it as the "Trailhead" district.

Fair point! A very valid perspective. You could say the same of SoHo or any number of neighborhoods in NYC or London. I guess change is inevitable. We will hold on to this property regardless of all the posters here who said to move. Not sure if we will rent it or pass it on to the next generation, but it's a long-term hold. Really not looking forward to the monolith that's coming next door. Neighbor met with the YMCA director and they are not showing any cards.

It wasn't this trashy when I moved here. It's gone downhill in the past two years. Really, it tracks right along with the addition of Crowntown Cannibas and the street vendors. Where is the culture and diversity you speak of? All my neighbors are white and can afford million dollar homes; there's no diversity in terms of race or other demographics. The only POC I see are working here in some capacity. There are two music venues, but no local music scene that I can see. No art galleries, no working artist studios, no dance studios or performances, no theatres, stand-up, spoken word, no festivals or farmer's markets. The culture is at Camp North End, where there are actually artist-owned and artist-run spaces. Goodyear Arts, etc. And in the new "Trailhead District"...The Independent Picture House is wonderful, but it's not in "NoDa." SouthEnd has C3 lab, and downtown has the Vapa Center and Brooklyn Arts. Theatre in Charlotte is essentially dead, unfortunately. I'm lamenting the fact that there is no art or culture in the "Arts District". I don't know how NoDa lost it or how we can get it back. I think if something isn't done soon, NoDa will lose its personality altogether. It's a shame there's no real art being created here.

Damn. Sometimes I hate being right.

You're right. There's no one "power, " but I suppose it traces back to the city's tourism marketing, which trickles down to realtors, apartment marketing, and so on. The only vibe we have now is "trashy." That aspect noticeably ramped up with the advent of Crowntown Cannabis. The YMCA won't even fix its fence. It's not worth the trouble. Decline feeds decline. The "powers that be" should have recognized the power and opportunity that comes from artists working and flourishing in your midst. There is not one developer willing to give space over to saving the arts in NoDa. Not one. Now I hear the Neighborhood Theatre/Salud building is for sale or maybe even sold.

I have autism, which does make me strange, I guess. I wish the powers that be would stop marketing NoDa as an "Arts District," as there are no galleries, working studios, or performances of art, dance, open mic, stand up or musicals. We have Neighborhood Theatre and Evening Muse for music at night, and that's it. No festivals, nothing.

Seriously? How are people selling the old t-shirts you dropped off at Goodwill two years ago "cosmopolitan"? The African trinkets are mostly from China via drop-shipping by AliExpress, the potions being peddled contain god knows what. There were tables full of fake Nikes one day, and one lady sitting out all night with her toddlers playing in the gutter between parked cars. Empty storefronts full of stickers and graffiti, broken glass everywhere. It's trashy. And before you send me to the Arboretum again, I'm all over the country, all the time. I spent the last two weeks in LA and NYC and N Davidson resembles the Skid Row area of DTLA more than it does say, Silverlake or West Hollywood. The East Village and Williamsburg don't have this kind of junk being sold on the streets -- or the trash that comes along with it. What if you ran bing one of the few remaining shops in NoDa and had someone standing outside selling items similar to what you're stocking. Or you're Ever Andaolo and there's some guy lighting up and blocking your customers' access with his selection of mystery drinks. Imagine complaining? It would be helpful if some of you folks who are plugged in with the developers would advocate for artist studios or micro-retail sites. NoDa is no longer the "Arts District" because there's no art here, besides murals, and those are everywhere. Look at the River Arts District in Asheville.

The ACWR runs at least every day. I live practically on top of it. I keep track because I live with a railroad fan. We love the trains. Also, it's not always ACWR engines on that line. Sometimes it's Norfolk Southern. Back to the topic of the YMCA, can anyone expand on what the zoning allows? Also, any idea when the plan will be announced, and with the announcement should we expect a proposed design? Neighborhood gossips are saying the YMCA is promising this or that, and that they are "tossing around designs..." and that the YMCA won't just build a big "block" there...rumours abound.

Maybe you're forgetting that these homes were built for families and not just "workers." Those few blocks of Davidson are fraught with issues, on-street parking, vendors selling crap and blocking businesses, empty storefronts and graffiti. There's a lot of talk of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, but Davidson doesn't need more traffic.

Hardly any retail, though, unless you count the gyms built into each apartment complex. Camden is looking very nice and the design respects its surroundings, unlike most of the Soviet-style apartments we see over here.

I don't live in a single family home, but I suppose you're all for tearing down the mill houses and putting up Soviet-looking apartment blocks in the lovely Texas donut style? There are plenty of apartments -- existing, being built, or planned -- to satisfy demand in NoDa, the wider "Mill District" and the newer "Trailhead District." If you think rents are going south any time soon, you are mistaken. It's only up from here. And to your other point about Davidson being a major urban street: It's not. It's a two-lane neighborhood street through NoDa. Traffic is bad enough on Davidson now; can you imagine what it will be like when this goes in? Everyone on this board wants more pedestrian-friendly streets and districts. I walk back and forth Davidson every day, and it's a challenge. Of course, they can widen Davidson; nobody wants that. My main point is the YMCA talks a game about consulting with the community, but they don't. They try to keep the plans hush-hush.. That's not how a community-serving, mission-driven, member-supported nonprofit should operate.

Who doesn't want a grocery store? God knows we need one. I don't want 5 stories of apartments looming over my front door. My beef is with the YMCA being shady, Not complaining about development, per se. Complaining that the neighborhood YMCA is selling out and being shady af about its plans. We need a grocery store. We need a new YMCA, We don't need 400 $2500k/month apartments.

I'm so pissed at the shady-ass YMCA. They will not share any plans with the neighbors...and I'm talking I live 25 feet from the building. They told us they held a "neighborhood input meeting" in 2019 (before our building existed). There was no talk of apartments or a grocery store. They have heritage trees on that site that they cannot touch. I hope to God their plans get leaked, becauses this is not going to go over well. Maybe it's time for us to sell before the dirt starts flying.