DH17

If LU4 is definitely Office at Stonewall+S. Tryon, that more or less makes LU5/LU6 Hotel/Residential with some form of retail. I wonder if LU4 is spec or if there is a tenant? Maybe Truist Tech Center? We know Lincoln Harris was marketing this area to Truist and they have only announced with everything pre-leased. Given the pace of announcements related to this development I hope we hear something by the end of 2019 about the next phase.

Would rate this a B-, but will take it and hope we get something more dense in between it and the stadium along Graham.

I'm fine with PJ Washington at 12. Good prospect who I think will contribute fairly quickly.

Any movement on this? They've done a thorough job of clearing this lot and it looks ready for development. Would be a shame to leave it blocked off indefinitely.

How about 2-car spurs to South Park and Ballantyne with the main blue line bumped up to 3-4 cars? Could have 2-car "express" trains from Ballantyne and South Park up to South End and Uptown as well as the "interchange" stations. They would stop at all of the spur stations but only stop 4-5 times on the way to Uptown once on the main line. Edit: We could even call the spurs their own separate lines in order to avoid confusing people. They would just use the BL tracks and run less frequently in order to not overwhelm traffic in South End. The new 3-4 BL trains would mean no increase in frequency required for the BL.

Can't wait to see this peak out over the adjacent courthouse and apartments!

I noticed that last effect on the way back from the airport the other day. Absolutely phenomenal angle. I can just imagine LRT going down Wilkinson and the development (and views) that would bring.

I think it just comes with the territory though. Similarly I could see a major company or two relocate to South Park if we get a rail spur there and further density. Rising tide lifts all boats I suppose, and having secondary hub employment centers would help to distribute future traffic growth.

We can debate the relative methodology all we want - both sides have made valid points. ParkScore has flaws, but there is definitely a gap in our metro. The fact remains that may communities need better park amenities in Charlotte. I would fully support the city buying up a certain number of small vacant lots around the city )but mostly not in the Wedge for the reasons stated above) and converting them into small parks. Nothing extravagant but I think it would help fill a definite need in our city, especially for lower income residents.

Be forewarned: what follows is a bit of a personal analysis of a 'privileged' group, but I think it is a fair representation of what has been attracted to our city in the past 10-15 years and is driving the population boom in the center of town. I was thinking the other day of what makes up the population growth in the urban core of Uptown, South End, NoDa, and PM. 90+% of my extended work and social network in my age group (young-mid 20's) lives in these 4 neighborhoods. I'm using "network" loosely, and am thinking in my mind of roughly 50 or more young professionals who live in one of these neighborhoods. They are a college grad, often from a major state school, likely are single or in a long-term relationship but not married, has a corporate job in Uptown or another major employment center, eats out or goes to a brewery 2+ times a week, and probably reads the Charlotte Agenda regularly. They live in a moderately expensive apartment or share a townhouse, but probably want to buy a house with a yard and get married in the next decade. 40% were born and grew up in other states, mostly in the North. They, like me, moved here as an adult for school or work. 40% were born in other states/countries - a mix of the North, South, and Intl - but grew up in NC outside of Charlotte. They have now moved here for school or work. 20% were born in NC or moved to Charlotte as very small children. Many left for school if they didn't attend UNCC but have now moved back to the area. What does this tell me? 1. Charlotte is attracting young talent from across the country. This group may not have deep ties to the region, but it's hard to argue with the concentration and variety of good-paying jobs centered here. If I meet someone new I am as likely to hear 'NY', 'MI', 'OH', or 'VA' as I am to hear 'NC' as to where they grew up. 2. Charlotte is pulling a large amount of intellectual talent from the rest of the state and nearby states. After Raleigh, Charlotte is one of the top destinations for UNC/State grads and attracts hundreds and thousands of Clemson, VT, UVA, USC, and GT grads as well. App, UNCC, UNCW, Wofford, Wake, UGA are other schools I hear quite often. Noticeably absent from this list is Duke. 3. Many in Charlotte leave for school. UNCC is a great option for many, but the lack of additional options is likely hurting us. Luckily I know many that have since moved back after school since the job market is very attractive for them. 4. North Carolina is attracting a ridiculous amount of Middle Class families. The fact that less than 20% of the 50 I referenced were born in this state says a lot about relocation and broad migration patterns to the region, at least within the Middle Class.

Sad to hear about Pike's, but glad they will stay open elsewhere. The location was nearly empty the last time I was nearby during peak dinner hours. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/whats-in-store/article230086614.html

This project is quickly turning into a nightmare for someone who lives a block away from Trade near 77. I don't mind construction if there is tangible progress and a good end result, but this is quickly turning into a mismanaged s*$%show. The city better not be paying for all of these mistakes by the contractor, and better have language in the contract to hold them accountable as the errors and re-work piles up. I wouldn't be surprised if they blow through all (extended) deadlines too.

This area has a lot of potential. If we couldn't keep the Polk building, I wish we had something more interesting than 14 floors with a 6 floor wraparound...

Power line city - Legacy Union looks attractive from this angle to me at least.

I, for one, absolutely agree that Trade and Tryon is about to be quickly surpassed by Stonewall and Tryon as the center of gravity in Uptown.

Yes - I was stationary when taking this shot from right over 277. This tower will be quite imposing when walking in to town from South End, especially with the new Duke tower directly behind it.

Walked by today for the first time since they started installing glass. Absolutely love this building so far.

Went to Hawker's for the first time the other day - came away fairly impressed with the food selection and the atmosphere. Will definitely be back once it is a little quieter. Of greater concern was that Pike's right next door was completely empty at dinner time....

Any idea why this project is going to drag for so many years? I feel that it could be reasonably completed in half of the time if they aren't even completing the full station in this phase. Is it just too expensive to rush? Logistical concerns?

Honestly a fan of this improvement. I come here after work once in a while to grab 1-10 items that I can carry home or squeeze into my backpack. Parking can be a nightmare unless you go at off-hours. I go to the HT or Publix in South End for a big trip once every other week or so for the bigger items.

My only complaint is the text posted at '24:25' saying: "The easiest way to tell you are getting close to downtown is when you start to see rental bike and scooter pollution. I'll never stop hating these." Talk about sour grapes.

Two days in a row now I have nearly been hit by a car that had a left turn signal at the light while I have the right-of-way to cross the intersection as a pedestrian. Both times, I have given a 'what gives?' shrug to the driver, and both times they have reacted angrily. Both of these were in Uptown no less. If I didn't stop walking in both cases there is a 100% chance they would have run me over. Makes it frustrating as a regular pedestrian that even our 'pedestrian-friendly' neighborhoods are that threatening on foot.

Very unlikely at this point. Cold has been much too transient and any time we get any moisture the temp spikes up into the upper 30's or 40's. I should start planning vacations to Canada during the winter.

Finally made it to Catawba (typically am in South End or Noda) and came away very impressed. I enjoyed the beer selection, especially as someone who isn't into IPAs.

Went to Waterman's this weekend. It was pretty good food but a little on the pricey side for the quality. Not enough seating either.