GoingUptown

Photo from this morning…

Here’s a photo from today. Towards the right side of the plot, you’ll see where they knocked apart some existing concrete structure - almost looked like an old vault to me. Enjoy the photo.

A few photos - first, a before and after of the rain just after the groundbreaking (mud pool!). And now one from today, where the giant auger has penetrated.

Here’s an angle not seen too much, showing the tower looking down Tryon. They’re making good progress on the height here!

I couldn’t get a pic because I was driving, but it appears that they’ve started on screening the parking garage on the College St side, closest to Hill St.! They are vertical silver accents.

This is fully accurate.

The Stonewall side isn’t able to have doors because of the elevation change. They want the foot traffic into the plaza, so the doors will be there on that side. We’ll see what comes in there, but I expect a small snack/bakery/ice cream shop. Something like that, I’m sure intended again to draw some foot traffic into the plaza. I noticed that, as well, and hopefully the rendering isn’t exactly accurate. They may want to have depicted the staircase there, for whatever reason. Heck, they seem to have several Christmas trees depicted on various floors inside the Ally Charlotte Center building, so the rendering can’t be entirely taken at 100% accuracy.

Here’s a photo from the Ally Charlotte Center Twitter account. The area with this transplanted tree and retail space, along with that Charlotte lettered sign with the crown, looks really awesome. Hopefully that comes to fruition. It would be a really popular photo spot for visitors, for sure.

Here’s a shot of the arse end of the Grand Bohemian. Pretty good looking building. I’m thankful that it isn’t “snowing“ anymore!

Today’s window progress. Just taken moments ago. I may be too picky, but that reflection from the Levine Center for the Arts looks freaky.

The first windows are going onto the JW.

Charlotte’s burgeoning “Canyon of Heroes” developing. It’ll be great to see the Hornets’ parade for winning the NBA title in a few years.

Here’s a photo of the start of the hat from an angle where the sun is shining through it. You can see shadows of the framing. No idea whether this is the finished product materials or just a base material!

Sorry, it’s the crane being dismantled, not the elevator. That’s still intact. I’m with you on the concrete already looking ... unfinished. Maybe it is? Not sure. I do see what you mean.

And a bonus shot of them dismantling the temporary construction elevator!

Photos from today... they’ve finished the glass for the grand entrance on Tryon St, and it looks pretty nice. The photos may not show it as well, but in person the dark trim is a nice contrast to the lighter grid trim on the rest of the building.

Some pics from the morning and afternoon walk today. You can see the cantilever on the hotel if you imagine all of that scaffolding gone! Also, they’re making some progress on the buildout from the Ally building that will be the terraces on floor 2.

You’re welcome. Hopefully, the styrofoam snowstorm from the Grand Bohemian will be done by then.

Here’s a pic I snapped of construction on the tracks near the Carillon Tower.

A view from The Green... before it gets obscured by the new Duke building in the future! You can see the top floor and the taller windows for the executives. Too bad the windows on that floor have a seam in them! Looks like they’re using the regular windows and then have a 3-foot high second pane of glass.

Two observations: 1) Is it me or does the hotel have an impossibly small footprint? It doesn’t seem like it’ll be more than one room wide, no? 2) I’ve noticed that the top floor of the Ally tower is taller than the rest... by a good 4-5 feet, I’d say. The executives will have some nice high ceilings in the penthouse!

I definitely see it - from a walk by a little while ago. It also appeared there wasn’t anything leaning in the window, etc. Two off-tinted window panes just above the floor with no windows right now. Odd. See photo.

A couple of photos of the top hat today, taken from Stonewall Station. I see the American flag flying from the elevator shaft, so we’re topped out now, I guess! I also spy the brackets for the Ally logo. I’m giving y’all a bonus: my artistic attempt at the Ally logo using iPhone editing. Better than a third grader? Debatable! lol

Here’s a shot from the Stonewall light rail stop... it’s tall enough to be visible from there, after all.

Ahh! Great catch. I actually looked up the Deufol name on the packaging and didn’t even notice the ThyssenKrupp label on the palette. As a former Otis employee, though, it saddens me to see that. lol