rooster8

I think the city was just glad to have something going on in that spot, so they probably weren't/aren't concerned so much with quality of materials.

It's amazing how far this has been pushed out considering their late 90's/early 00's plans had it starting this decade.

The city could have streetcar tax districts for those properties directly impacted by the proposed lines. I believe Atlanta is looking into such a plan. That would avoid the tax being spread citywide.

With an open system like this one, there's probably no other way to enforce it. I think regular riders will get a handle on it, but I worry about tourists and people that will only use it only a few times. I'm not trying to absolve people of their responsibility of knowing the rules, but I'd hate for a tourist's impression of Charlotte to be based on a $50 ticket.

Hard Rock?

Here is a picture of Duncan UMC:

I agree. Having it as a city department is no good. An authority setup might be even better (would allow for increased participation from other counties/municipalities).

If Reese really wants to see MLB, he should move to one of the other great cities where a team exists. After twenty years or so when Charlotte is truly ready, he can move back.

Took a while to follow up on the TRC approval of this project, but it looks like Barnes & Noble is moving up to the mall: Elevation Drawing Showing B&N (pdf file) It will go in the area where Annabelle's/McGuffey's once occupied between the Belk entrance and a mall entrance. So I guess this means B. Dalton will definitely close. I wonder what will become of that store.

That's way too trendy for me!

It really stinks that their TV deal is limited to Time Warner Cable. I think they'd grow their fan base a bit more in hinterlands that aren't blessed with Time Warner.

I'm not sure, but this new design is what McDonald's corporate is pushing:

Excellent. It's been discussed so much lately, it's nice to see some movement on this.

Sorry to reminisce so much, but I decided to check the Web Archive to see what I could find out Crabtree's past. Here is the oldest store listing I could find: Crabtree Directory 1996 I consider this the peak of the post-renovation period.

Just went to Crabtree yesterday. I hadn't really been there in a few years, at least long enough to look around. It's funny that I still think back to the pre-90's renovation days (I miss Hungate's). Anyway it's amazing how quickly stores come and go over the years. I was really surprised at how large the Forever21 space is. It appears like it will be one of the biggest non-anchors once completed.

The N&O has a story on the conference: Speedy Trains Foreseen In Southeast Look for a quote from our good friend David Hartgen. Apparently he thinks rail travel is only for old folks wanting to relive their youth.

He didn't seem to have much of a problem shutting down the track at North Wilkesboro. Admittedly a smaller operation, but it fits the analogy.

That's an interesting station idea. I understand why they wanted the station near Biltmore Village, but its current proposed location might as well be 3 miles away. A station in the River Arts District would have helped that area bloom.

The fact that NCRR owns the tracks to Morehead makes such a connection maybe a bit more feasible than it would be otherwise. It would be cool to have a summertime train originating in Raleigh.

In permitting lingo, "pulled" means they applied for the permit.

The article doesn't elaborate, but it's good to see some jobs will head to New Hanover and Mecklenburg as well.

Looking for "honking" maybe? I seriously doubt the tube(s) will have clear glass floors. People afraid of heights would probably die of a heart attack! I agree we'll probably see some sort of distortion.

Ed Mitchell from Wilson is going to open a high class barbacue joint in one of Hatem's buildings. http://www.wilsondaily.com/LocalNews/Story...itchell_s_BBQ__ For the uninitiated, Ed Mitchell formerly operated Mitchell's BBQ on US 301 in Wilson. This new place should be a good draw for people that like barbecue (or pulled pork as my in-laws say).

Walking through the mall tonight I noticed a few construction walls up. Here's a quick rundown of what seems to be going on: -American Eagle's concept aerie is opening a store beside Yankee Candle near the food court -Champs sports apparel is moving around the corner between Build a Bear and Kirkland's (that's a nice grouping) -Mall management seemingly has established an "urban" section between Old Navy and the escalator for B. Dalton. -The last time I was there the construction wall next to Victoria's Secret had CJ Banks coming soon on it. The sign is gone, but the wall is still up. -The upfit for McAlister's Deli is apparently taking place. There is no sign as of yet of the planned outdoor seating. Things seem to be going well for the mall. CBL and the local folks have done a good job keeping a good tenant mix in the face of growing competition in the market.

I think the city was so excited about the redevelopment of the site that they brushed aside any thoughts of making this project more pedestrian friendly, and dare I say, urban. True not too many are going to walk to Target and buy a plasma TV, but a few tweaks here and there would have at least allowed for a better model of how things could be.