Vitamin_N

Speaking of retail--I noticed yesterday a sign which read: "Coming Soon: The Salvador Deli and Market". The sandwiches will be surreal, no doubt. It's on N. Davidson in one of the 1-story buildings south of Evening Muse. A few doors down, Solstice Tavern looks like it's about ready to go, and a retail establishment called The Boulevard is opening up on that corner across from Evening Muse and Bodreaux's. As far as I could tell from the description posted on its door, The Boulevard is going to be something like a cross between Blacklion and an art gallery. Good to see more life coming to the commercial sector there.

There was nothing on the back roof. The picture, unfortunately, is out of date; he really did have a #3 written there below Jesus. The guy who lived there was a part-time roofer.

good one dubone... but first of all, the roof had only "Jesus" written on it, and then "3" (in honor of Dale) below that. Gotta love the South! Secondly, that guy moved out and his house is yet another of the many currently being renovated. For those of you who haven't seen the house in question, look up the picture on Polaris for 3004 N Alexander St. How would they fit the character of the neighborhood? Hopefully, they'd be modestly sized and refrain from using bad suburban architecture (is it just me, or do houses in the 'burbs have too many gables?).

They're tearing down the formerly church-owned buildings at 35th and McDowell--those seemed kind of decrepit and when combined with the adjacent vacant lot they left a void on the street, so I'm not too sad to see them go. Here's the site plan for the 11 single family homes coming next on the three combined parcels: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2...%20siteplan.pdf I'm told that the developer lives on 35th St and intends for the houses to fit the character of the neighborhood, so that's nice to hear--hopefully it's true. The house footprints on the site plan look kind of odd, though--just eyeballing it, it looks like the six houses along 35th St will measure something like 20ft X 100ft.

I tried out the Jamaican takeout place that just opened on The Plaza. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name--something with the word "Spice", I think--but it's in between NoDa and Plaza-Midwood, just south of Matheson, and it's brightly colored. Anyway, I enjoyed it, but then I always enjoy Jamaican food. The mac & cheese was spicy and delicious, as was the jerk chicken. And I now have two Jamaican restaurants within walking distance of my house, plus two more within a ten-minute drive. Life has been good to me.

Fortune Small Business has an article on this project and on other urban whitewater centers. Nice to see the good publicity: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_arc...73103/index.htm

I don't know if these have been posted before, but since they've started knocking down the building next to Fat City, here's the rezoning petition for the Fat City: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2...application.pdf Here's the site plan: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2...n%20revised.pdf It says "7,740 sq ft of first floor retail/commercial and 19 residential units (may increase to 20)." Sure hope the area can fill all the new retail--the new building across the street still has all 4 of its retail units empty. In other news, a rezoning is requested for the vacant 1.3 acre parcel at 35th & McDowell (catty-corners from the convenience store) to allow 11 residential units. If I'm reading the site plan correctly, the plan is all single family and uses alleys to allow for parking/garages behind the houses. http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2...application.pdf

FYI, the Mills Corp, which owns Concord Mills, has run into financial difficulties. It is restating earnings, is being investigated by the SEC, and has put itself up for sale. Apparently "shoppertainment" isn't as lucrative as was previously believed. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi...hi-business-hed

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know how much this place would sell for and/or how much it's sold for recently?

Herrin Towers update: There's now a little billboard up at the corner of Herrin and Spencer with what I think was the rendering for Herrin Towers. It's now being called Steel Gardens, and it says it's opening in 2006. There's a website but there's not much on there yet: http://www.steelgardens.com Not sure I like the Steel Gardens name, but what do I know? Anyway, it's being built by Bonterra Builders: http://www.bonterrabuilders.com/home/ Haven't heard of them before, but it looks like their previous work has been in Union County.

Yeah, that would be a major bummer. Aside from the fact that I personally enjoy the place, that corner's kind of important for the retail area there.

A NoDa realtor told me this over the weekend: (1) The Herrin Towers project is still a go, and in fact they've just broken ground (or are about to, I can't remember which). (2) The Fat City project should start in the spring. They plan to retain the very colorful brick facade.

Haven't heard a thing about Herrin Towers--been wondering about that one. I drive by that piece of land every once in a while hoping to see something, but nothing so far. It's hard to believe that something featured in a press release Doug Smith column would not come to fruition, so I'm still holding out hope. It was announced in early February 2004, and they said it would take 3-5 years. The most recent press mention of the project was Doug Smith's March 30 2005 article on urban infill projects. Here's the relevant excerpt: For many involved in infill development, large is preferable. The challenge of getting a small tract rezoned generally is no easier and no less time consuming than taking a large tract through the petition process. "The headache of rezoning a half-acre is the same as doing 8 and a half acres," said Babak Emadi of Urbana Urban Design & Architecture. His firm is working with a land owner to transform 11 acres of industrial land in NoDa to 190-residence Herrin Towers.

FYI: It looks like they've started on part 2 of the Highland Mill renovation. It'll be good to have that done. I wonder what they'll do with that spire?

Drove by this morning; the demolition appears to be underway.

Identity? Pfft! I want Applebee's! What NoDa needs is more crazy stuff tacked up on the walls.

Article from today's Observer on the Java Rose: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ent...nt/12958423.htm The article mentions that Marguerite's French Bakery is moving from the overstreet mall to 28th and North Davidson. I never realized there was a French bakery in the overstreet mall--can anybody tell me where it's located? In other news, a review of Dolce Vita's new location on N. Davidson St: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ent...nt/12958337.htm Finally, I noticed a couple of days ago a sign in the two-story gray building across from Mellow Mushroom a few doors down from the Evening Muse. It said, "Solstice Tavern coming soon". Hopefully, all these places will make a go of it!

Since NoDa is right next to NoTry: does anybody know what they're building on N. Tryon just north of 277? I just drove by there these evening and was surprised to see new construction on that section of the street--couldn't tell what it was, though.

Villa Heights, in the area above Cordelia Park, has a really nice view of downtown. If you've never seen it, try driving from the top of the hill on 24th or 25th streets toward Davidson.

I think Noda and downtown offer different things, so I don't regard them as close competitors. Noda's smaller, quieter, and greener. And given all the renovations going on right now, I'm not sure I'd describe gentrification as slow. Things seem like they've really picked up this year vs. last.

metro, If my experience is anything to go by, there are plenty of bankers and other white collar types who think that NoDa still is the 'hood, despite my assurances to the contrary. Once they decide it's safe and respectable, look out.

Heh--funny you should mention the 'hood. That section used to feel really, really sketchy to me, but I guess you just get used to it after a while, because it no longer feels particularly bad. Not that I'd walk around there at night, but at least I don't dislike driving through there. That area's going to gentrify, though--I think homes are already starting to appreciate there. The Java Rose just opened up this year, and a new convenience store opened up on Davidson just north of Parkwood about two weeks ago. One good thing is that there are still a bunch of industrial tracts located in and around the neighborhood. They're big enough to put decent-sized chunks of affordable high-density housing, but not so big as to lure lousy suburban developers. I just hope they do a good job of weaving new development into the fabric of the neighborhood. I like the Crosland buildings on Davidson in that regard, but I don't care too much for the Colony.

I'm not an expert in this kind of stuff, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think one factor going against NoDa retail is that the neighborhood isn't a thoroughfare--it's not really on the way to anything else. Plaza-Midwood is between East Charlotte and downtown, Southend is between South Charlotte and downtown, but I don't think you really go through NoDa unless you're going *to* NoDa. (Or unless you're driving an 18-wheeler to the multimodal factility.) The retail there has to serve either neighborhood residents--and there are only so many of those--or people making the neighborhood a destination. Ergo, restaurants, wine bars, and galleries, but no dry cleaners, gas stations, or Harris Teeters. Speaking of retail, it looks like they've been recently working on that new lounge, called Gilda. Curious to see what that place will be like. It looks like Dolce Vita is almost ready to open in its new location as well. And does anybody know what the deal is with those two empty one-story buildings on Davidson between 34th and 35th? I wish the owner(s) would do something with them.

1. Nuts. I don't care too much for that overpass, other than as a fireworks-viewing location. Oh well... 2. I was just referring to that little cluster of maybe 5 houses or so by the Alpha Mill.

Hi all, Longtime lurker, first-time poster living in Noda. A few questions I've been wondering about: (1) If/when they move that multimodal facility between Brevard and Tryon to the airport, does that mean they could get rid of that Matheson Ave overpass? (2) Does anybody know what plans might be in store for that little cluster of houses between Caldwell and Brevard just north of 277? Are they going to tear them all down eventually? (3) The condos at the intersection of N. Davidson and 34th have almost sold out--last I checked, only two remained. Was Crosland waiting until they sold those out before starting on the project across the street at the old restaurant (Fat Tuesday, I think)?