[Political Digression Thread -- Save UP! Move the politically focused stuff here]

1 hour ago, gman430 said:

So we’re not allowed to have a political opinion on this thread unless it supports the liberal mentality? Well in that case…

Here comes another Covid strain. Can’t wait to watch the Biden sheep mask up again. I once again will not be a part of that silly herd game. Hope you all are liking those high gas prices, high grocery prices, high inflation, high interest rates, etc. You voted for it. And no I am not buying an electric car. Gas and that V6 turbo powered engine all day baby. Can’t forget about liberal New York City with all of those illegal immigrants looking for a free ride and liberal San Francisco with all of the store closings and crime also. 
 

Not quite sure if this is sarcasm or the real deal. If real, I'm sorry you're this way.

[New Hotels in/around Uptown]

Rode past this site last week and it finally looks complete. The hotel is basically what I expected, nothing fancy but at least another option for hotel guests.

On a side note, the number of what I assume to be homeless people between N College and Tryon Street (where the old Mecklenburg county services building sits) was pretty astounding. There must have been 40-50 people walking/sitting around that area, and most seemed to be in pretty rough shape. I know this gets into the much larger topic of mental healthcare in this country, but I have to think the physical presence and perception of this area is really holding back the north end of Uptown.

[Another bar/restaurant bites the dust]

2 hours ago, Temeteron said:

Yeah and they kicked out Greek isles for that BS. SMH

Greek Isles was delicious. Hot Taco was a slap in the face as a replacement.

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

Quick and dirty pic last night of the art piece installed along Brooklyn Village Ave

 

[Charlotte Off Topic]

^The Brooklyn Tower reminds me of something you'd see from Lord of the Rings. It's quite dark and ominous, but it certainly commands some respect. Apparently, the Dime Savings Bank from the early 1900's is preserved at the tower's base.

[Political Digression Thread -- Save UP! Move the politically focused stuff here]

12 hours ago, davidclt said:

Education . . . I think Lyndon Johnson said it best (and looking at Robeson County, et al. you see the proof in the pudding):

“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson

What is the Republican Party's platform to address poverty? "Work harder, pull yourself up by you bootstraps." Not saying the Democrats have done much more but . . . lesser of two evils.

Lyndon Johnson's words ring just as true today as they did back in the 60's, maybe even more so. If lower and middle class white people accepted the fact they're getting screwed by our system and actually joined ranks with black and brown folks, well game over.  As for the lesser of two evils, I'll just say there's a certain political party that is all in for totalitarian rule, and there's a party that's not. 

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

2 hours ago, turbocraig said:

It’s gone backwards.  The logo isn’t even lit anymore.  

Maybe Duke can't afford to light it up after raising their utility rates

[Charlotte area population statistics]

It's somewhat surprising to see West Virginia as a low contributor to the in-migration number. We still see quite a few W. Virginia license plates in the area, however, those sightings are typically on interstate 77, which makes sense if they're just passing through. Could also be attributed to WV's already low population which just can't compete with the likes of Florida or New York. There used to be an old saying that went along the lines of "you see so many folks from West Virginia because this is how far a tank of gas will get them." I mean no offense to any WV natives, it's a beautiful state. 

[Legacy Union (former Charlotte Observer redevelopment)]

3 hours ago, navigator319 said:

I truly despise anything and everything about the entirety of this development.  Bring back the Observer building.  If I ever had billionaire money I'd spend 2 billion on buying this all and imploding it.

Honestly, I was sort of thinking the same thing. This development belongs near the old coliseum off Tyvola. I know the retail isn't filled yet, but jeez if the aesthetic isn't screaming for the 90s. Lincoln Harris does a good job recruiting business and filling offices, but for the love of God give someone else the reins when it comes to streetscape design.

[Charlotte Off Topic]

6 hours ago, grodney said:

Thanks for all the info!  I'm up pretty high, so it's a good view.  And the window space is so different than being in 400 S Tryon, hahahaha!

You tell us this, but no pictures from your new perch? Come on man! 

[Perception of Charlotte Nationwide]

Apropos of nothing, if you'd like to ignore a user, you can hover over their name or avatar and select the "ignore" option. I've done this many times and it helps make life a little more enjoyable.

*This is the process from a desktop, I'm not sure how the ignore feature is accessed from a mobile device.

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

Yes to the mural question above.

"Affixed to the Brooklyn Village Avenue-facing façade of Duke Energy Plaza will be a three-dimensional mural by Nigerian native and Brooklyn, NY-based artist Olalekan Jeyifous. The piece symbolizes the rich history and cultural heritage of the former Brooklyn neighborhood, a predominantly Black community in Charlotte’s Second Ward that was razed in the city’s “urban renewal” movement in the 1960s and ’70s. While designing the mural, Jeyifous consulted with the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and met with civic leaders and former members of the historic Brooklyn community."

https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-unveils-community-inspired-public-art-at-new-corporate-headquarters

 

[Perception of Charlotte Nationwide]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:02 PM, NCMike1990 said:

“Charlotte is awful” and “Charlotte is a nasty, dirty city with a high crime rate” is what I heard from a couple of restaurant employees today. I struck up a conversation with them about Charlotte and that’s what they had to say.

I live in Randolph County so many locals here probably view big cities differently than we do but it still made me sad to hear. The “Charlotte is awful” comment came from a 20 something millennial which surprised me.

The local media plays in huge part in this narrative. My family lives in Caldwell county and many of them believe Charlotte is one of the most dangerous city's in the country. The local media's constant coverage of shootings, police chases, robberies, etc, feeds into this belief. I've pointed out that the per capita crime rate is actually higher in their rural community, but it doesn't receive much coverage and is therefore out of sight and mind.

[Political Digression Thread -- Save UP! Move the politically focused stuff here]

Feckless and craven. That is Tricia's legacy forever and always. I get the feeling this state is about to take another spin down the drain.

[MoRA]

^Thanks for the update. I imagine Chipotle will do well in this location. On a somewhat related note, I wonder when the remaining open parcels will be developed across Idlewild? There are several plots of open land beside the M Station apartments (owned by Goode Properties) that make that area feel a little disjointed. 

[Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction]

Going to take a moment to kvetch a bit. Has anyone else driven on the 277 Brookshire Blvd overpasses lately? I think NCDOT? did some bridge work/resurfacing and wow, the transitions from the road to bridge surfaces are awful. It almost seems as if they installed speed bumps on the road, which in retrospect may encourage folks to slow down, but holy moly is it a bumpy ride! Are they finished with the road work or is this just a temporary fix?

[Economic Development - Expansions and Relocations]

Hard not to be ambivalent towards these server farms/data centers. Speaking strictly of the Google facility in Lenoir, it hasn't done much to lift up that region. I remember my parents, who live in Caldwell county, complaining about their tax rate increasing by double digits after Google was given the go-ahead. Most of the people who work there are brought in from outside the region, so they're not providing much employment. That particular facility is fairly self-contained as well, providing an employee cafeteria so workers don't even need to venture out and support local businesses. The argument could be made that Google is siphoning off of the community (paying little to no tax, using water resources, etc) and contributing very little.

[CTC Redevelopment - Crescent, BPR & Whitepoint Proposals for Transit Center Redo + More]

I also tend to agree.  Charlotte does have a fairly dense core, but we're pretty spread out as well and just one main transit hub in Uptown may not be the best option.  I absolutely believe putting this thing underground is a horrible idea that will lead to some sort of "no go" zone for everyone except the poor folks who are forced down there. I can picture that place being run down in very short order.

 

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

^Well that is interesting!  This whole time I've been thinking the corners of the building were the only regions that would be lit.  I never considered Gumby's entire crown would have lighting.  Exciting!

[Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower]

Good size and good placement of the Duke signage IMO.  Big enough to be seen from street level but not so big as to be seen from the surface of the Moon (yes that's a dig at another tower in town). Agree with JeanClt, the real thing almost perfectly resembles the rendering.

[Queensbridge Collective - 1 tower, maybe 2]

2 hours ago, turbocraig said:

Funny, I thought it had the opposite effect.  It looks further down the block and the perspective view makes it look as tall (or taller even) than their own buildings.  

Exactly.  This is why that rendering piqued my interest because I only expected the Enterprise development to be around 30 stories, and the rendering APPEARS to show a much taller building.

[Queensbridge Collective - 1 tower, maybe 2]

Saw this image on cltdevelopment's Instagram.  The building on the right is Crescent's?  Odd that Riverside would add this to their rendering, no?

[Queensbridge Collective - 1 tower, maybe 2]

Still looks amazing and I'm happy there's still a demand for office space.  WRT the water table issue, this may be even more reason to just go ahead and flood 277 right?  The water source appears to already be in place!

[First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan]

Wow, well that's discouraging, but not at all surprising.  Levine continues to hold First Ward hostage.  Maybe he does have grand visions for his properties, but those visions will never materialize until he sells to someone else.  If Levine doesn't think the time has come to develop, then he never will.

[The Good News Report]

2 hours ago, RANYC said:

Nothing for the 2nd most populated county which contains the state's most populous city?

I couldn't help but notice that as well.  Either Mecklenburg didn't apply for any grant money or the state just assumed we had it under control since we're such a big city