Plaza-Midwood Projects (Central, Commonwealth, The Plaza)

[Guest]

Brodt Music is closing :-(. So sad that a nearly century old charlotte business would close down. It was bound to happen, very few places like this exist anymore thanks to big box stores and the internet. With its closing Commonwealth gains a 13,000 square foot building ripe for redevelopment. Lets someone makes it something great!. 

[Miesian Corners]

Many people tried to buy the Brodt and adjacent properties for development in the boom years.  It's a sizable piece of land.

[nonillogical]

Went to the Peculiar Rabbit for the first time last week.  The food was OK.  I noticed the interior matches the horrific exterior.  At least they're consistent.

I actually like it quite a bit...including the aesthetic of the exterior, and an interior that currently is a little bland but I think will look better with 10-20 years of age on it. Their Banh Mi, while not a traditional one at all, is pretty great as are most of their appetizers. Admittedly I'd be willing to go even if I didn't like those things as much as I do just to hang out on the roof.

 

Need to try Joe Hooper's now, I'm hearing that its a pretty solid place. 

[Niner National]

I actually like it quite a bit...including the aesthetic of the exterior, and an interior that currently is a little bland but I think will look better with 10-20 years of age on it. Their Banh Mi, while not a traditional one at all, is pretty great as are most of their appetizers. Admittedly I'd be willing to go even if I didn't like those things as much as I do just to hang out on the roof.

 

Need to try Joe Hooper's now, I'm hearing that its a pretty solid place. 

Joe Hooper's was fine. The food wasn't spectacular by any means, but it was solid and reasonably priced. They're a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I'll definitely be going back.

[New Name]

I'm sure in the 63 pages of this thread, this idea has been thrown around before; but it just occurred to me how great it would be if Central Ave between Pecan  and Kings (at 7th specifically) could get some sort of coherent street-treatment. Plaza Midwood has a "stroll district" and Midtown has a "stroll district" - and if the city were to put together a real plan to link the two, Charlotte would have a legitimate pedestrian corridor. It's only a mile - and much of the feeling could come from rebuilt sidewalks, matching street lights with signage, and a commitment to a build-to-line in planning. 

 

I could also imagine a gateway at 7th & Kings/Central like Columbus, OH's Short North (https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/files/short-north.jpg) as a crossroads pointing the way to Plaza Midwood, Elizabeth, Uptown, and Midtown.

[dubone]

The best chance of that would be Hawthorne because of the investment (eventually) in the streetcar an associated streetscaping.  But on Hawthorne north of 7th, you have predominantly residential, but at least it is very urban residential.   So in theory, you'd have Midtown, then Central to Hawthorne (which is in desperate need of streetscape, but does have retail along it), then Hawthorne to Elizabeth (which has urban residential and a few patches of retail), then Elizabeth to Kings (which has plans for continuing as a stroll district), then Kings to Metropolitan (which has parks, greenway, urban residential, and retail) AND Trade into uptown (which is the only real hope of a stroll district into uptown, although not great at the moment).

 

Unfortunately, there are a lot of holes in that which keep from being a continuously flowing district, but each section has some hope of investment and some form of positive growth and momentum. 

[southslider]

The City adopted a Pedscape Plan for this very stretch of Central Avenue.  Area Plan Implementation funding may be used for "streetscape" improvements such as a gateway at 10th/Louise and pedestrian crossing islands either side of Hawthorne.

 

As for sidewalk improvements, major redevelopment is slowly adding wider sidewalk and street trees.  1401 Central (Midwood Smokehouse / Slate Interiors) did so a few years ago, while The Nook (new apartments beside DQ) is the latest going to do so.  Granted, any rehab projects, like Kickstand / Loco Lime or Joe Hooper's, often don't widen the sidewalk, but these new uses still enliven the area and make it more comfortable to stroll longer distances along Central.

[tozmervo]

So I got to enjoy a couple of fun experiences this morning: A) the #9 Bus at rush hour and B) a Central Ave train at rush hour. 

 

In regards to A, for the love of god that corridor needs a streetcar or enhanced bus service or something. (articulated buses will help)

 

In regards to B, have there ever been plans to bridge Central over those tracks? It seems like such an obvious need, but I've never heard anything about it being dealt with.

[kermit]

So I got to enjoy a couple of fun experiences this morning: A) the #9 Bus at rush hour and B) a Central Ave train at rush hour. 

 

In regards to A, for the love of god that corridor needs a streetcar or enhanced bus service or something. (articulated buses will help)

 

In regards to B, have there ever been plans to bridge Central over those tracks? It seems like such an obvious need, but I've never heard anything about it being dealt with.

 

I have not heard any discussions of changing the CSX grade crossing at Central over the past dozen years. However, the rumor from the Gateway Station thread that CSX is considering double tracking its route between Charlotte and Monroe (in expectation of a significant increase in intermodal traffic) suggests that the rail traffic at the crossing may be getting much busier in the future. I suspect that the Pecan crossing will also be problematic due to limited visibility under Independence.

 

As an aside, adding a rail trail (like along the BLE) along the CSX from Monroe to Seigal (where you could have a connection to the Little Sugar creek greenway) would be a really nice addition to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, even if the ROW is big enough, I doubt CSX would ever consent to such a thing due to liability issues.

[dubone]

It would seem worth it for the city to plan for a bridge over the tracks for Central.  The grade change ought to make it more reasonable, as they could bridge it and shift the incline to west of the railroad. 

[RVA2CLT]

Also, how would the planned Street Car Extension cross those tracks on Central as well?

[kermit]

^ they are routing down Hawthorne to go under the existing CSX trestle and then back to central. Changing the routing to a new central ave bridge might be cheaper ./ shorter but I believe the streetcar service/storage yard was to be built on land that was accessed by that jog.

 

http://charmeck.org/CITY/CHARLOTTE/CATS/PLANNING/STREETCAR/OVERVIEW/Pages/alignment.aspx

[dubone]

The idea of a Central Av railroad bridge would be for reasons beyond the streetcar, though.  It is a significant street that is impacted every time long, slow freight train passes.  Perhaps one of the freight train minded people will know, but I don't know if double-tracking is a symptom of higher demand for the corridor (ie. much more impact to Central) or a way to keep the trains moving faster through town (or lower impact to Central).

 

While it is slightly off topic to go into the streetcar too deeply here, it seems that the Barnhardt location is not and would not be the preferred location for the vehicle facility for streetcars.   First, the starter project will include a connection to the blue line, so it may be prudent to continue expanding that single location to have more efficient operations for maintenance employees, etc.  Second, all of the funding debates about the next phase of extension has been for a line that would stop short of Central, but would make it to the other preferred option for vehicle storage/maintenance beside Brookshire freeway.  That means that the facility is unlikely to end up at the Barnhardt location.   Regardless, if a Central Av railroad bridge is not planned and paid for by an entity other than the streetcar budget, the streetcar would almost certainly follow the long planned path of continuing north on Hawthorne and then connecting to the northern dead end of Clement.

 

My feeling is that PM is better off not having the streetcar maintenance facility, as the mills on Hawthorne and Clement north of CSX are already or potentially good for Noda-style mill readaptation.   A Clement street connection would help connect that area psychologically to the neighborhood.

[CLTNative]

Construction update from Saturday. More on Facebook

 

[Guest]

Not the WORST thing in the world I suppose. I am loving the HT and the Nook though.

[Niner National]

Not the WORST thing in the world I suppose. I am loving the HT and the Nook though.

Yes those two are very nice. I wish we could get another Nook-like structure to front the street in the Family Dollar parking lot. Virtually no chance of that happening, but it would be nice to have something to hide that horrible horrible parking lot.

[New Name]

Is The Nook the one next to Dairy Queen? I was able to see the construction of that building up on the "hill" all the way from Caldwell/11th (with no leaves on the trees from winter)... It's interesting how your perspective about close in neighborhoods changes when you can see one from the other.

[Niner National]

Is The Nook the one next to Dairy Queen? I was able to see the construction of that building up on the "hill" all the way from Caldwell/11th (with no leaves on the trees from winter)... It's interesting how your perspective about close in neighborhoods changes when you can see one from the other.

That is it.

[hokiehigh]

Does anyone have an idea when Harris Teeter will open? I noticed that the signage is up.

Also Beadlush moved out of the building next to Whiskey Warehouse. I wonder if they will do something else with that property.

[southslider]

Beadlush moved across the street, replacing Queen's Gallery upstairs.  Fazio's Art Supplies is still downstairs.

 

As for Beadlush's former space, it will supposedly become another vintage clothing store.

[hokiehigh]

It will be interesting to see if they make it less like a house and more like a business.

[Mobuchu]

Love the look of this HT.  Opening on the 29th!

5-8-13

 

[Guest]

Love the look of this HT.  Opening on the 29th!

5-8-13

 

WOAH! They really pulled it off!

[RVA2CLT]

Wow the exterior aesthetics were done nicely.
The usage of Art Deco elements for the signage/roof reminds me of movie theater from the 1920s/30s.

Very cool.

[Bikeguy]

Wow the exterior aesthetics were done nicely.

The usage of Art Deco elements for the signage/roof reminds me of movie theater from the 1920s/30s.

Very cool.

 

I thought they were getting rid of the ^#@*$! telephone poles.. dammit.