Optimist Park / Belmont Projects

[Justadude]

Reminds me of Central27. Nothing great or spectacular, just middle-range. Which, for that location, is a major step up.

[dubone]

Interesting. It doesn't fit my drothers, but I think there is definitely a market for that kind of design, and I think Tuscan might recognize that the market for that is similar to the market for new residents to fragile neighborhoods.

I'm so relieved it isn't branded 'SoDa'.

[Charlotte_native]

I'm so relieved it isn't branded 'SoDa'.

I think there are quite a few of us that would agree on that!

[mjfhokie]

Hey everyone, I am moving down to Charlotte after I graduate and working at Wachovia. Spent yesterday looking at apartments all over the city. I knew I wanted to live in Uptown, but wasn't sure how feasible it would be. Anyway, I visited Alpha Mills and signed up for what they said was one of the last 1-bedroom apartments! I fell in love with the place and can't wait to move down there. (I'm not worried about the trains though, I grew up in Detroit and lived for 4 months in Switzerland where there was a bell tower right across the street and it rang its every hour, even at night!)

[charlotte49ersuptown]

welcome to the neighborhood. You will get used to the trains. I took the same approach. I wanted to live Uptown but knew that most of the housing was too expensive. I got into a studio at a great rate and love it. They weren't lying either about the last one bedroom, the old mill building units went extremely fast. I reserved one of the last studios about three weeks into pre-leasing back in August.

[tarik]

What's with the link only working for a limited time??? Just tried to access it and it is no longer available. Does someone happen to have it downloaded? Crosland is working on the train horns. There is a federal "Quiet Zone" program that the city has yet to enforce, and with the support of residents, things may change. Keep asking... it is outrageous that a train moving at 5 mph must sound the horn 50 times in a 0.5 mile stretch. Bloc90 rendering??? The project will not be unveiled on St. Patty's, but hopefully soon enough. Rendering???

[tarik]

www.savethisbuilding.com

[redlikemethodz]

Henry McGill, husband of Helen McGill who founded the McGill Rose Gardeson on Noth Davidson near the CATS building, passed away recently:

http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top...asp?ArID=135475

[dubone]

That is sad, but he has left a great legacy. In a decade, Optimist Park will be pretty well beyond its industrial roots, and McGill will still be there, bringing a great identity to the neighborhood. I somewhat would want them to switch the name from "Optimist Park" to "McGill".

[tarik]

How do you "switch" the name of a neighborhood? Anyways, the bloc90 project is online at www.bloc90.com

[uptownliving]

hmm, what to think about this project. From an urban design standpoint its ok with all the buildings going up to the street and facing the street with the exception being Davidson. Nothing will face or front Davidson. I give it a "C" for urban design.

The architecture is obviously very industrial in look and feel and copies that of Opt12. If done right this could look really good, but it is going to come down to matieral choice and color and we won't be able to judge that till construction is complete. I give the architecture a "B"

Overall I think this development will continue to push Optimist Park up to the next level in urban development. This is just a taste of things to come for this neighborhood.

[Charlotte_native]

How do you "switch" the name of a neighborhood? Anyways, the bloc90 project is online at www.bloc90.com

It has been attempted in the past by just calling it different names, like SODA! In this case an official change would likely be by city council. Maybe a road name change to honor Mr. McGill? Maybe a new condo building named McGill Gardens?

[f0xym0p]

I wish there was more than one entrance/exit to this project.

Other than that, I just hope Tuscan actually follows through with the rain garden. They've been known to promise features in the beginning that don't show up in the finished product.

[tarik]

Does anyone have information regarding the cleared site on 15th Street across from where the "homies" hang out? It is directly on the greenway, and there does not appear to be any indication if this project is civic/public or private. Anyone know?

[tarik]

The "rain garden" is a romantic term for the required storm management system (detention pond) that the government has for low-lying areas with a great deal of surface parking. Perkins + Will is a edgy design firm, so the project should "look good". There must be more planned in the area besides this one project if they intend on selling units for anywhere close to $200K.

Apparently, Clay Hunter with Hunter Tire & Wrecker thinks their business if an asset to the community. He says they give thousands of dollars to local non-profits for community events. Can anyone attest to this? Apparently, the writing on the wall has inspired him to communicate...

[dubone]

I remember they helped fund the security personel when that was in the news a few years ago. If he was a help to the community, he'd improve the look of his facilities. I just don't put much stock in what he is doing anymore, because now there are market forces that could transform the neighborhood much more than a few thousand in donations.

[tarik]

here, here dubone

[krazeeboi]

I'm usually late on stuff, but has anyone else seen the reverse writing on the purple and pink storage building on N. Davidson that says something like, "Don't turn Optimist Park into a junkyard"? I saw it this morning on my way to church; I meant to snap a picture of it but I forgot.

[Bossanova]

I'm usually late on stuff, but has anyone else seen the reverse writing on the purple and pink storage building on N. Davidson that says something like, "Don't turn Optimist Park into a junkyard"? I saw it this morning on my way to church; I meant to snap a picture of it but I forgot.

I just drove by what you're talking about, but I thought it said "Optimist Park is a neighborhood not a junkyard." Then again, I only had a moment to make it out so I could be way off.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Bossanova

[uptownliving]

Yes Bassanove I drove by and saw the same thing in my rear view mirror today. Is this message directed at Hunter Towing? I would think so since that side of the building faces the Hunter Towing junk yard.

[krazeeboi]

I just drove by what you're talking about, but I thought it said "Optimist Park is a neighborhood not a junkyard." Then again, I only had a moment to make it out so I could be way off.

That's probably it. I was facing the wording, so I don't remember exactly what it said since I didn't get that "mental image" from seeing it written normally.

[archiham04]

The "rain garden" is a romantic term for the required storm management system (detention pond) that the government has for low-lying areas with a great deal of surface parking.

Well yes and no. No, a rain garden a different entity from a required storm water detention pond. Yes, sometimes developers are apt to call their detention ponds "rain gardens". A rain garden is not a detention structure, it is a water quality structure designed to clean pollution from runoff as it passes through with active plant material. A storm water detention pond is designed to slow the speed of the water leaving the site, but has no designed water quality improvement features. The thinking behind the slowing is that if water is slower when it gets to the streams then the streams can soak in and filter like the rain garden does at the beginning.

All that being said, by slowing the water, in the pond, there is settling and plants do grow there and they do clean the water... but the design is for slowing not cleaning. Also there are "wet" detention ponds. These are designed to have some water in them all the time, as well as water plants. It would seem that these would clean the water, but I think theire primary purpose is still slowing and the plants make the pond look a lot nicer.

Sugar Creek Greenway (at Freedom Park and off of Westfield Rd) is a great place to see wet detention ponds. Northlake Mall parking lot is a great place to see small rain gardens. Huntersville has a rain garden ordinance (and detention i think). Charlotte has a detention ordinance. Detention ponds can be seen at most major construction sites with significant impervious surface. They are usually surrounded by fencing and look pretty ghastly.

[charlotte49ersuptown]

http://www.charlotte.com/115/story/70938.html

Looks like they have started to market and sell units at Siegle Point. Grubb Properties is handling the first of the many phases of this development. I can't believe they are selling 3 Bedroom, 1,200 SF units for $140-200K. These are unbelievable price points. I may have to call them Monday to see if any more or left, this is a great investment opportunity or a an opportunity to raise a family close to Uptown.

[A2]

The prices are extrememly competitive, BUT is it not true that 20 untis are being reserved for the former residenets that once lived at the Piedmont Housing Project? I guess I am all for "mixed income", but my concern is that if they fill a large percentage of the units with former residents, then there might be en element of crime to contend with. (unless there is a rigorous screening pf potential residents, which there very well could be)

Quote:

Gallman said about 20 of Grubb's planned townhomes will be reserved as affordable units and will include levels of assistance that potentially would allow qualified former residents to seek purchase.

There are only 50 units available in all. That means that 40 percent of the project will be occupied by former residents.

Now maybe they are ideal residents and they have been pre-screened as I mentioned above, but that is a ton of units to offer to residents basically getting in for next to nothing.

PLUS:

The Housing Authority plans about 920 housing units in the immediate area, including about 100 apartments for seniors.

The 23-acre site will accommodate 204 rental apartments and about 160 for-sale units. A condo project is in the planning stages.

Now don't get me wrong I think the First Ward model has been a success story, but when we have nearly a THOUSAND units planned to be funded by the gov't, and only a small percentage of the entire project left open for investors or people seeking outright home ownership, one has to question if that is really an area that you want to invest in. (or for that matter live near).

The way that I understand (if I am reading correctly), is that almost the whole project is planned for lower income residents. I am curious as to what percentage of the First Ward Master plan was left open to lower income versus market rate homes??Does anyone know off the top of their head???

A2

Edited April 2, 2007 by A2

[dubone]

It is all part of trying to get these people out of the learned helplessness that has existed for generations. These are the best public housing residents that really just need a break to help them get to the middle class. It is a great program. It really worked for First Ward, and really helps to exorcise the demons of their 'projects' past. The idea is the the utopian ideal of a workable city is not some sort of sterile spot for the gentry, but rather a place where there can be mixture of demographics in a stable environment. If, on opening day, you have middle class condo owners and subsidized residents that are working to be middle class, you don't have an issue where there is a trend one way or the other. As a result, there isn't a middle class rush out like in dying neighborhoods, where you have a sort of money drain and brain drain, such as in the white flight era. You also don't have economic factors where the poor are priced out and cannot make a living enough to stay in their neighborhood.

If we want to pay people 8 bucks an hour, we've got to figure out where to have them sleep without putting them in a ghetto where the social structure is often destructive.

I'm hardly a liberal, but I whole-heartedly believe in this concept.