Optimist Park / Belmont Projects

[AntB]

I've lived in Belmont for the past 6 years and I feel like the neighborhood is always taking two steps forward and then one step back. It's been a couple of years since someone has been shot in my generally vicinity and I had just started to feel very comfortable in my neighborhood. This shooting seriously sucks for the victims family but also, for my own selfish reasons. I really love the location of this neighborhood. I love being able to walk to Cordelia, run to the Y, or walk and get a beer at the Brewery. Since the killer hasn't been caught (much less identified), I'm now on my own house arrest making my husband paranoid when I take my son out the front door. Hopefully, we'll inch back into some normalcy as the days pass.....

We did stop by the scene on Tuesday to ask the police if they could give us a description. Their reply was that "it was a male that could look like a lot of people."

[Niner National]

I noticed several groups of people on the plots for the Lofts at Seigle Point during lunch.

 

The funding was secured in December and they have a delivery date of 2014, so I'm assuming the construction will be starting very soon.

[dubone]

Do we know whether they chose to go with the lower density or the original like in the rendering?

[Niner National]

Do we know whether they chose to go with the lower density or the original like in the rendering?

well the sign they put up by the road has the same rendering as the original site ( http://www.clinedesignassoc.com/pages/portfolio/detail.aspx?id=172&categoryID=11 )

 

I don't know much about the original plan though.

 

From the CHA Site:

 

 

The Lofts at Seigle Point Development Plan

Horizon Development Properties, Inc.; an instrumentality of CHA, through The Lofts. LLC is developing The Lofts. The property will be a mixed-income family community. This community will consist of 190 units serving residents at or below  80% of AMI. 38 units will be made available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.

Upon completion,  The Lofts will consist of:

•23     Studio units

•115    One-bedroom units

•44     Two-bedroom units

•8      Three-bedroom units

 

http://www.cha-nc.org/realestate/view_development.asp?id=14

 

As a homeowner in Seigle Point, I am happy to see that this round of apartments will be mostly studios and one bedroom units. There are already more than enough kids running around that place.

[dubone]

190 units is not too far off the density shown in the old rendering: 

http://www.clinedesignassoc.com/pages/portfolio/detail.aspx?id=172&categoryID=11

 

 

It would be nice to get something at that scale.  I don't know if the 190 units being mainly studios would mean it would yield a smaller set of buildings,  but regardless it is great news that there is some market rate.

...

 

In fact, here are some more recent and higher quality renderings showing that it is roughly the same design.  These are posted 6 months ago by CHA.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50885415@N08/7639089176/

 

 

Certainly it is unfortunate that they are going the cheaper-looking route of painted "stucco", but given that it is affordable housing and that even luxury apartments uses it, you can't really blame them.   The scale and urbanism of the design will be great.   Hopefully at some point, the grown at Seigle Pt will allow for some redevelopment of the parcels across 10th and Seigel.

[Niner National]

190 units is not too far off the density shown in the old rendering: 

http://www.clinedesignassoc.com/pages/portfolio/detail.aspx?id=172&categoryID=11

 

 

It would be nice to get something at that scale.  I don't know if the 190 units being mainly studios would mean it would yield a smaller set of buildings,  but regardless it is great news that there is some market rate.

...

 

In fact, here are some more recent and higher quality renderings showing that it is roughly the same design.  These are posted 6 months ago by CHA.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50885415@N08/7639089176/

 

 

Certainly it is unfortunate that they are going the cheaper-looking route of painted "stucco", but given that it is affordable housing and that even luxury apartments uses it, you can't really blame them.   The scale and urbanism of the design will be great.   Hopefully at some point, the grown at Seigle Pt will allow for some redevelopment of the parcels across 10th and Seigel.

The Childress Klein site is wrong, there are no market rate units.

 

They are capped at 80% AMI with 38 being eligible for housing vouchers (which is more than the existing apartments accept).

 

I find my neighbors to be mostly quiet and likable. The kids can be kind of annoying though, especially in the summer when school is out.

[Niner National]

Construction fencing went up for the Lofts at Seigle Point this morning.

[Niner National]

So I found this regarding The Lofts at Seigle Point. Thought it was interesting because I had not heard of any retail component and the number of units cited is more than what the CHA had discussed:

 

Lofts at Seigle Point – Charlotte, NC 
Awarded by Lend Lease.  This project consists of 312 multi-family units surrounding a five story parking deck. Our works includes fire alarm systems, common areas and retail spaces with a distribution system consisting of 5 1200 amp services.

 

http://www.watsonelec.com/x_recentawards.html

190 units is not too far off the density shown in the old rendering: 

http://www.clinedesignassoc.com/pages/portfolio/detail.aspx?id=172&categoryID=11

 

 

It would be nice to get something at that scale.  I don't know if the 190 units being mainly studios would mean it would yield a smaller set of buildings,  but regardless it is great news that there is some market rate.

...

 

In fact, here are some more recent and higher quality renderings showing that it is roughly the same design.  These are posted 6 months ago by CHA.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50885415@N08/7639089176/

 

 

Certainly it is unfortunate that they are going the cheaper-looking route of painted "stucco", but given that it is affordable housing and that even luxury apartments uses it, you can't really blame them.   The scale and urbanism of the design will be great.   Hopefully at some point, the grown at Seigle Pt will allow for some redevelopment of the parcels across 10th and Seigel.

I doubt it is painted stucco. The current apartments are just wood siding. Imagine this will be the same.

[Niner National]

Further, the CHA is trying to get the affordable restrictions taken off of the remaining townhomes that have not sold. "Affordable" buyers are no longer able to get financing and it is holding up sales because there is interest from market rate buyers. 5 townhomes remain and it sounds like they may move forward with building the remaining 19 once these have sold. 

[New Name]

Major work going on over at 12th & Caldwell. Trees gone and heavy machinery for grading in place.

I've driven by this intersection 2x a day for years and coming up to the CBD on Caldwell now surprises me (in a good way). It's amazing how much more urban it feels just by removing those trees.

[atlrvr]

Apparantly this will be 100 units of regular apartments and the developer (Northwood Ravin) is calling it Alpha Mill Phase II.

 

It will be very urban long Brevard and New Calvine sts, but a big surface lot will face 12th and Caldwell.

[Niner National]

I took a wrong turn while driving through Belmont a few days ago while trying to get over to Hawthorne and I ran across a townhome project under construction. There looked like there were about 6 townhomes under construction with a pretty cool modern looking design.

 

I don't remember the name, but it had Gardens in it. Anyone know what this is? They seemed very out of place for the neighborhood. The surrounding part of Belmont still looked pretty run down.

[Prodev]

Bailey Gardens - 6 TH units located at 1117 E 18th St @ Pegram

[rjp212]

Seems they are turning to old mill on Hawthorne just as you cross under the tracks into 150 multi-family units and some office space.

 

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2013/055-061/2013-059%20site%20plan.pdf

[Guest]

Seems they are turning to old mill on Hawthorne just as you cross under the tracks into 150 multi-family units and some office space.

 

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2013/055-061/2013-059%20site%20plan.pdf

very random...

[Prodev]

I think this is technically plaza midwood right?

[rjp212]

Well it's access points are off of Louise and Belmont.  I'd consider it the very edge of the Belmont neighborhood.

[RugbyPike#11]

I believe Hawthorne is the border of Belmont and Plaza Midwood. If it's on the west side of Hawthorne, then it's a Belmont project.

[Niner National]

Cool that they're saving the old mill, but definitely a very odd project. To say the surroundings of this area are not very good is an understatement. If done right, maybe it will be a catalyst to success in the area.

 

In other Belmont news, a lot of site work progress has been made on the Lofts at Seigle Point. When we finally get out of this terrible weather pattern, I imagine we'll start seeing some foundation and structural work in the next couple months.

 

Also, Grubb is requesting an extension on their contract to build the remaining 19 town homes in Seigle Point. They are also exploring a sell of their stake in the property to the CHA.

[nonillogical]

Cool that they're saving the old mill, but definitely a very odd project. To say the surroundings of this area are not very good is an understatement. If done right, maybe it will be a catalyst to success in the area.

Considering that Ink Floyd is already a very positive presence on that block, I would love to see an arts-minded approach to the development. Not enough info yet to see if that may be the case, but I think that may be the best hope for near-term embracing of the area.

[TotalLamer]

Cool that they're saving the old mill, but definitely a very odd project. To say the surroundings of this area are not very good is an understatement. If done right, maybe it will be a catalyst to success in the area.

 

You're forgetting one very important point that will lure in potential renters...

 

...the mill is right beside the cookie factory, so never will you have to go without the scent of fresh-baked cookies in the air!

[tozmervo]

I wonder if there are any long term plans to re-grid any of those streets through to Hawthorne. It's a remarkably disconnected road, it's practically like a highway barrier between Belmont and P-M.

[Niner National]

You're forgetting one very important point that will lure in potential renters...

 

...the mill is right beside the cookie factory, so never will you have to go without the scent of fresh-baked cookies in the air!

I can smell the cookie factory at my place. The scent carries pretty well. The scent is particularly strong after it rains, so when I left for work this morning I smelled cookies when I stepped out of my house.

[dubone]

The cookie factory was my favorite part of living in First Ward.

 

 

That is a decent looking mill, and I think it had already been reused initially, so to change it to mixed use will be a good change.   It is more connected to Plaza Midwood because of the few street connections back into Belmont, but I think it is technically in Belmont.   

 

This mill being successful will be important for redevelopment around one of the planned streetcar stations in the long run.

[DEnd]

I wonder if there are any long term plans to re-grid any of those streets through to Hawthorne. It's a remarkably disconnected road, it's practically like a highway barrier between Belmont and P-M.

 

The only street they could reconnect to Hawthorne is Independence Blvd.  How Hawthorne is, is basically how it was built.