Brooklyn Village Redevelopment in 2nd Ward

[Guest]

The poplar in 4th ward has an absolutely stellar rooftop deck. Not a lot going on but there's tables and chairs and a bunch of plants. It's got one of the best views around though at just the right height above the trees

[ScottCLT]

Looks like the Convention Center is finally replacing the HIDEOUS tri-color electronic display on the outside of the building. It appeared that they were putting up two new jumbotron-type displays in its place. Here's what is being replaced. It's hard to believe that thing's only 17 years old. Looks like it came from 1983.

[TotalLamer]

(mainly because you can't see the back of Garrison from it).

Seriously... what were they thinking with this? I hate to go on a tangent, but never before have I seen a building where two sides look beautiful (I love the old-warehouse-turned-lofts look, even if it's a new building) and the other two sides are absolutely hideous the way the Garrison has turned out.

[15895]

According to the observer, the city is clearing the lot south of stonewall and McDowell for a developer. The land is zoned for mix use

[kermit]

^ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/09/3446571/city-clears-uptown-lot.html

I believe this is just epicly bad observer reporting. That is the site for fountains uptown apts which is discussed above.

[dubone]

We can keep the Second Ward thread active with this project, as it is the only thing going right now in the neighborhood (other than Skye).

I'm really happy that Fountains Stonewall is moving forward. I had noticed it wasn't in the coming soon section of Fountains website, but maybe now that the land will be sold to them it will be considered more certain.

6-story projects are great and help to fill in spots uptown that have long been vacant. 360 units will be good too, and add to the activity between uptown and midtown, Little Sugar Creek Greenway, and the retail at McDowell and Morehead.

[Spartan]

I'm somewhat excited about the Fountains project. More residential population in 2nd Ward is a good thing, and more development along a primary route between Midtown and Uptown is key in terms of making the connection between the two more walkable.

My only criticism seems to be the same for most projects in Charlotte- no units with doors/stairwells opening onto the street. There are some topological challenges with this particular site, but IMO this is just more of the same for Charlotte. To create a truly pedestrian and cyclist friendly urban core we need to have better urban design with more active street fronts. At least there is a primary pedestrian entrance at the corner, so it's not a total loss.

[carolinagarnet]

I agree, but I think developers are somewhat reticent to build on street entrances given the number of break-ins at Mosaic (Millenium). Tryon in that area is a little rough and undeveloped anyway, but I think a lot of people (myself included) would consider an externally facing front door a security risk in an area as undeveloped as Second Ward.

[Guest]

Would love to see this project actually happen one day. Second Ward Park. Looks like Land Design is trying to make a great Modern Park when all is said and done.

http://www.landdesign.com/work/projects/on-the-boards/second-ward-park.aspx

[krazeeboi]

What's the location of the proposed park? It's good to see a push for more parks in Uptown; long overdue.

[Guest]

I had to DIG DEEP and turn on a computer that hasn't been on for 5 years for this one. This was proposed in 2007. It was part of the Land Swap that opened up land for the baseball stadium and Romare Beaden Park. There are still long term plans for something like this to occur in this general area, however it will be a LONG time.

Brooklyn Village

The residential and retail core of Second Ward will be called "Brooklyn

Village". Nestled in the middle of the Second Ward community, the village will

offer a unique combination of condominiums, apartments, office space,

restaurants, retail, and community facilities around a beautiful urban park. The

village will be a model for diversity and a truly fun place to live.

Some of the unique components of the Brooklyn Village include:

• Incredible views of the Charlotte skyline from all over the village.

• Two residential condominium projects, with a total of 420 residences. A

significant percentage of these residences are workforce housing, priced

between $140,000 and $300,000.

• An apartment project with approximately 300 apartments. A significant

number of these units will provide workforce housing, with rents in the

$500- $1200 per months range. We are also working with the Charlotte

Housing Authority to make 30 of these units affordable housing, at no

cost to the City.

• A six or seven story office building, with approximately 180,000 square

feet of space. CMS will be headquartered in the building.

• Office condominiums facing the courthouse.

• Six to eight restaurants offering a variety of cuisine.

• Retail shops offering a variety of '<village" amenities.

• A beautiful 5 acre park featuring fountains, green space, flower gardens.

and a community center A built in band-shell gazebo and lawn area will

provide a place for music in the park.

• The Community Center will be the renovated Second Ward gym. and

will offer games, kids and teen areas, and a place for community

meetings and volunteer activities. A privately funded renovation of the

2nd Ward gym. and the convers10n to a community center will help

preserve the incredible history of the Brooklyn neighborhood. A special

area in the building will tell the story.

• Tne Mecklenburg Aquatics Center is also a unique part of the Second

Ward Village. Residents can enjoy its combination of swimming pools.

fitness areas, and serious swimming lanes.

• We are hopeful that CMS will also decide to put a new magnet '·Second

Ward High School" in the village.

Restaurants and Retail Shops

The developers of the Brooklyn Village have targeted a dynamic mix of ··village"

restaurants and retail tenants. These retail tenants will serve residents of the

village, employees of Wachovia and the Government Center, visitors to the

Convention Center, Nascar Museum visitors, and the guests of the numerous

hotels in the area. The restaurants will be grouped along 2nd Street, with outdoor

seating facing the park.

The retail tenants would include:• A small grocery/pharmacy/wine store.

• A coffee and bagel shop

• A local diner - hopefully the Coffee Cup.

• A fun pizza restaurant .

• A great overall restaurant like Harpers.

• A tavern/sports bar like Midtown Sundries.

• A small sushi bar.

• A soda shop with ice cream and sandwiches.

• A small martini bar/wine bar with outdoor seating

• A dry cleaners

• A small salon for haircuts, nails, etc.

This unique mix of restaurants and retail tenants should also draw from the

surrounding neighborhoods of Dilworth, Midtown, Elizabeth, and First Ward.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Guest

[dubone]

It is such a shame that that lost all momentum. It is really something that would have helped remake 2nd Ward, which is pretty terrible now.

[ah59396]

Grading is pretty much completed over at the Fountains site, this will really bring some nice activity to that corner, especially pedestrian activity to Midtown. Can't way to see this sucker start to go up.

[dubone]

Has there been any activity on actually having them close on the site? I haven't seen news that it has been finally sold by the city. It is nice to see progress there, as it will help fulfill the goals of the original interchange redesign, and support pedestrian activity despite the freeway overhead. It is a shame the buildings at Baxter and McDowell are so terrible, as it would otherwise help pedestrian activity toward Dilworth.

[ah59396]

^ That I cannot tell you. But I do agree with the other buildings, they are horrid.

[dubone]

Now that Bearden Park and Knights/BB&T stadium is in motion, the other aspect of that original landswap deal was to revise Marshall Park and have an updated grid to allow for new development. 2nd Ward ought to have a chance to regaining momentum now that the NASCAR HOF and Chiquita Global HQ are now in the neighborhood, Fountains at Stonewall is to be built, and The Skye is en route to completion. I believe that the streetscape project for Stonewall Street between Caldwell and McDowell is also in the works for the next couple years.

[15895]

Such a shame Marshall Park is so... Empty. And ironic it used to be so prominent in 1990 pictures and postcards of CLT.

Wonder why it never spurred any development at all. I know it's in the Gov. Center but still... I guess when the development boom started this park was going to get nixxed so developers had no interest. I never paid much attention to the details. Between catalyst, One Charlotte, 210 trade, east morehead, 300 south tryon, Vue, trademark, avenue, Wachovia hotel & office tower, 277 cap, light rail opening up, trademark, Ritz carlton, renessaince, etc. It didn't capture my attention

What effect does Marshal Park have on Brooklyn Village? Any? I believe Brooklyn Village is just on hold and not dead

Edited November 11, 2012 by AirNostrumMAD

[tozmervo]

The irony of a development called Brooklyn Village will keep me up all night

[dubone]

Why is that irony? It is a reference to a historic name for the neighborhood. Obviously it is sad that it was bulldozed, but so was the rest of this city.

The 2020 Vision Plan for uptown of course deals heavily with 2nd Ward, although not terribly different from the master planning that happened a decade ago for the neighborhood.

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/growthstrategy/Documents/8.pdf

I am irritated that they they still included the Brevard Street plan in the 2020 vision. That idea died when the city built the NASCAR HOF the way that they did even in the midst of planning for Brevard St to be a retail-driven street. It is pretty much a waste of energy to expect that the private sector will fix what the city itself has ruined with the CTC, Convention Ctr, and HOF. They all are designed as sidewalk-ignoring mega complexes. For god's sake, they don't even pour concrete up to the curb where buses let out, so it is pretty much a dirt path to the bus in the 'planting' strip. Then, there is an entire block that is owned by the railroad companies, who have absolutely no incentive to do anything other than continue to receive parking revenue.

[krazeeboi]

Such a shame Marshall Park is so... Empty. And ironic it used to be so prominent in 1990 pictures and postcards of CLT.

It's still prominent in a lot of pictures of Charlotte in these "best of" rankings.

[Urbanity]

Why is that irony?

Two guesses on my part - the first you referenced - that the city destroyed/razed/demolished what was an established and vibrant neighborhood before (called Brooklyn) and now they get to pound chests about the idea of 'developing" a Brooklyn neighborhood.

Second guess - Brooklyn is in name sake of the origin - far from a village and thus the irony.

[RVA2CLT]

Spectrum was given an extension until June 1st to close on this deal, they are still trying to raise the capital for the project.
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/going_green/2013/01/brooklyn-village-spectrum-delayed.html

 

[dubone]

2nd Ward rarely makes it into my consciousness.  It would be really something if Brooklyn Village came together.  The plans for the revamped Marshall Park with surrounding mixed income housing would be helpful return of residential uses to the area.  I think once seeds of new growth are put in, it will help it feel much less like an institutional zone.  

 

Pair that with Fountains at Stonewall that is hopefully still coming along, city spending on Stonewall streetscape, and eventually some larger new developments on the city parcels between Davidson St and the Westin, we could have some foundation.  In the mean time, it seems like it has little momentum, and much less going for it than other parts of town for development. 

[tozmervo]

I'm not sure what's going on, but work on Fountains seems to have ground to a complete halt. The site's prepped and fenced off, but there is zero activity and equipment out there anymore.

[atlrvr]

That was the city that did the work as part of the sales contract, not the developer.  To the best of my knowledge it is not breaking ground any time too soon.  They originally filed for buildiner permits in October, but cancelled their review meeting in November.  No indication if it is just a delay to complete the design, or if the whole project is on hold.