NoDa (N Davidson St Arts District) Projects

[cltbwimob]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:24 PM, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

Thanks for the great post. Getting off the train at 36th and seeing this building is saddening. Hopefully the success of Tompkins, will give the developers ideas beyond turning these into housing. If this building was redeveloped in a useful manner, and the space facing 36th was properly activated this could be a next level gateway into NoDa from the Light Rail. Its a shame to see it wasting away.

To be honest, I'd take anything including residential to rehab this old mill.

[SgtCampsalot]

Two questions about the Asana retail next to Novel (and it's flat concrete butt facing 36th St:

1) Would it truly have been prohibitively expensive to dig out that lower grade section to put retail facing the main Street? Or... Did they not care, and simply want their storefronts to face Novel's ground floor and platform?

2) Does anyone know if Asana specifically built the foundations/structure to accommodate additional floors? In case they want to go vertical one day?

...Because I'd love it if in 10-20 years they tore it all down and built retail facing 36th.

Edited November 5, 2018 by SgtCampsalot

[videtur quam contuor]

That wall is gonna be tagged like nothin was ever tagged.

[Eightane]

2 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Two questions about the Asana retail next to Novel (and it's flat concrete butt facing 36th St:

1) Would it truly have been prohibitively expensive to dig out that lower grade section to put retail facing the main Street? Or... Did they not care, and simply want their storefronts to face Novel's ground floor and platform?

2) Does anyone know if Asana specifically built the foundations/structure to accommodate additional floors? In case they want to go vertical one day?

...Because I'd love it if in 20 years they tore it all down and built retail facing 36th.

I agree, this was a major, major missed opportunity. Sidewalk-oriented retail at a natural relief is one of the simplest ways to give a small patch of city character aside from public art. I wouldn't be surprised if this entire thing is just another example of function-over-form, I.E. however much money they saved or construction time they shortened by doing it the bland way.

[Matthew.Brendan]

Welcome to Charlotte, you must be new here? /s

Endless opportunity to “get it right” and the quick/cheap/easy way wins out again and again. 

Plenty of lip service paid to “urban design” but now we get to live with subpar results for the next 10+ years because it would have cost a little more to do it right the first time. 

[Desert Power]

Not surprised, although there isn't a direct way from the light rail down there without a crosswalk.  Seems like something it will take us a while to get right.

 

[archiham04]

^^^^^This is senseless.

[michaelef]

The wall on 36th street underneath the new freight train bridge has already been tagged. Seems like more graffiti is happening on this side of town.  

In other Noda News Solstice Tavern is closing (not surprised the food was never great) 

A new restaurant has FINALLY been announced for Revolutions old spot. It is going to be called Room & Board and will be opening December/January. More about it in the Noda Newsletter

https://noda.org/nodanews-2/

[tozmervo]

18 minutes ago, michaelef said:

The wall on 36th street underneath the new freight train bridge has already been tagged. Seems like more graffiti is happening on this side of town.  

In other Noda News Solstice Tavern is closing (not surprised the food was never great) 

A new restaurant has FINALLY been announced for Revolutions old spot. It is going to be called Room & Board and will be opening December/January. More about it in the Noda Newsletter

https://noda.org/nodanews-2/

I don't feel like announcements for the Revolution spot were ever the problem

[michaelef]

2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I don't feel like announcements for the Revolution spot were ever the problem

Didn't think/say it was a problem it has just been a while since Revolution left and Moo & Brew backed out. Just excited to see a new project come along. 

[videtur quam contuor]

Just tagging onto a memory from last week. The Johnston Mill at 36th and Davidson and the Johnston Building downtown, and a beauty it is, are from the same family of textile industrialists and commercial investors. I drove past the Whitehall development on Queens Road West today and recalled when it was the Johnston estate, 9 acres and a glorious southern mansion and outbuildings. The family lived here for 50+ years. I was cycling in this lovely neighborhood long ago and had seen this property before though there were shrubs all around the property line to prevent any view of the interior. On that afternoon long ago I turned into the driveway and soon there was a couple working in their flower bed and garden and I surprised them and I realized I was dead wrong and turned and pedaled away.  Maybe I caused them to sell their property. The history is better told here than by me:

http://www.whitehallcharlotte.com/history.php

If one looks at the "History" page of the Whitehall website and clicks on the "history" link, the first pdf. one, then within that document are photos of the mansion and property, though sepia by time. Mount Vernon come to Charlotte.

The workers of the mill provided a magnificent building for the businessmen and a grand and beautiful home for the family, with some intermediate steps.

Edited November 20, 2018 by tarhoosier

[kermit]

New movement on part of the Flywheel site?

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/11/27/chicago-real-estate-firm-to-develop-apartments-as.html

 

Quote

Origin Investments is under contract to purchase two contiguous parcels of land near the Lynx Blue Line Sugar Creek Station, where, in phases, a little more than 1,000 market-rate multifamily units will be developed, said Michael Episcope, principal at Origin.

 

[KJHburg]

^^^ a little more that Business Journal article

""Origin Investments is under contract to purchase two contiguous parcels of land near the Lynx Blue Line Sugar Creek Station, where, in phases, a little more than 1,000 market-rate multifamily units will be developed, said Michael Episcope, principal at Origin. The firm launched a qualified opportunity zone fund on Nov. 14 and, in 17 hours, raised $105 million in commitments from 425 investors. Part of that fund will be used for the planned multifamily project in Charlotte, which is on land deemed an opportunity zone and part of a larger mixed-use development headed up by Charlotte-based Flywheel Group on the transit line.""

More about Opportunity Zones and they are apart of the recent tax reform.  

""Opportunity zones have become a big topic of discussion in the commercial real estate world after the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations and guidance in October for the federal tax incentive, part of last year's massive tax overhaul. Opportunity zones — defined as economically distressed areas that are identified by state governments and approved by the federal government — allow investors to defer tax on capital gains made in a qualified opportunity fund and pay reduced capital gains taxes after five- and seven-year holding periods. No capital gains tax is paid on the appreciation of capital gains invested in the fund if it's held for at least 10 years.""

You will see more and more developments citing this opportunity zone as incentives to build which is good since a large part of the Blue Line Extension would qualify. 

"

[Scribe]

Rendering from the BizJournal article...

[Desert Power]

Which streets are these parcels on?

[KJHburg]

43 minutes ago, Desert Power said:

Which streets are these parcels on?

This is what a photo caption said in the Business Journal article

""An entity affiliated with Tony Kuhn of Flywheel Group acquired the building at 601 E. Sugar Creek Road in January for $6.5 million. Origin Investments is investing in the project through its Fund III and has adjacent land under contract to build 1,000-plus apartments.""    emphasis mine

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, Desert Power said:

Which streets are these parcels on?

Being at 601 E Sugar Creek Rd, I'd say this photo is looking south. The street in the foreground is Raleigh St (east of Sugar Creek Rd) which is being connected to the western portion via underneath the Sugar Creek bridge.  The intersecting street that goes "into" the development looks like an extension of Greensboro St that they are currently re-routing and curving from the intersection on Sugar Creek (where the Diner is).

[Desert Power]

15 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Being at 601 E Sugar Creek Rd, I'd say this photo is looking south. The street in the foreground is Raleigh St (east of Sugar Creek Rd) which is being connected to the western portion via underneath the Sugar Creek bridge.  The intersecting street that goes "into" the development looks like an extension of Greensboro St that they are currently re-routing and curving from the intersection on Sugar Creek (where the Diner is).

I see now.  I wonder how far we are from the shopping center getting redeveloped.  

[kermit]

1 hour ago, Desert Power said:

I see now.  I wonder how far we are from the shopping center getting redeveloped.  

I think now that the Opportunity Zone ice has been broken it will happen quickly. The downside is I think the opportunity zone is going to drain a bunch of investment that was headed for other parts of town.

[navigator319]

These 'neighbors' and the city counsel are idiots if they think the changes 'they got' is anything but a negative to them.  Emblematic of a whole range of situations in CLT and in the country.  Uneducated people with a 'voice' leading pandering blow heads.  Anyone with young children should make sure they learn Chinese.  Will be very useful in 30/40 years.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article223197860.html

[elrodvt]

What exactly in those changes set off this rant?

[navigator319]

13 hours ago, elrodvt said:

What exactly in those changes set off this rant?

A reduction of two residential units - Makes no difference.  Its purely BS

Removing the 'event space' - 'Traffic concerns' - The size of the event space was trivial.  Think community center room size. Again traffic concerns of this is purely BS

Because fo the above 'concessions' the project drop allocating 4 units to affordable classification to 2 units of affordable classification 

 

[kermit]

^ I really wish that the council would make it formal policy to dismiss all 'traffic concerns' brought up at zoning meetings. The push back is extra-ridiculous here given the new BLE station nearby.

In a city growing as fast as Charlotte NIMBY's are just pushing traffic into someone else's neighborhood and encouraging more sprawl. Why is this OK?

Edited December 18, 2018 by kermit

[elrodvt]

1 hour ago, navigator319 said:

A reduction of two residential units - Makes no difference.  Its purely BS

Removing the 'event space' - 'Traffic concerns' - The size of the event space was trivial.  Think community center room size. Again traffic concerns of this is purely BS

Because fo the above 'concessions' the project drop allocating 4 units to affordable classification to 2 units of affordable classification 

 

It is ironic the concerns over fairly minor things (valid or not) resulted in losing 2 of 4 affordable units. That's non-progressive and I would guess against these people's supposed values. Hypocritical??

[Desert Power]

Disappointing  to see NoDa flip to NIMBY so quickly after the light rail.   Guess that is what happens when homes cost ~$700k....