IKEA's Charlotte Store

[charlotte_uncc]

that development looks very suburban. for a 'lifestyle center' there is a large sea of parking that surrounds every building. they could at least wrap all of the buildings with the roads and parking around it, that would seem like a better choice.

[uptownliving]

That site plan is total crap. They could have grouped the buildings much closer together to actually allow people to walk from one to the other. Instead we have something that is almost completely designed for the automobile. No one is going to realistically walk from one building to the other with them spaced so far apart. I hope the City and University Partners will put up a fight and demand something better than this. We can't allow this type of development to be built near future LRT stations. Otherwise our huge investment in mass transit is pointless.

[JBGB]

That site plan is total crap. They could have grouped the buildings much closer together to actually allow people to walk from one to the other. Instead we have something that is almost completely designed for the automobile. No one is going to realistically walk from one building to the other with them spaced so far apart. I hope the City and University Partners will put up a fight and demand something better than this. We can't allow this type of development to be built near future LRT stations. Otherwise our huge investment in mass transit is pointless.

[Neo]

Not bad, I like that the site plans seems to be pedstrian friendly. Maybe this can start University City towards the right path.

It's about as pedestrian friendly as the Concord Mills/Speedway Blvd. area is which is almost non-existant. I wasn't expecting any better though unfortunately.

[Justadude]

They could have grouped the buildings much closer together to actually allow people to walk from one to the other. Instead we have something that is almost completely designed for the automobile. No one is going to realistically walk from one building to the other with them spaced so far apart.

[CLTNative]

I don't see any difference between this development and the one at Harris & 85. This are already has retail, office, hotel, residence spread way apart from one another. I guess not one learned from the constant traffic jam around that Hilton. It really disgusts me that this is considered the Next Big Thing. This has been done, and has always produced the same results: CARS EVERYWHERE!

[cltheel.sdl]

I don't see any difference between this development and the one at Harris & 85. This are already has retail, office, hotel, residence spread way apart from one another. I guess not one learned from the constant traffic jam around that Hilton. It really disgusts me that this is considered the Next Big Thing. This has been done, and has always produced the same results: CARS EVERYWHERE!

[JBGB]

I really like the use of pavement in this rendering.

[Andyc545]

What surprised me for the good was 2 hotels, 1 mile of space along 85, which is huge, and that the Ikea is 2 stories, double the size of a typical Wal Mart. I think this is great!!!

[atlrvr]

great??......from a sales tax revenue standpoint? This is a budget director's dream. This place will be a cash cow to for city finances, but other than that, I can't find a redeeming quality about it. It looks like what every other Charlotte development in the past 20 years would look like if Land Design color-penciled them.

[AuLukey]

I can agree with you all that this development is spaced out waaay too much. You would think that there would be more revenue in this for them if they had made it denser and placed buildings in block formations with parking in the rear. I was actually hoping more for a parking deck in the center that serviced a good chunk of the development (aside obviously from IKEA.) While underground parking would be ideal, I can't see anyone in the city fighting for this cause. With the amount of infrastructure they are planning to tie to this development, they are leaving so much potential for greater things but not capitalizing on them. I wouldn't call this a cash cow because they are not utilizing the space to benefit themselves. The retail portions are so spread out that they may as well be separate shopping centers (a la University Place.)

Also, in the article, of the potential tenants they listed, electronics retailers seemed to be misplaced as there are already two Circuit City's, two Best Buys, and one HHGregg within six miles of this spot. While big box outside of Walmart seems unwelcome in the current plan, I don't understand how these stores would be considered to be possible tenants. That just struck me as odd. With the overall University Partner's Master Plan/Vision, I don't understand why they aren't pushing for more streetside retail in this project. Seems they would have a lot of say in this matter. If they are pushing for this kind of change on N Tryon, then why not push for it on this brand new mini-corridor?

[dubone]

I am highly disappointed in this plan, although I should have expected it from Crescent. The only redeeming qualities are the quasi-grid connectivity that I liked from the earliest drawings.

It is completely like everything else in U-City with a mixture of big box, and sparse buildings everywhere else. They did try to get some urban effect by putting the buildings in a row in that section just north of IKEA, (with the buildings facing the street and parking behind) but it still just seems half hearted, as they could have easily filled all of those gaps.

This is in a corridor that is planned for transit, and it seems absurd to me that the Colliseum property could get a siteplan that is very much trying to create a dense walkable village center, while this one is just another suburban POS siteplan, anchored by big boxes, with sparse outparcels.

Crescent is simply trying to do the bare minimum of mixed use in order to squeeze through yet another big box. As the University City Partners appears to be involved with this somewhat, I sure hope they speak very strongly that this siteplan is an unacceptable first draft.

I am curious as to why every flipping road has to curve around for no good reason. Why the heck can we not just get some old skool rectangular grids? It isn't like our topography really requires it. It just appears like a lame way for them to make sure that new road serves their own parcel, and not help out a nearby parcel owned by someone else.

Lastly, why choose a name that sounds like Belgrade?

[e2ksj3]

I'm probably the odd guy out, here, but I think the plan is okay for the type of shopper that will be coming to IKEA. This is more of a "destination" place (like Carowinds, Concord Mills, etc), where most people will come from out of town specifically with their cars to buy furniture from IKEA. A TOD like most people are thinking here, would be more suitable for developments that draw from local shoppers. I think proactive steps should be taken to keep the surrounding sprawl from growing out control around this development. I kind of wish this development would have went some where else, away from the northeast line, but I much rather keep the tax revenue in the city than let Cabarrus County get it.

[Justadude]

^ I see your reasoning, but my concern is that if this siteplan becomes reality, it will signal a lack of serious commitment to stopping sprawl in the area. I really doubt that there would be any traction to "persuade" developers to design more urban-minded lots nearby if something this uninspired is allowed to be the centerpiece.

[dubone]

Well, IKEA in Atlanta has a parking deck, as is a part of the dense Atlantic Station. It is surrounded by fairly dense townhomes (by Beazer for crying out loud-- apparently Crescent is worse than Beazer, as if we didn't already know that).

When visitors come here from afar, instead of seeing a city that is trying to urbanize rather than sprawl, they will see an area that is exactly like the sprawling parts of their own towns and cities. It will be completely unmemorable, and will leave an impression that Charlotte is an unmemorable place. This site plan could easily be found along any commercial corridor in the country, with asphalt covering much of (um, can we get a rendering with something other than asphalt, please?). I suppose we're supposed to be charmed by the retaining ponds required by regulation, and the single tree they plant at the end of each row of parking.

If IKEA pulls mainly from a 200 mile radius, then fine, let them have a big parking lot, but why not densify the whole parcel so that a deck can be afforded? Even if surface parking is somehow a must, then why not densify the rest of the parcel anyway? This would have been a perfect opportunity for a dense village the support the ridership on the adjacent Northeast LRT line. It would have been a perfect village center that might have made up for the lack of it elsewhere in U-City.

Is it really mixed-use if you have each use separate signifcantly? Why not residential above the small retail, or mixed in with it (like Pope is doing at the coliseum, no where near mass transit). The residential is behind some mosquito breeding ponds about as far as from transit as you can get on this parcel.

Seriously, contrast this one, right on a planned mass transit line, on Charlotte's main boulevard (Tryon), anchored by what claims to be a responsible and green company:

http://www.charlotte.com/485/story/201031-a201032-t2.html

...to this one, no where near planned mass transit, in a currently undesireable place to live, and not anchored by anything:

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2...site%20plan.pdf

The sites are roughly the same size (170 and 205 acres), yet Pope is somehow pulling of significant urbanization, mixture of uses, and density. Pope plans 10 parking decks surrounded by condos/apartments, totalling almost 1000 residential units. Crescent plans only 1/3 of the number of residences, and they are tucked away in a separate section of the parcel, making it unlikely that even those people will walk to these retailers. Pope creates a densely lined main boulevard with street retail and residential above, to create a sense of place, something lacking in both the Tyvola area and University City. Yet, as I wrote above, Crescent only half-heartedly puts a few buildings up against the main road, yet leaves them sparce, single-use, and surrounded by surface parking.

Remember that Crescent had anchors, a more desireable neighborhood, an interstate, a planned mass transit line, multiple major employment zones nearby (University and URP) and a blank slate of land never developed before. Contrast that to Pope, who is building on a parcel in less desireable west Charlotte, near no planned mass transit, near only one employment zone, only near a parkway, with no anchor tenants to speak of. The contrast what they are doing with a piece of land that is 25 acres smaller.

Crescent should be absolutely ashamed, and if University City Partners doesn't give them hell over it, then they might as well disband the whole organization, as that is its WHOLE purpose -- to re-mould University City away from being a placeless suburban mess.

Somehow, the planning department and the city of Charlotte pushed heavily for residential on Tyvola, but they don't appear to be figuring out a way to make Crescent, a hometown company, do something of acceptable quality in a highly important parcel.

Gee, I wonder if this is an effect of a mayor who gets a bi-weekly direct deposited payoff from Duke, Crescent's parent company.

[monsoon]

Crescent should be absolutely ashamed, and if University City Partners doesn't give them hell over it, then they might as well disband the whole organization, as that is its WHOLE purpose -- to re-mould University City away from being a placeless suburban mess. .....

[zvyozd]

^^I totally agree!

Ikea Atlanta has underground parking which makes it easy to get to the store and your car stays cool. Plus there are condos and restaurants within easy walking distance of the store "like across the street" not get into your car and find another parking spot.

[voyager12]

I think IKEA would have more incentive to be responsible if they were going into an area that cared about development. UC has sprawled on horribly for a long time without anyone with the power doing something positive to change course. IKEA is not going to be a savior to turn everything around. It's a furnishings store not a panacea. These are early days in the project and I am sure some adjustments will be made but overall IKEA is going to fit in perfectly with all the bad development that is already there.

[soccer1guy_99]

I think metro's prior statements that Ikea is the same as other big box retailers is holding true. The site plan released easily could have been oriented more toward Tryon and light rail, but was instead oriented toward the highway.

It is interesting that earlier we mentioned Portland's Ikea which is getting set to open this week. This is built close to light rail, but is still drawing its share of critics. It appears Ikea found a site that was struggling, got exceptions to rules so that it could be built, then built a sea of parking and a big yellow sign. Driving by it appears like most other Ikea stores, most noticeable are the colors, size and parking. Here is an article in the Oregonian detailing some of these complaints http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/i....xml&coll=7 This is definitely better than what Charlotte is getting, but it shows that even in one of America's most environmentally conscious cities, Ikea is putting together a product that is not appealing. This all being said, Charlotte will not even get what Portland got because Duke will get it's way.

[brokenraven]

I do have to say that this reminds me of the horrendous city planning in Cary.

[charlotte_uncc]

This is going to become one of the worst developments near a rail line in Charlotte. There are SO many problems with the site plan and their plans for the IKEA store. I am not at all happy about this development.

[Raintree21]

Has the design plan been approved by the city yet or is this all just conceptual still? Maybe there's still some hope.

[Spartan]

I really like the use of pavement in this rendering.

[Justadude]

With the size of that intersection they might as well have made it a roundabout. Maybe they could've stuck something like a fountain or artwork in the middle. I don't know... anything to make it different from a standard Wal-mart entrance.

[uptownliving]

Has the design plan been approved by the city yet or is this all just conceptual still? Maybe there's still some hope.