IKEA's Charlotte Store

[Andyc545]

The land on the IKEA site has been cleared. They did not save any trees, unfortunatly. A project like this could have greatly benefited from some of these huge trees being salvaged on site. A thin layer was just left to block 85.

[Raintree21]

I noticed that today while driving by. It's one gigantic patch of clay with no trees except around the perimeter. It's very visible from the interstate.

[Skyline49er]

I noticed that today while driving by. It's one gigantic patch of clay with no trees except around the perimeter. It's very visible from the interstate.

[Larryfla]

Is there 25 acres free in uptown for retail big box development? At about $6 million dollars an acre, and would be $150 million dollars for 25 acres. Don't think you will see any big box stores in uptown Charlotte using this much space.

Ikea will do well in Charlotte due to location to upstate South Carolina, Western NC, Piedmont NC ciries and Western Va.

[uptownliving]

I was really glad to read in today's CBJ that Charlotte Planning, Charlotte City Council members, and University City Partners does not support Crescent Resources planned Belgate development adjacent to IKEA that was previously discussed in this thread. They had a meeting with Crosland officials where they basically told them to go back to the drawing board and design something more pedestrian oriented. They don't want another collection of big box stores in a sea of parking.

Hopefully all of these people standing up to Crescent Resources will force them to produce something better than Belgate.

[Andyc545]

I was really glad to read in today's CBJ that Charlotte Planning, Charlotte City Council members, and University City Partners does not support Crescent Resources planned Belgate development adjacent to IKEA that was previously discussed in this thread. They had a meeting with Crosland officials where they basically told them to go back to the drawing board and design something more pedestrian oriented. They don't want another collection of big box stores in a sea of parking.

Hopefully all of these people standing up to Crescent Resources will force them to produce something better than Belgate.

[Andyc545]

I'm not sure if this belongs here, but it's related to the University City area near the IKEA. It's good and bad news- at the same time... The good- the WalMart at the Shoppes at University City is closing and being sold to another developer/retailer! This is excellent news for this area, which is the heart of University City where the Hilton is. It seems this is really the only store dragging down this area from being what it should be. Now the bad- in replace of this WalMart, there are 2 more being built- one in Concord, which belongs in another thread, and one near the IKEA site. It's really disappointing that WalMart now has been brought into this project, although it's not on the actual site, it is across the street. Very disappointed with that, but was so excited to hear that the current one is closing...

[FALCON1981]

I agree, the IKEA stores in a great location, but with a new Wal-mart coming in right next door this could mean real bad news for the streets specifically HY-29 and 49. Right at the interchange where they split. The Traffic there is already horrible without this, so I hope the city has something planned for this additional traffic, or I'll be looking fo a new way home from work everyday.. I can't wait for the IKEA

[Raintree21]

While it will undoubtedly bring tons more traffic to that area, don't forget about the road improvements that Ikea will do, specifically, connecting City Blvd. to University City Blvd. off of I-85. That should take some pressure off of the intersection, hopefully.

[Andyc545]

There is road improvements according the the University City masterplan. Right now, where the fork in the road for University City Blvd and N. Tryon splits will actually turn into an intersection with a light, where the remainder of University City Blvd will connect to the now "City Blvd" exit off of 85. The current 49/29 exit where it swirves you into N. Tryon, and merges lanes will also be gone. There will be a clear road to an intersection with N. Tryon with lights. There are other various improvements including to that for pedestrians, with bike lanes and sidewalks... The area should shape up well, but still... it's WalMart..... But as I said, I am so glad it is leaving the current location at the Shoppes at University Place, because that area is so prime with the lake and current pedestrian enviornment, as soon as you cross the street at ChickFilA, you are all of a sudden in a whole different enviornment...

[DigitalSky]

There is road improvements according the the University City masterplan. Right now, where the fork in the road for University City Blvd and N. Tryon splits will actually turn into an intersection with a light, where the remainder of University City Blvd will connect to the now "City Blvd" exit off of 85. The current 49/29 exit where it swirves you into N. Tryon, and merges lanes will also be gone. There will be a clear road to an intersection with N. Tryon with lights. There are other various improvements including to that for pedestrians, with bike lanes and sidewalks... The area should shape up well, but still... it's WalMart..... But as I said, I am so glad it is leaving the current location at the Shoppes at University Place, because that area is so prime with the lake and current pedestrian enviornment, as soon as you cross the street at ChickFilA, you are all of a sudden in a whole different enviornment...

[FALCON1981]

True, I guess we can also look forward to the future light rail line too... Whenever that takes shape and opens. Or some might say IF? That will help a little. Thats all that 29/49 needs, is another traffic light that makes more stop and go traffic from Charlotte to Concord. Ugggggh

It won't be so bad if they can time the light to accommidate the morning and afternoon traffic rush without having too stop every hundred feet..

[Andyc545]

I am not sure about the Sam's Club, it didn't say it at all in the article or on the master plans. It is seperate from the Wal Mart with several other big box stores in between, so it probally could support on its own since it has been all this time, but who knows. As far as the Wal Mart, there are already several buyers that want the site/property but didn't say which. Also, they said they will not sell the store/property until they move to the new location, so it will be a few years. It would be nice to convert it or demolish it from being big box and instead include much more smaller businesses to help compliment the other side of the road, maybe even continue it along down to the Dicks.

As far as light rail, I am really counting on this coming up. Since I am moving about 1/2 mile from where a proposed station is, it will be huge for me, a lot of students at UNCC, and the rest of the commuters and people that just generally love to go downtown for the night-life and day-life... The proposed stops are really ideal for the area also. One at UNCC, then one near the hospital and the Shoppes at University Place, then the N. Tryon to support the corner retail , then where IKEA and the other shops will be. I can see a lot of people utilizing light rail for shopping in University City, such as myself, without even going uptown. It would be super to be able to get to IKEA from University City station...

[mshook]

As someone who lives and goes out downtown, I personally feel as though the light rail would do wonders for the Students at UNCC. The bars are full of the students and younger crowd that drives in from the University area to party at night. This would encourage them to ride the rail in and take cabs back home...

[Andyc545]

As someone who lives and goes out downtown, I personally feel as though the light rail would do wonders for the Students at UNCC. The bars are full of the students and younger crowd that drives in from the University area to party at night. This would encourage them to ride the rail in and take cabs back home...

[Sabaidee]

For those not too familar about the proposed road improvements near IKEA and US 29/NC 49...

[Raintree21]

Very nice. Do you have a key for all of the different colors/shadings?

[Andyc545]

Very nice. Do you have a key for all of the different colors/shadings?

[AuLukey]

WOW! That rezoning plan is amazing! That is, in comparison to what's there now. I really really really hope that they see this through although I doubt much of it is feasible as it would mean splitting up several lots and basically demolishing part of University Place Shoppes and the Home Depot/Circuit City development in order to establish these proposed roads. I do like the road that breaks the boundary between campus and the shops across harris that goes back behind the hospital. This change, if possible, will make UCity into much more of a pedestrian friendly environment that a "college town" atmosphere could grow around.

[Neo]

A bit more info for anyone interesting in IKEA Charlotte today. A construction management firm has been chosen to oversee the project and have said that the store is on track for a Spring 2009 opening. For those of us who have been wondering when we might see construction of the actual building we're apparently a few months away from an official ground breaking for that. Amazing that such a large building could be thrown up in time for a Spring 2009 opening but I suppose it is fairly hollow on the inside so not a ton of finishing work would need to be done.

You can see the Business Journal article here:

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stori...ml?ana=from_rss

[dubone]

In related news, the sitemap is updated on their new rezoning request, which has a public hearing in 2 months.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Planni...ns/2008-059.htm

After lots of time to think about it, I'm still happy IKEA is coming and the planned connectivity, but I am so bored with the proposal, I almost just don't care about it at all. Sad that Crescent is such a buzzkill.

[Appetite for Construction]

I was looking at the rezoning site plan and saw that the IKEA parcel is excluded from the rezoning ... no big deal really.

What did strike me as strange/ironic is that the IKEA parcel had already been rezoned to MUDD-O.

I might be going out on a limb here, but I don't really think of a 300,000+ square foot store with a sea of surface parking as mixed use development. That's just me though.

[Raintree21]

Would that be because there is more planned for that site than just the Ikea? Or are you speaking of JUST the part of the land that the Ikea building sits on and not the entire project.

[Spartan]

The current rezoning proposal is just standard suburban crap. Where are all the roads that are called for in the UC Area Plan? Where are half of those roads? The UCAP clearly calls for a fairly dense road network which this thing does not provide. The city needs to demand that this be at least somewhat similar to the UCAP.

[Appetite for Construction]

Would that be because there is more planned for that site than just the Ikea? Or are you speaking of JUST the part of the land that the Ikea building sits on and not the entire project.