Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[Guest]

While I realize this is obviously a pipe dream, but I came across this proposal for an urban highschool. Great Architecture, great job utilizing the street level space. Love it. I dug this up looking for leads on Crescent.

http://www.littleonline.com/think/the-redefined-urban-high-school

[nonillogical]

^Well, we know that's not happening since Foundation for the Carolinas has bought the Carolina Theater and the vacant lot there and has quite different plans for it. It does look nice though. 

[ah59396]

^Well, we know that's not happening since Foundation for the Carolinas has bought the Carolina Theater and the vacant lot there and has quite different plans for it. It does look nice though. 

 

Yeah, we still have another 11 years to wait for that though.

[CLTProductions]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2014/01/southern-living-says-the-best-bars-in-nc-are.html

This article (and attached list) just proves my point that our bars are garbage. Can we PLEASE get some memorable bars uptown????? Austin has 3 on this list.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Jayvee

[15895]

While I realize this is obviously a pipe dream, but I came across this proposal for an urban highschool. Great Architecture, great job utilizing the street level space. Love it. I dug this up looking for leads on Crescent.

I think an urban high school would be awesome for uptown wish there was plans for one

http://www.littleonline.com/think/the-redefined-urban-high-school

[nonillogical]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2014/01/southern-living-says-the-best-bars-in-nc-are.html

This article (and attached list) just proves my point that our bars are garbage. Can we PLEASE get some memorable bars uptown????? Austin has 3 on this list.

I wouldn't say our bars are garbage, in fact I think we have a LOT of good bars, but we may have no great bars. We will never be anywhere near Austin in this category but I have a feeling we are probably right on the cusp of getting a crop of more interesting establishments. 

[CLTProductions]

I wouldn't say our bars are garbage, in fact I think we have a LOT of good bars, but we may have no great bars. We will never be anywhere near Austin in this category but I have a feeling we are probably right on the cusp of getting a crop of more interesting establishments. 

Okay, okay I agree, theyre not garbage, just frustrated haha. I think the demand for specialty and diverse places are growing and I do believe we are on the cusp, I am just impatient.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2012/07/midnight-cowboy-brothel-turned.html?page=all

 

This place in Austin is on that list, been there before. Would kill for Charlotte to have a place like this (the concept is genius).

Edited January 23, 2014 by Jayvee

[Urbanity]

Re: Bars - .   Austin was a destination for live music long before it became the "it" city and it has a history of building up its entertainment options.  I don't think Charlotte needs new or better "bars" in Uptown so much as new and better nightlife choices.  

 

Charlotte is still in an adolescent stage of moving its CBD from Alive at Day/Tumbleweed at night to round the clock activity.  Right now its the 20-30 something market who brought the activity to Uptown at night.  As the CBD matures, more people move into it, and an older demographic begins to take hold (as 20 somethings are priced out)  you will see more options than the clone bar/crowd that exists in abundance today in Uptown.  BTW - those hipster clone bar/crowd bars will always be the backbone of Uptown to a degree by nature of Uptown being the center of tourism.

[CLTProductions]

Re: Bars - .   Austin was a destination for live music long before it became the "it" city and it has a history of building up its entertainment options.  I don't think Charlotte needs new or better "bars" in Uptown so much as new and better nightlife choices.  

 

Charlotte is still in an adolescent stage of moving its CBD from Alive at Day/Tumbleweed at night to round the clock activity.  Right now its the 20-30 something market who brought the activity to Uptown at night.  As the CBD matures, more people move into it, and an older demographic begins to take hold (as 20 somethings are priced out)  you will see more options than the clone bar/crowd that exists in abundance today in Uptown.  BTW - those hipster clone bar/crowd bars will always be the backbone of Uptown to a degree by nature of Uptown being the center of tourism.

I understand its not necessarily fair to compare Austin to Charlotte, and I do agree that Charlotte is still really young. Again just impatient and would like to see some change.

[Urbanity]

^I get you and share your pain!

[Madison Parkitect]

I think part of it too is that usually a decent food scene comes before a bar scene, and Charlotte is just now starting to develop its food scene. Some of those new restaurants have decent bars (Tupelo Honey's cocktail menu looks especially interesting), but I think once the idea that Charlotte can support new, unique restaurants takes hold over a longer period of time, maybe another year or two, we'll start to see interesting bars popping up. But I don't know that uptown will be the starting place for them, just as uptown isn't really the place for interesting food yet.

[Miesian Corners]

Re: Bars - .   Austin was a destination for live music long before it became the "it" city and it has a history of building up its entertainment options.  I don't think Charlotte needs new or better "bars" in Uptown so much as new and better nightlife choices.  

 

Charlotte is still in an adolescent stage of moving its CBD from Alive at Day/Tumbleweed at night to round the clock activity.  Right now its the 20-30 something market who brought the activity to Uptown at night.  As the CBD matures, more people move into it, and an older demographic begins to take hold (as 20 somethings are priced out)  you will see more options than the clone bar/crowd that exists in abundance today in Uptown.  BTW - those hipster clone bar/crowd bars will always be the backbone of Uptown to a degree by nature of Uptown being the center of tourism.

What I would love to see is just a plain old bar that isn't programmed to death.  A beer joint that doesn't have live music, DJ, or a jukebox turned up to 200 dbs.  Just a place to go have a beer, relax, and talk to people.  CM used to be like that, then they entered the fray of trying to be all things to all people.  Sometimes a bar should just be a bar.

[nonillogical]

BTW - those hipster clone bar/crowd bars will always be the backbone of Uptown to a degree by nature of Uptown being the center of tourism.

Just a little nitpick, but Uptown is very, very un-hipster for the most part. If anything Uptown falls into more of a bro/sorority party atmosphere on the weekends, and I am ok with that remaining the majority focus since it works and brings money in. I think many of the types of bars we're hoping for actually fit more of a "hipster" clientele, as little meaning as that word has at this point. 

 

CM used to be like that, then they entered the fray of trying to be all things to all people.  Sometimes a bar should just be a bar.

It's gotten better again actually! They ditched the obnoxiously loud dj, and now if they have one at all its pretty tasteful. My friends and I were not shy about letting them know that it was a turnoff to their primary clientele. 

 

Sorry for helping to push this thread so far off topic...

[CLTProductions]

Yeah hipster is definitely Plaza Midwood and NoDa, uptown is not. Uptown is definitely lacking in a place to just have a beer and chill, as much as I love the club scene and music, it doesn't need to be EVERYWHERE and it is certainly off putting to not be able to go anywhere uptown and actually hear yourself.

 

Pardon the ignorance but what is CM?

Edited January 23, 2014 by Jayvee

[Miesian Corners]

Yeah hipster is definitely Plaza Midwood and NoDa, uptown is not. Uptown is definitely lacking in a place to just have a beer and chill, as much as I love the club scene and music, it doesn't need to be EVERYWHERE and it is certainly off putting to not be able to go anywhere uptown and actually hear yourself.

 

Pardon the ignorance but what is CM?

Common Market

[MilZ]

Yeah hipster is definitely Plaza Midwood and NoDa, uptown is not. Uptown is definitely lacking in a place to just have a beer and chill, as much as I love the club scene and music, it doesn't need to be EVERYWHERE and it is certainly off putting to not be able to go anywhere uptown and actually hear yourself.

 

Pardon the ignorance but what is CM?

I know it has been mentioned before plenty on this board, but when friends and I want to go somewhere to have a conversation on weekends, places like Belfast Mill and Hooligans work just fine, though more variety would still be nice.

Edited January 23, 2014 by MilZ

[kermit]

I am actually a little concerned now. I like projects like this, Skyhouse, Crescent, etc but get the feeling the market is becoming a bubble. The smaller projects are seemingly less risky, but the market is saturated with those projects. My fear is that the three projects mentioned may become the tipping point and plunge the market into an over saturated state, with these signature projects being canceled outright, or worse, become lurking hulks of steel and concrete like The Park. I just wonder why some of these aren't combo hotel/residential projects to mitigate the risk of dumping too much inventory on the market. I think a combo Mandarin Oriental and luxury residence tower for this site would be awesome. (Also Skyhouse-Twelve Hotel combo, W hotel and residence at 210 Trade)

 

FWIW: the uptown submarket currently has around 240 vacant units (about 9% of the total number of uptown units) and has a six month absorption rate of  roughly 180 units.

 

The Southend submarket has about 4x the units and about 1/2 the vacancy rate.

[CLTProductions]

So I know there is no set number, but approximately how many feet would 30-35 stories be?? I feel like the exact conversion is always across the board.

[dubone]

In case it actually progresses, I added a topic for the tower at 6th and College.

 

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/116333-300-north-college-residential-tower-at-6th-and-college-in-first-ward/

[CLTProductions]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2014/01/toronto-group-buys-historic-west-trade-property.html

 

woah!! interesting bit of information today. I know some on here will moan and groan becuase its more 'redevelopment' of historic buildings. But I think either replace that or renovate, but the way it is now.....blah. Seems to want to do more residential, I say bring it on. Out with the old, in with the new. I like this quote  “Our long-term intention is to go vertical"

 

Does that parking lot right next door belong to J&W for those dorms??

Edited January 27, 2014 by Jayvee

[nonillogical]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2014/01/toronto-group-buys-historic-west-trade-property.html

 

woah!! interesting bit of information today. I know some on here will moan and groan becuase its more 'redevelopment' of historic buildings. But I think either replace that or renovate, but the way it is now.....blah. Seems to want to do more residential, I say bring it on. Out with the old, in with the new. I like this quote  “Our long-term intention is to go vertical"

 

Does that parking lot right next door belong to J&W for those dorms??

Is that building really not protected??? That is probably THE most beautiful facade in Uptown in my opinion. If it gets torn down, I don't know, I just give up. 

Edited January 27, 2014 by nonillogical

[Guest]

Is that building really not protected??? That is probably THE most beautiful facade in Uptown in my opinion. If it gets torn down, I don't know, I just give up. 

They BETTER save the old storefronts.

[vassago]

Is that building really not protected??? That is probably THE most beautiful facade in Uptown in my opinion. If it gets torn down, I don't know, I just give up. 

 

Agreed, this property is exactly the type we've all complained about not having been preserved.  If we can't save this then we really ought to give up.

[km1789]

Was litterally just talking about this property at work today. With the eventual (holds breath) streetcar line down Trade Street and the land still available to develop, this seems like the most likely street to become a marquee shopping promenade in Uptown.... You are anchored by the Arena and EpiCentre to the East and then Gateway Village to the West. And three major universities even farther out in JCSU, JWU and CPCC. And a reliable permanent transit will only help....

 

I pray we dont lose the only authentic storefronts we have left on Trade...

[49er]

That's a shame. Maybe they can incorporate the facades into redevelopment if they are dead set on wrecking the buildings. We have so many other lots that are prime opportunities for towers.