Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[tozmervo]

It does raise an intriguing question: do most businesses in the CCP area find CCP to be a valuable use of money?

[kermit]

It does raise an intriguing question: do most businesses in the CCP area find CCP to be a valuable use of money?

 

I wonder that as well. The banks certainly thought CCCP was worthwhile when they created the organization, however, the days of CEOs who gave a crap about the city of Charlotte are long gone.

 

Regardless, the opinion of businesses is not directly relevant to this bill since businesses don't get to vote on the district referenduml. In the case of CCCP only uptown residents would have a say (are resident's subject to the tax for CCCP?)

 

I can't imagine any one (or any business) would see much value in University City Partners.

[Spartan]

I'm willing to bet most uptown and south end residents don't know what CCP is or what they do - but if they understood it then they would support it without question.

[kermit]

To be consistent (as if the RWNJs care about logical consistency) they should have the same law apply to HOAs.

[DMann]

This is interesting.  I wonder how many pieces of land are on long term leases like this building.  This article sort of puts to rest the thought of the Hilton moving in and building on that site.

 

under contract to purchase the AT&T Plaza building in uptown Charlotte, according to real estate sources.

The owners of the 350,000-square-foot building listed it for sale earlier this year. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is vacating the building and relocating its employees to properties off Tyvola Road, creating a large block of vacant office space.

 

Stream Realty Partners opened a Charlotte office in 2013 and partnered with Origin Capital, a Chicago-based real estate investment manager, to purchase the Cambridge Corporate Center office building in University City last year for $43.5 million.

SPONSOR LISTIN

Stream plans to invest additional capital to upgrade and improve the AT&T Plaza building, sources say. According to a recent real estate filing with the city, planned building and site improvements include enhanced entrances and upgraded terrace space.

A Stream representative could not immediately be reached for comment.

AT&T Plaza, located at 300 S. Brevard St., is owned by Childress Klein Properties and Norfolk Southern Corp., but the underlying land is owned by North Carolina Railroad Co.

Childress Klein and Norfolk Southern have a ground lease with the railroad company that has about 53 years remaining.

 

[videtur quam contuor]

Ground lease, and in some locations these are known as emphyteutic lease.

[atlrvr]

Ground leases are very rare in Charlotte (except fast food chains, where they are very common). 

 

The biggest ground lease I know of is Southside Homes.

 

I can't think of another office tower in Charlotte with one.

 

They are very common in NY and other major cities, but its really a function of places with "dynastic" family wealth.  Owning the ground with a long term lease to a building on the site is very tax efficient way for estate planning, and ensuring generational wealth.

[Bikeguy]

^ ergo  Southside Homes and the C.D. Spangler family.  

[CLTProductions]

So could be something. Could be nothing. But I randomly saw a guy walking with plans that said "Spirit Square Renovation" has anyone heard anything on this front?

[atlrvr]

No, but I know that Blumental Theatre entrance on Tryon is about to get a major face lift that should improve both the aesthetics and the I think the streetscape (maybe even small coffee/wine bar).

[DMann]

A little birdy indicated to me that the block that Spirit Square and the Library is on will be dissected from Tryon and 6th to College and 7th to create a pathway space not unlike Brevard Court.

[atlrvr]

Diagaonally?  One fun excercise that I did recently was open a google-maps satellive view of Charlotte and London side-by-side.  It's amazing how small the blocks are there compared to Uptown.

[CLTProductions]

A little birdy indicated to me that the block that Spirit Square and the Library is on will be dissected from Tryon and 6th to College and 7th to create a pathway space not unlike Brevard Court.

Interesting, I wonder what would be demolished to make way for this? The Library is certainly a goner right?

[grodney]

Minor: Construction happening on the EpiCentre retail space nearest the light rail -- used to be a shoe store.  Anybody know what's going in there?

 

[CLTProductions]

Minor: Construction happening on the EpiCentre retail space nearest the light rail -- used to be a shoe store.  Anybody know what's going in there?

 

Yeah its going to be a vape shop....ugh......I think I posted in the Epi thread a while back. Can't remember, it's called Kure Vapes so I am assuming it's the same people behind the NoDa one. I hate it.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Jayvee

[Spartan]

A little birdy indicated to me that the block that Spirit Square and the Library is on will be dissected from Tryon and 6th to College and 7th to create a pathway space not unlike Brevard Court.

Interesting, I wonder what would be demolished to make way for this? The Library is certainly a goner right?

1- There's already a public alley in between Spirit Square and the library. I'm told it's official name is Garland Court.

2- The library has been working on rebuilding something on its existing site for years along with decentralizing its book distribution network. 

3- It seems like one could be changed without the other, but if you wanted to create another Brevard Court on Garland Court then you'd need both...

[dcharlotte]

Minor: Construction happening on the EpiCentre retail space nearest the light rail -- used to be a shoe store.  Anybody know what's going in there?

 

Yeah its going to be a vape shop....ugh......I think I posted in the Epi thread a while back. Can't remember, it's called Kure Vapes so I am assuming it's the same people behind the NoDa one. I hate it.

Should work perfectly for the OTP people that tend to be at Epicenter on the weekend. 

[navigator319]

So this is just such perfect example of so many ridiculous things I find myself shaking my head at...

 

 

 

[ah59396]

The ALE was out there on Saturday night basically giving citations out like we live in a college town.  It was utterly embarrassing to see.  People were just genuniely confused as to why they could drink 2 feet away on the courtyard, but not out in the seating area facing in the park, in front of a row of bars.  

[Niner National]

The parklets are stupid IMO anyway. This just makes them even more pointless.

[elrodvt]

The parklets are stupid IMO anyway. This just makes them even more pointless.

disagree on that. Charlotte desperately needs any street presence it can get. I hope this is just a temporary snafu and not the idiocy it appears be.

[Niner National]

disagree on that. Charlotte desperately needs any street presence it can get. I hope this is just a temporary snafu and not the idiocy it appears be.

the park let's actually make the street presence worse at Brevard court imo. That was the last area of uptown that needed one.

[dubone]

MOD NOTE: The discussions of the the Hal Marshal site have been moved to the First Ward topic.  Even though Levineland dominates that thread, it is for the all the development in First Ward. 

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/6631-first-ward-urban-village-and-parks/

 

[dubone]

So this is just such perfect example of so many ridiculous things I find myself shaking my head at...

 

I don't remember if I posted this already (maybe on facebook in response to these parklets).  In Rome, restaurants often setup setup a seating deck on an adjacent street parking space for al fresco dining to avoid blocking a small sidewalk, or in addition to some tables also on that sidewalk.    The alcohol policy is ridiculous, because if you can serve alcohol on a sectioned off area of sidewalk, there is no reason that a little seating deck or parklet on a parking space cannot be treated in the exact same fashion legally.    

Street parking has its purposes, but urban vibrancy often comes with al fresco dining.   

 

This is a bit different from the actual parklets that are often put up, like for 'Parking day', which are more a political statement than a functional use.  But I think when ~10-15 people can eat at tables on space that would otherwise be just a single car parking and add to the vibrancy of the neighborhood, these are ideas with some good potential.  

Just because our city alcohol policies are overly strict or out dated does not mean it is a bad idea in an of itself.  

[Spartan]

The reality is that these parklets are public parks, not bar seating. I think the parklets do a great job of illustrating the concept. In other cities that don't have as much green space as Charlotte they are a little more intuitive. In cities like Seattle, businesses can get a different kind of permit and can serve alcohol on them. It could work here too, if people and businesses demanded it. We have sidewalk dining (which requires permits) so this is essentially the same concept. I personally think that setting them up for an extension/creation of dining space is needed to make them succeed/expand.

The parklets at Brevard Court were set up by the City and County, so unless ALE changes their attitude they will most likely remain alcohol-free just like public parks are supposed to be. And technically Brevard Court is public right-of-way, and businesses aren't supposed to be serving alcohol out there either. What I don't understand is why ALE looks the other way there, and not just extend the concept to the parklets. Oh well.