SouthEnd Midrise Projects

[HopHead]

It looks like the Fountains at New Bern is officially under construction. It should be ready for move-in during the Spring of 2013. One of the features is a Light Rail lobby that's a part of the building and will be 50 feet from the New Bern station. I'm guessing this will be similar to your hotel type lobbies where they have TVs and perhaps a coffee bar.

More info: http://proffittdixon.com/2012/01/new-bern-station-under-construction/

[Spartan]

This is great news. It even has retail space next to the station! Finally developers get it right. I just hope it's not a dry cleaners/salon.

[Spartan]

So this is a disappointment. Below is a rendering from the new developer's website for this scaled down project. It had been released that Cambridge Development Group was buying the site to do an apartment only project. At first glance, I thought it looked ok, but then I realized that the bottom 2 floors along South Blvd are parking garage, as well as the bottom level along Carson. What a horrible streetscape for a major commercial stretch that had a chance of having a decent retail presence, and goes against everything City Planning has been preaching regarding retail focused towards the LRT line and stations.

I'd rather this site stay blank, than forever relegate to this missed opportunity.

RETAIL is not the issue. In a city with a stronger planning department and urban review, you would see more emphasis on an active street frontage. There could be ground level /walk up units on that level. You need only look at 3030South to see that it works. It makes it look like people live on the street, rather than buildings are adjacent to the street and people happen to live in them.

[Norm2]

I am sure that there is a way to bring this to the planning department's attention.....

[hambone931]

I rode by the site about 20min ago and there was nothing going on just yet. I wonder where they are going to put the "light rail lobby"?

[kermit]

The World of Beer sign was going up at Circle today -- I am very excited!

[HopHead]

The World of Beer sign was going up at Circle today -- I am very excited!

I know I will be hitting up this place when it opens too.

Signage for World of Beer that just went up: http://www.facebook....228480667186796

Edited February 3, 2012 by dbull75

[REeyes]

Speaking of beer and this could just be a rumor, but does anyone have any more info on the brewery that is supposed to be built in South End? Triple C - or something to that extent?

[ah59396]

Speaking of beer and this could just be a rumor, but does anyone have any more info on the brewery that is supposed to be built in South End? Triple C - or something to that extent?

I heard about that place as well, not sure when it opens. I know Heist Brewery opens in NoDa next week, it's going into that mill at the corner of Mallory. Add triple c's and Charlotte is now home to 5 full fledged breweries! Sorry to get off topic.

Edited February 3, 2012 by ah59396

[kermit]

Speaking of beer and this could just be a rumor, but does anyone have any more info on the brewery that is supposed to be built in South End? Triple C - or something to that extent?

Harker hopes construction will begin in the next couple of weeks with an opening date now set for early summer.

from WCNC yesterday: http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/New-Brewery-Opening-Near-Light-Rail--138582449.html

Their facebook page has demolition picts: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Triple-C-Brewing-Company/298665250171614 Looks like it will be a while.

[kermit]

Just back from a walk along the rail trail between Remont and Tremont. The site work for Southline Apartments is full speed ahead (all foundations are gone and site drainage is going in). This has made Spectrum feel much less like its at the end of the earth -- it actually begins to feel like its in the middle of something now.

Despite the new 'brightness' of the Specturm / Dunavant area it is still a very isolated spot for pedestrians. While you are only a couple hundred feet (as the crow files) from Atherton mill / Lowes / Cannon Drugs its a very long walk due to the LRT tracks being uncrossable here. Some type of pedestrian crossing around Spectrum / Dunavant / Iverson Way would go a long way to tieing this part of Southend together and (given the apartment projects in the area) possibly stimulating more pedestrian friendly development along South blvd and in Atherton mill.

The crossing could be at grade (there are plenty of these at street crossings already), a bridge (it would not be easy to get above the catenery) or (as I have whined about in the past) a new station stop. Whatever route taken I think improving pedestrian connectivity down there would have significant benefits down the road.

[nonillogical]

I agree, an at-grade crossing there seems like a no-brainer immediate solution. I don't know if its been talked about, but extending Iverson itself across the tracks seems like it would be an even better idea in the long term.

[dubone]

An Iverson-Dunavant connector has long been discussed on Urban Planet, but I don't think there are any government plans for it. It is absolutely a no-brainer, although CATS is wary of too many crossings that'll slow them down, but I think they benefit in the long run from helping to synthesize that area into neighborhood.

Meanwhile the Poindexter crossing is in the works and I think is almost approved to move forward with the development.

While I know the lots were cleared near the tracks, but I do hope some infill can go in around Distribution Dr that will retain some of the light industry and commercial operators there. SouthEnd shouldn't just be a bedroom community, and these businesses are employers in the neighborhood, so it would be nice to figure out a way to improve the area but still keep them.

[kermit]

Two electric car chargers were being installed on S. Blvd street spaces in front of Circle today.

[dubone]

That's cool. I hope it adds consciousness to people that electrification of the automobile is a long term inevitability.

[uptownliving]

I think that CATS would be fine with a crossing as long as the developers front a good chunk of the cost...just like they did for the Poindexter crossing which should be going in soon....there was debate/talk of putting in a stop there that would be about halfway between East/West and New Bern....if the area continues to develop and densify then the cost and time loss of putting in another stop could be justified in the future.

[kermit]

no sign of work at the old Silos site but they were removing foundations at the Fountains (?) site at the corner of New Bern and Foster (adjacent to the LRT maintance facility).

I also drove by Triple C brewing -- its a LONG way off.

[southslider]

An Iverson-Dunavant connector has long been discussed on Urban Planet, but I don't think there are any government plans for it.

Actually, the City's adopted New Bern Station Area Plan calls for the connection:

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/planning/AreaPlanning/TransitStationAreaPlans/SouthCorridor/Pages/New%20Bern.aspx

Hopefully, there was follow-through, then, by City staff reviewing plans for this development.

[kermit]

^ Thanks for the link Southsider! I had forgotten about the plans.

[Temeteron]

Has anyone noticed that they took the median out from that stretch of South Blvd. near the YMCA and Simpson lighting area? I wonder if they are putting a light there....It does seem super annoying when trying to exit YMCA Dowd and you can't make a left hand turn. Usually what one must do is take a right and then make a U-turn at the light where the exit to 277 is in order to go away from uptown.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Temeteron

[tozmervo]

I think they are turning that into a four-way lit intersection. There were plans to do so with the original development of this property. This will make a HUGE difference in getting around that area and will hopefully slow traffic down barreling into and out of Uptown.

[southslider]

_{^Except Dilworth nixed the idea of Lexington tying into the intersection, due to their parochial cut-through traffic concerns. Kinsey echoed these concerns during the rezoning of the Simpson site. As a result, this traffic light may end up only providing access to/from the Carson Boulevard side. I'm sure the Dowd Y could use left-turn access to/from South Boulevard, but the powers in Dilworth thought differently.}

[Sabaidee]

^ From a historical perspective, I find it crazy how that part of South Blvd and Carson used to be Independence Blvd, yet alone a mangled flawed interchange there decades ago.

[atlrvr]

I'm not sure all that is true. The South End station area plan has that as a 4-way intersection, and the rezoning for the former plan from Harris had it as a 4-way intersection. The issue is Lexington is too narrow between South and Caldwell. The area plan has Lexington being widened to the south, which would require the demolition of the small office building at the corner of Lexington and South.

I suppose they could elimate on-street parking on Lexington, but the Y would probably have a fit.

[tozmervo]

boo.

Street Closings

SOUTH BOULEVARD and LEXINGTON AVENUE 2/13/2012 7:00 AM 2/27/2012 7:00 AM

• The outside lane of northbound South Boulevard at the intersection of South Boulevard and Lexington Avenue will close on Monday, February 13 at 7:00 a.m. and will re-open on Monday, February 27 at 7:00 a.m.
  
• Lexington Avenue at the intersection of South Boulevard will also be closed during this time.
  
• These closures are necessary for the South Boulevard and East Carson Boulevard 54” water main improvements project.
  
• [etc]