University City Projects/News

[tozmervo]

I have a family friend that had this very problem in the university area. When the apartment manager was being unresponsive about the security issues, they broke lease and moved out. It's not just petty car break-ins, either, it's some pretty serious life-threat issues.

[SgtCampsalot]

This is wild. I remember reading City-Data forum posts about how "undesirable" University City is becoming for some people, but I wrote it off as CD's typical fear-mongering. It's interesting to hear it from a non-biased point of view. Insane how changes in one part of a city can affect others when you really look at the whole picture. I wonder what affect the BLE will have on all that: will it cancel it out and push certain people elsewhere, or will it be stifled by that very influx of residents?

[CLT2014]

Vance High serving University City is going to weigh on the single family homes in that market and in turn the rents for apartments. The homes aren't intrinsically interesting or full of character, so you aren't getting reinvestment and renovations. Plaza Midwood attends a low ranking high school, but the character of the neighborhood helps it remain a desirable place to live. UC's schools are bad so young families cross it off their list and can move just a few miles down I-85 to Cox Mill High boundaries, have a nicer house than UC, AND have lower Cabarrus County property taxes. People that care about character move elsewhere. So UC is left as a suburban area with bad schools and little character.

Edited December 18, 2015 by CLT2014

[AuLukey]

It is sad indeed to see UCity decline.  The fix to the low-rent apartment problem is simple.  Gradually increase rates to push out low-income and offer student/faculty discounts for rent down close to current rates.  Subsidizing rent for students is not illegal and would prevent the issues that are overwhelming complexes surrounding the campus.  There are tons of schools in the south with student-only housing that isn't technically "student only," they just use discounts as a work-around. 

I was always confused why complexes in Charlotte don't use them.  Is there some type of local law that prevents this practice?  Equal housing doesn't disqualify special discounts.  Otherwise Section-8 housing wouldn't exist.

[DEnd]

On ‎12‎/‎19‎/‎2015 at 2:42 PM, AuLukey said:

It is sad indeed to see UCity decline.  The fix to the low-rent apartment problem is simple.  Gradually increase rates to push out low-income and offer student/faculty discounts for rent down close to current rates.  Subsidizing rent for students is not illegal and would prevent the issues that are overwhelming complexes surrounding the campus.  There are tons of schools in the south with student-only housing that isn't technically "student only," they just use discounts as a work-around. 

I was always confused why complexes in Charlotte don't use them.  Is there some type of local law that prevents this practice?  Equal housing doesn't disqualify special discounts.  Otherwise Section-8 housing wouldn't exist.

 

Decline?  It's been bad for 20+ years.

[Niner National]

9 hours ago, DEnd said:

 

Decline?  It's been bad for 20+ years.

I never really felt unsafe there when I lived there from 05-09. Seems to be an increasing number of low income renters in the area though...and more crime as a result.

The area has always been bad from a design standpoint, but I didn't feel like I had to watch my back when I walked around at night.

[birky]

The problems we used to see on the east side of campus have bled out into N Tryon and Mallard Creek Church. It sure seems like a lot of the crime we used to have has been pushed off campus by the UNCC PD.

[kermit]

Yea, its nothing new. Crime was a big issue adjacent to campus about five years ago (lots of muggings, break ins etc.). Campus Police got much more active adjacent to campus so things quieted down in that pocket and the press stopped paying attention to the crime, but it never went away from the area just beyond campus. The only reason its back in the news now is because fancy new apartment complexes opened up which attracted a large group of students who didn't know any better and their parents are (rightfully) ticked. The UC area has been the repository of low income renters since the late 1990s, intown gentrification (e.g. Piedmont Courts being wiped from First Ward) pushed section 8 folks to UC as the next cheapest option.

I am skeptical of the potential of the BLE to create change in UC but I have heard of several projects on both sides of Harris that may attempt to create higher income housing adjacent to the rail. Having said that, I never recommend to any of my new colleagues that they live in UC when they move to Charlotte.

[caterpillar2]

I am skeptical about the light rail going to UNCC. I don't think that a reasonable woman would ride the rail to University City late at night without being with others. It is sketchy all the way to UC from uptown unfortunately. I believe that the recent wave of crime will discourage good people from moving that to UC into new or existing apartments. I'm not talking about Highland Park, but the rest of the UNCC and adjacent area.

Edited December 21, 2015 by caterpillar2

[Third Strike]

This isn't exactly University City news, as this really pertains to the Old Concord Station area, but it looks like most of the North Park Mall will be demolished to make way for new development. The building that is currently a Kimbrell's furniture will be the only building to remain. I don't know what kind of development will take place on this site, but the developer in the meantime will add new trees and sidewalks. Maybe this is a sign that there is interest in redeveloping the area between NoDa and UC.

Accela

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, Third Strike said:

This isn't exactly University City news, as this really pertains to the Old Concord Station area, but it looks like most of the North Park Mall will be demolished to make way for new development. The building that is currently a Kimbrell's furniture will be the only building to remain. I don't know what kind of development will take place on this site, but the developer in the meantime will add new trees and sidewalks. Maybe this is a sign that there is interest in redeveloping the area between NoDa and UC.

Accela

That's great news. The biggest flaw, of the first Blue Line was that the stations past Scaleybark were terrible for development. If the BLE can succeed in that at Old Concord Rd and up, that is a huge turning point for CLT development in general.

Is there any kind of site plan yet? I'm not seeing one on that page.

Edited December 23, 2015 by SgtCampsalot

[Prodev]

Looks like its Merrifield Patrick who's doing the project. George Macon is the contact for the property. He typically only handles their office deals, so I'd assume it's an office project that's planned, although there's nothing on MPV's website yet. If I had to guess, I'd say it's an expansion for CMC, who is already there. 

[southslider]

I heard it's County offices for social services.

[SgtCampsalot]

18 minutes ago, southslider said:

I heard it's County offices for social services.

Replacing the Hal Marshal building in First Ward? Hmm

[AuLukey]

On Monday, December 21, 2015 at 4:22 AM, DEnd said:

 

Decline?  It's been bad for 20+ years.

I lived in UC from 2003-2011.  I never felt unsafe anywhere in the core area (between 49, 85, & 485.)  It again goes back to your definition of "University City" as it is generally a vast swath of area depending on who you ask.  There aren't too many definable areas around it until you get to NoDa, Concord Mills/Speedway, Northlake, Prosperity/Highland Creek, and Central/Plaza.  That's a lot of area with a lot of bad crime areas mixed throughout.  The core of UC never felt that bad, but a lot of this recent news is disheartening. 

I'm not sure how much difference the BLE is going to make to most of UC in general.  Southend (for example) is a very confined area, so the changes there seemingly made a much larger overall impact.  But look further down South Blvd to around the Tyvola station, nothing changed.  BLE is not going to effect the University City image, the area is simply too large and too underserved by the stations to change that.  Were the area around the stations known by some other identifiable name, maybe a change in popular opinion could be swayed.  I don't see that happening.

[southslider]

12 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Replacing the Hal Marshal building in First Ward? Hmm

No, those offices are relocating to Suttle Ave (former Charlotte School of Law) in Bryant Park. Northpark near Old Concord station would house some of the offices to be dispersed from Billingsley in Grier Heights.

[SgtCampsalot]

14 hours ago, AuLukey said:

I'm not sure how much difference the BLE is going to make to most of UC in general.  Southend (for example) is a very confined area, so the changes there seemingly made a much larger overall impact.  But look further down South Blvd to around the Tyvola station, nothing changed.  BLE is not going to effect the University City image, the area is simply too large and too underserved by the stations to change that.  Were the area around the stations known by some other identifiable name, maybe a change in popular opinion could be swayed.  I don't see that happening.

The first, and only way, UC will start benefiting as a brand from the BLE is if and when University Pointe Strip malls fill in their parking lots, or raze an existing strip or two and build apts with shops. Once that stretch of UC has a defined urban wall flanking the road, it will start getting its new image.

[asthasr]

It's impossible for the BLE to lift areas 5 miles away, so in my opinion the investors around the stations will create new names. I think you'll see similar things happen as development progresses down the Blue Line from South End as well.

[Guest StuckInASuburb]

As a current student at UNC Charlotte, I want to tell of my friends' experience with University House (UHouse). The management is completely unresponsive to any issue unless is rent collection. There was mold in my friend's apartment, but that was the least of the trouble. There were many instances of garbage being thrown in the hallways and staying there for a week or two. Vomit and pet droppings were not removed unless an inspector was about to show up. Nothing was done against the loud obnoxious parties (it is college but come on). After the shooting(s) all of my friends broke their leases. This is abysmal for a new housing complex.

Edited January 8, 2016 by StuckInASuburb
grammar

[Third Strike]

Has this been posted already?

Eli mentioned in his article today that a large plot of land near the University City Boulevard Station is being marketed for mixed-uses, and that there has been two written offers in the past thirty days.

The development is called the University City Gateway, and after doing a bit of searching, I came across their website:

University City Gateway

They are calling for retail space, a grocery, a theater, multi-family homes, and offices. You can view the master plan under "Research & Downloads".

For someone who is continuously disappointed with the developments in this area, I have to say this looks good. This will go well with the proposed mixed-use development across the street. At least this makes up for the auto mall (almost).

Edit: The master plan is also calling for a pedestrian bridge across North Tryon to the light rail station.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Third Strike

[southslider]

Developers sure are savvy to call any conventional development "mixed-use" for marketing purposes, especially when transit-adjacent.

[SgtCampsalot]

Ely mentioned something about it on his blog last February. It's the owners marketing it as such, but who knows what a developer would actually do (as long as it has ped connections to the subdivision behind it).

Also, this isn't really University, but it's at the section of the BLE that jumps onto the median of N Tryon: The Last Word bookstore moving from their University City location to the old Faulk Bros Hardware store.
The owners are jumping the gun by trying to name the area (it has no sense of place at all yet) but once all the BLE improvements are done, it has some interesting bones to add onto. It's nice to see a small business put their money where their mouth is with something like this.

That area behind it, down Old Concord Rd and Orr Rd have some interesting old school buildings that could be the bones for a transit oriented neighborhood down the line.

[caterpillar2]

I have no idea why the Cardinals stayed in UC. Does anyone now of a particular reason.   If isn't close to uptown and it isn't a great place to show off the city.

[R.Talbott]

2 hours ago, caterpillar2 said:

I have no idea why the Cardinals stayed in UC. Does anyone now of a particular reason.   If isn't close to uptown and it isn't a great place to show off the city.

That's probably why.  Zero distractions.

[SgtCampsalot]

Not sure where this fits best, but: I was at the BLE meeting on Tuesday for the Rocky River Road West NECI improvements, and I was reminded by some comments by the residents there about how much of a shame it is that Old Concord Rd hardly has any sidewalks, and has zero bike facilities. I was a UNCC student who had to bike/walk on that road countless times and there's no reason for it not to have any accommodations. I argue that's a more urgent connection than the university portions of the Cross-Charlotte Trail.

I did however drive by the multi-use path that NCDOT built after reinforcing that one stretch of the road for the high-speed rail. It's perfect and exactly what that whole road needs (you can also see the uptown skyline on a clear night at the peak of the hill). I think the only way that road will get improved in the next decade is if residents who live on that road rally together and push for it. There are no plans on the books to do anything on Old Concord Rd, other than a listing that it's something that should be done at some point.

Edited January 29, 2016 by SgtCampsalot