Charlotte area "ring cities"

[Eightane]

Honestly, some times of the day even 27 at Mt. Holly is an easier cross of the Catawba. But getting to that bridge if you come from 485 and not Brookshire/Mt. Holly-Huntersville is even worse than that. One-lane and far past capacity.

Neither aids the southern reaches that much. I think only the new road would truly help the region not choke at rushes, otherwise one traffic snarl / accident makes a new lane or wider bridge moot.

[JorgiPorgi]

Mt. Holly and especially Belmont are two of my favorite Charlotte Burbs. If Gaston County gets better connectivity to Charlotte, it will definitely be booming. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

How serious is Gaston co about light rail? Has there been any serious talk beyond "we'd like that" ?

[JRNYP2C]

26 minutes ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

How serious is Gaston co about light rail? Has there been any serious talk beyond "we'd like that" ?

I have heard our city commissioners (Cramerton) mention it in several meetings over the past year.  This included presentations that had fiscal and development studies attached to it.  I cannot speak for Belmont, Mt. Holly or Gastonia, but I have heard enough out and about that Belmont is focused on bringing the light rail (at the very least initially) to their part of the county.  Anything beyond that to Gastonia would have to be a partnership between the towns (Cramerton, Lowell and McAdenville) that would have it go through their city/town limits.  I would venture a good guess that there is some healthy conversation on it as they need to discuss costs now since we all know that whatever cost structures are being discussed now will certainly increase.

[KJHburg]

Did you know Ludwig drums are made in nearby Monroe?   Just some of the various manufacturing in the region.  

 

[KJHburg]

Japanese company to open 2nd manufacturing plant in Catawba County with 151 jobs and they already own and operate a plant in Lincolnton.

https://www.nccommerce.com/news/press-releases/automotive-supplier-cataler-build-second-manufacturing-facility-north-carolina

[JorgiPorgi]

Was in Shelby(my hometown) this evening for Christmas festivities, and snapped a few quick pics. Shelby has a large amount of historic architecture and one of the best downtowns of all of the towns in the Charlotte area. The downstown streets are lined with Live Oak trees(typically coastal trees) with lights in them for their holidays. The town center has an elaborate and gorgeous court square. Interesting enough, Shelby’s central core is And has always been known as “Uptown Shelby” just like Uptown Charlotte.  One day I’ll take more time to snap some pics. 

[KJHburg]

Downtown Concord and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods of North Union and South Union.  There is a great Cuban restaurant downtown, some bakeries, some other restaurants, some shops.  Plenty of parking.   Concord's View is the historic Hotel Concord and is apartments on the upper floors today. 

2nd to last photo is the 1923 Cabarrus Bank and Trust building which is going to be renovated into event space and some apartments.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/apartments-offices-to-transform-historic-building-in-downtown-concord/927041780/

Edited January 6, 2020 by KJHburg

[videtur quam contuor]

The Historic home tour in Salisbury is fully worth the time. Salisbury had a larger population than Charlotte until after the Civil War. The rail importance of Salisbury/Spencer continued for another 100 years after the war. This is the tour for last October.

https://www.octobertour.com/tour-sites

[KJHburg]

New mural up in downtown Kannapolis.

[KJHburg]

walking tour on this spring like day in downtown Concord.  Lots of unique shops and restaurants and very old buildings.  Want to see what uptown Charlotte would have looked like in the 1920s with a few taller buildings check out downtown Concord this would have been the scale.   first photo is Hotel Concord now apartments upper levels retail and event space first floor.  all the plaques are from existing buildings.  (Hey George Washington stopped in Concord too on his 1791 tour after Charlotte then to the big city of Salisbury) 

[KJHburg]

Up in Mooresville today on business and drove around a little bit.  Downtown Mooresville has a new apartment building under construction and very few vacancies in retail space downtown.  2 new hotels going up at Langtree Rd exit a new Tru by Hilton and Aloft last photos. 

and  yes Blue Harbor it might be time to take down the Christmas trees even I have now and I am usually last. 

from a 2018 Biz Journal article

""The two hotels will add 262 rooms to south Iredell County's hotel market, which now has about 1,000 rooms available. Aloft will include 138 rooms, while the Tru hotel will house 124, Deva says.  “The market is underserved by certain products, such as the high-end brands,” he says.  Aloft is a Marriott flag, and Tru is a Hilton brand.""

part of suburban hotel boom that has added 1000s of rooms to the area's stock. 

[KJHburg]

couple of more from the old Burlington Textile on S Main in Mooresville.   They have 2 restaurants here, an office  complex that includes Greenworks that sells electric lawn equipment to Lowes and the antique mall.  The furniture store did close here which was the investors first venture in the mill.

last photo is the old Burlington Industries logo which looks like the new Truist logo somewhat. 

anyway this is a great reuse of an old textile mill for sure.  

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Huntersville Business Park has a good bit of construction.  New Fairfield by Marriott hotel the parks first (not sure what took so long), more office space, more warehouses etc. Used to be owned by the Bank of America pension fund now owned by others.  Now more mixed use with the hospital, retail, couple of apartment complexes, office buildings, warehouses etc. 

2nd 3rd photo is the new hotel. 

[nicholas]

Some pics from last weekend of Concord and Kannapolis.  Kannapolis is growing up fast, can't wait to see everything when it's finished.

Edited January 17, 2020 by nicholas

[rancenc]

From the NC Main Street Conference website of various downtown revitalization projects from last year.  Several from Charlotte area cities as well as state wide!

https://www.ncmainstreetconference.com/whats-happening-in-nc

 

[nicholas]

Can't remember what these are called, but some condos going up along Lake Norman up in Cornelius.

[KJHburg]

10 hours ago, nicholas said:

Can't remember what these are called, but some condos going up along Lake Norman up in Cornelius.

 

http://www.watermarklakenorman.com/   and they average $1 M a piece and they are large ones. 

[JHart]

I just looked at that website and they've already sold 32,  million dollar condos in Lake Norman that aren't even on the water?!?!

[KJHburg]

that is why I think a few condos atop a new luxury hotel uptown would work.   

[QCxpat]

Today's CBJ - ""Luxury boutique hotel is latest sign of new life for historic building in Gastonia" by Jennifer Thomas.

Excerpt:  "The Esquire Hotel is welcoming its first guests in Gastonia.  That boutique hotel is located in the historic Lawyers Building at 168 Main St. The 20,000-foot-building — first a bank, then a home for lawyers — was completed in 1917.  The building sat vacant for 30 years. Now, a 35-room hotel is the latest piece unveiled of an adaptive-reuse project that breathes new life into the building.  The first block of rooms is open, with the remaining floors to be online in the upcoming weeks."  ...  '“Our goal has always been to do it the right way and hopefully give folks an experience that makes them look at Gastonia in a new light,” Nathan Kirby, one of the partners behind the project,  says.  The property is owned by Lawyers Building of Gastonia LLC.  The hotel operates as Esquire Hotel Gastonia LLC.  Both are managed by people passionate about preservation, Kirby says".  'Our big focus has always been downtown Gastonia,' Kirby says."

 

Link:  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/01/23/photos-luxury-boutique-hotel-is-latest-sign-of-new.html

[rancenc]

Glad to see positive refurbishing of former retail space.  In this case, the old HHGregg store in Mooresville.

https://www.statesville.com/news/new-trampoline-park-coming-to-iredell-soon/article_8c9dfafe-be30-5b94-af68-3b345f5f3b2d.html?fbclid=IwAR1XUvvEw1Gq9Fvfjc9drrymLhF-n2U9h9Rq0dy1bOOudjjYusd3jYr90jI

 

[QCxpat]

Today's Charlotte Ledger Business Newsleltter - "Youth soccer club will be kickin' it in new Pineville HQ Building"

"Charlotte Soccer Academy is building a new 10,000 s.f. headquarters at its soccer complex in Pineville.  It will house club offices, a board room, a video analysis room, weight room and physical therapy in conjunction with Architech Sports and Physical Therapy.  The front of the building will have 60-yard running lanes for Architech to train clients, including “some NFL and NBA players going through rehab,” said CSA executive director Brad Wylde. The new building costs about $2.3M and is expected to open in April."

Edited January 24, 2020 by QCxpat
Add photo of Charlotte Soccer Academy HQ

[nicholas]

Up in Davidson briefly last weekend:

Edited January 26, 2020 by nicholas

[KJHburg]

from west of the river another area textile mill saved and redeveloped this time in Belmont and by Armada Hoffler who is codeveloping 10 Tryon in uptown Charlotte.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/01/28/redevelopment-of-belmont-textile-mill-set-to-break.html