Independence Corridor

[lit]

They're also currently replacing the original Charlotte Coliseum (Bojangles Arena) / Ovens Auditorium sign with a giant video board 

[KJHburg]

Down in Matthews on Independence this little strip center has multiple businesses attracting an international crowd including this South African food shop (and they ship products all over the country.)   There is an empanadas place, Asian food mart, European cleaners (not sure what that is or how it is different) all at Matthews Mint Hill Rd and 74.  

Had to pick up some gifts for my South African friends so this little place is your local source for Biltong and rusks.  They make their own Biltong the South African way and had to get special permission to do it. 

 

[lit]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:50 AM, KJHburg said:

Down in Matthews on Independence this little strip center has multiple businesses attracting an international crowd including this South African food shop (and they ship products all over the country.)   There is an empanadas place, Asian food mart, European cleaners (not sure what that is or how it is different) all at Matthews Mint Hill Rd and 74.  

Had to pick up some gifts for my South African friends so this little place is your local source for Biltong and rusks.  They make their own Biltong the South African way and had to get special permission to do it. 

 

Looking at the images on Google Maps, it looks like they've recently expanded from one strip-mall space to THREE overtaking the J. Jones Jewelers and the Oriental Massage. They must be doing pretty well

[KJHburg]

10 hours ago, lit said:

Looking at the images on Google Maps, it looks like they've recently expanded from one strip-mall space to THREE overtaking the J. Jones Jewelers and the Oriental Massage. They must be doing pretty well

they have 3 shop spaces the South Africa Food shop as they run a nationwide mail order business out of there.   My South African friend loved the rusks I got him as they are hard to come by in stores you usually have to order them online. 

[TCLT]

Those giant billboards are indeed digital and they’re active now. They are very visible. 

[tozmervo]

5 hours ago, TCLT said:

Those giant billboards are indeed digital and they’re active now. They are very visible. 

It's our answer to the Las Vegas Dome. Just as eye-catching, surely. 

[CLT Development]

8 hours ago, TCLT said:

Those giant billboards are indeed digital and they’re active now. They are very visible. 

I have an ad running on it, sorry 

Edited August 1, 2023 by CLT Development

[Firejudyrose]

Update on the Ervin Building, looks like it's in the punchlist stage. Giant billboard is incredibly distracting.

Anybody know if something cool is planned for the top floor? 

Also, giant Hugos are still next door though it does appear one has lost its stinger 

[KJHburg]

^^ where were these huge Hugo around town?  Is this their graveyard or what? 

[lit]

8 hours ago, Firejudyrose said:

Update on the Ervin Building, looks like it's in the punchlist stage. Giant billboard is incredibly distracting.

Anybody know if something cool is planned for the top floor? 

Also, giant Hugos are still next door though it does appear one has lost its stinger 

The flag pole is a nice touch. I would say I'd like to have one of those Hugos, but they're almost as long as that dumpster and I'm guessing it's a 20-footer(?)

[RANYC]

19 hours ago, Firejudyrose said:

Update on the Ervin Building, looks like it's in the punchlist stage. Giant billboard is incredibly distracting.

Anybody know if something cool is planned for the top floor? 

Also, giant Hugos are still next door though it does appear one has lost its stinger 

a shrinking tree canopy, boulevard-adjacent billboards...yes, growth looks great

[Firejudyrose]

@KJHburgHugos were part of two Novant Health Billboards for the Hornets rebranding in '14-'15. They have been sitting at that site since summer '15.  

@lit19 feet to be exact.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Firejudyrose

[TCLT]

Coworking space is going to fill most of the remaining space at the Ervin Tower. They're taking 20000 sq ft over 4 floors. GVest (building owner) will have their HQ in about 4800 sq ft on the top floor. From bizjournals:

Quote

International coworking company IWG plans to add a flexible office space in Charlotte through its Regus brand as more firms shift to hybrid working models...

IWG is one of the world's largest providers of hybrid working options, with brands such as Spaces and Regus. The 20,000-square-foot Regus office will be at 4037 E. Independence Blvd. in east Charlotte, stretching across four floors. The space will include private offices, meeting rooms, and coworking and creative spaces.

...coworking spaces come after property owners Ervin Building MT of Charlotte ... made an investment into the IWG platform to grow their return on the real estate spaces, the company said in a news release.

Gvest rezoned the site in 2019 and started remediation work there about two years later. The company demoed the building's interior down to the original structure while preserving the historic exterior, providing 33,021 square feet of total leasable space.

In 2022, Gvest moved its headquarters from Pineville into that building, where the company occupies the 4,765-square-foot top floor.

 

 

[KJHburg]

^^And there is only 33,000 sq ft of office space so with the 2 leases makes this tower 75% preleased which is great.  I am sure some small tenants will fill in the rest of the space.  

[KJHburg]

I almost missed that huge digital billboard but maybe it is brighter and more prominent at night but I barely saw it despite its huge size.  

[lit]

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/not-an-early-gift-santa-independence-development-draws-pushback/HJAFFTMCT5BUPNABQGKRWWNPHM/

[Reverie39]

In an ideal world feels like we could just throw a heavy rail metro line down the Independence Corridor and then not have to worry about express lanes and all that. But we do not live in an ideal world.

[Windsurfer]

9 minutes ago, Reverie39 said:

In an ideal world feels like we could just throw a heavy rail metro line down the Independence Corridor and then not have to worry about express lanes and all that. But we do not live in an ideal world.

How are the express busses doing these days?  Filled up?  .... next best thing

[go_vertical]

15 hours ago, lit said:

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/not-an-early-gift-santa-independence-development-draws-pushback/HJAFFTMCT5BUPNABQGKRWWNPHM/

If I lived near there I would be unhappy too.  Not necessarily because of the development, but more so regarding the time frames on the road improvements.  The first units are projected to deliver sometime in 2025, but the improvements to the surrounding roads aren't even supposed to start until 2028.  Sounds a little backwards to me.

[RANYC]

12 hours ago, go_vertical said:

If I lived near there I would be unhappy too.  Not necessarily because of the development, but more so regarding the time frames on the road improvements.  The first units are projected to deliver sometime in 2025, but the improvements to the surrounding roads aren't even supposed to start until 2028.  Sounds a little backwards to me.

yes, size and timing matter.

[lit]

https://www.wbtv.com/2023/12/19/police-1-dies-after-van-crashes-east-charlotte/

This crash had inbound Independence crawling for most of the day yesterday. A work van collided with the right leg of the gigantic overhead highway signs across the street from Walmart. The passenger didn't make it, and neither did the sign. The humongous sign is currently resting up against the wall inside the Bus Lanes.

Edited December 21, 2023 by lit

[SydneyCarton]

I was in Indian Trail recently.  A Lynx line along 74 would be great.  

[TCLT]

Work started on the reconfiguring of the bus lanes I guess. I missed the press release from earlier this month, but I have noticed that part of the median near the Hawthorne lane bridge has been demolished to I assume reroute the lanes so a bus doesn't have to drive directly into the bridge support. The bus lanes should open May 18th if NCDOT's stated timeline holds.