Ballantyne

[KJHburg]

as a former resident of Fairfax County VA I know the Tyson Corner area well including this "gem" known as the Toilet Bowl Bldg on Chain Bridge Road LOL  And Ballantyne is no Tysons Corner!   

Edited September 16, 2020 by KJHburg

[Hushpuppy321]

7 hours ago, JorgiPorgi said:

Ballantyne starting to give off Tyson’s Corner vibes.  Way too many parking lots to be truly urban, but getting there. Southend and Ballantyne “skylines” now becoming taller than SouthPark. 

Does anyone know the final height of the Apartment Building or Hotel being developed?   @KJHburg mentioned in a previous thread that the Hawk in Southend was 176’ tall.  I think both these buildings in Ballantyne will be slightly taller than that hopefully both will break the 200’ mark

[KJHburg]

I am not sure but I will have to check on that apartment tower not sure if I ever saw it in print.  

[WxJuan]

Beautiful day in the QC today! This project is coming along nicely.

[KJHburg]

8 acre Stream Park part of the Reimagined Ballantyne behind the existing hotel.  Here is the Charlotte Ledger report

https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/8-acre-stream-park-designed-as-soul

[SpiritOf76]

At Ballantyne village 

Edited October 22, 2020 by SpiritOf76

[SpiritOf76]

[eastsider]

[NCMike1990]

^Wow before you know it, Ballantyne will have a bigger skyline than Greensboro.

[JacksonH]

On 9/15/2020 at 7:24 PM, KJHburg said:

as a former resident of Fairfax County VA I know the Tyson Corner area well including this "gem" known as the Toilet Bowl Bldg on Chain Bridge Road LOL  And Ballantyne is no Tysons Corner!   

I know that building and have passed by it dozens of times, but never knew it was called the Toilet Bowl Building.  I'll never see it the same way again.  And please don't let Ballantyne turn into a Tysons Corner.  That place is a traffic nightmare.  Fortunately Metro goes through there now  but it's still a mess.

[KJHburg]

Ballantyne rising and bonus shots of the new express flyover lanes being built onto 485.   Ballantyne Charlotte's biggest edge city. 

[rancenc]

Recent topping out of the tallest building (as of now) in Ballantyne!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ia7vuOG69Y

[JRNYP2C]

55 minutes ago, rancenc said:

Recent topping out of the tallest building (as of now) in Ballantyne!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ia7vuOG69Y

Didn't realize how tall this was until I had to go to our office on Saturday.  You can see this as you crest 485 by Carolina Place Mall!  Quite impressive!

[ertley]

My fondest wish for Ballantyne is that they would re-move--literally, put them somewhere else, another intersection or park area that could use some sprucing up--the four "gates" at the Johnston Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway intersection, and instead build four decent buildings that are sidewalk adjacent (and they'll still have those ample parking lots behind them). That's the surest way they can make Ballantyne appear to be more than an '90s relic of suburban sprawl. They may or may not inspire actual pedestrian activity, but regardless at least it'll *look* like an actual place rather than a corporate park with housing attached. 

[WxJuan]

[Hushpuppy321]

On 12/22/2020 at 10:04 PM, WxJuan said:

Wonder if the height on this building is measured from the front street to the top or from the top down to the basement level out back.  Either way this looks very close to a 200’ building 

[JRCLT]

My fondest wish for Ballantyne is that they would re-move--literally, put them somewhere else, another intersection or park area that could use some sprucing up--the four "gates" at the Johnston Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway intersection, and instead build four decent buildings that are sidewalk adjacent (and they'll still have those ample parking lots behind them). That's the surest way they can make Ballantyne appear to be more than an '90s relic of suburban sprawl. They may or may not inspire actual pedestrian activity, but regardless at least it'll *look* like an actual place rather than a corporate park with housing attached. 

IMO that street is very massive and traffic heavy as well at many points during the day. I don’t think removing the gates and placing them elsewhere to make room for corner buildings would do much to help the intersection. Pedestrians would have a hard time crossing to get to the other side. Besides looking not like a corporate park (which Ballantyne currently is) is not going to help it NOT be a corporate park. The roads are just too wide and the current lack of density would prevent much pedestrian activity on those corners. Either way having a building there or not wouldn’t change much. That’s why I think the reimagined part is very focused on the top half where roads can be constructed pedestrian friendly, narrower, and for lighter traffic.


http://reimagined.projectballantyne.com/ballantyne-reimagined/

That is why this that bottom area is not really included in the plans.

[ertley]

On 12/24/2020 at 12:35 PM, JeanClt said:

IMO that street is very massive and traffic heavy as well at many points during the day. I don’t think removing the gates and placing them elsewhere to make room for corner buildings would do much to help the intersection. Pedestrians would have a hard time crossing to get to the other side. Besides looking not like a corporate park (which Ballantyne currently is) is not going to help it NOT be a corporate park. The roads are just too wide and the current lack of density would prevent much pedestrian activity on those corners. Either way having a building there or not wouldn’t change much. That’s why I think the reimagined part is very focused on the top half where roads can be constructed pedestrian friendly, narrower, and for lighter traffic.


http://reimagined.projectballantyne.com/ballantyne-reimagined/

That is why this that bottom area is not really included in the plans.

I totally understand that this intersection is not appropriate for pedestrian traffic. I wasn't actually advocating for trying to turn it into a neighborhood area or intersection, only improving its appearance by adding buildings at the corners, each of which would simply be an addition to its discrete shopping area, and wouldn't necessarily have to 'interact' with any of the other three. Each building would simply be additional retail, or even office, square footage, 'supported' by the existing parking lots, and would have low likelihood of encouraging people to cross either road; I highly doubt individuals driving to that area would be inclined to do anything but drive from parking lot to parking lot if they had business in several.

I still simply think that intersection is the opposite of...contributing, in any visual or even substantive way, to making Ballantyne appear than anything other than an overgrown office park, and I still contend that constructing sidewalk-adjacent buildings at each corner of that intersection would be a strong visual, as well as substantive, way of making the area more than a planned 1990s, car-centric space.  

[KJHburg]

Panorama Tower the hotel and office tower in Ballantyne Village 14 stories but look for a 13th or 14th floor both eliminated for same reason.  4 in Chinese is death and every building and hotel I went into in Hong Kong had no 4 floors.   (Chinese investors funded this building)  Garage was added to as well. 

this tower looks good and wait until that rooftop restaurant opens. 

Panorama Tower Charlotte - Home (panoramatowerclt.com)

[KJHburg]

Northwood's new apartment tower and the new Ballantyne office building side by side on Ballantyne Corporate Park Drive.  

[WxJuan]

Website for the Apartment Tower is up.

https://towerviewatballantyne.com

I wish they would’ve built the original rendering shown on the home page.

Edited February 2, 2021 by WxJuan

[KJHburg]

New Novant Ballantyne hospital breaks ground.  Novant Health starts construction on Ballantyne hospital - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)   Looks like it is 4 stories. 

This hospital is 36 beds plus a couple of operating rooms.

In Holly Springs a south Wake County town they are getting a 7 story hospital wonder why they don't build a little taller here?  This photo is 50 bed UNC Rex Hospital in Holly Springs 

 

 

[DEnd]

43 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

New Novant Ballantyne hospital breaks ground.  Novant Health starts construction on Ballantyne hospital - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)   Looks like it is 4 stories. 

This hospital is 36 beds plus a couple of operating rooms.

In Holly Springs a south Wake County town they are getting a 7 story hospital wonder why they don't build a little taller here?  This photo is 50 bed UNC Rex Hospital in Holly Springs 

After about 3-5 stories the need for elevators increases.  My guess is with 36 beds that allowed the most efficient use of space.  I mean 36 beds really only need 1-3 stories.  The 4 story part is going to be the Medical Office Building. 

[KJHburg]

True but hospitals build the long game and for the future.  They always grow so it seems to start off a bit higher density for the future is a better option.  

[DEnd]

38 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

True but hospitals build the long game and for the future.  They always grow so it seems to start off a bit higher density for the future is a better option.  

I guarantee you they have a an expansion plan, and that site has plenty of room.  To put in into perspective Presbyterian's main campus is about 63 acres, and that includes a 3 story hospital and the land banking west of Hawthorne .  Heck take out the surface parking on the site and they are darn near the same size.  Presby is over 600 beds plus whatever the ortho hospital has, and something like 8 MOBs.  Granted the Ballantyne site has storm water issues so it will never get that dense, but there is plenty of room to expand when the time comes.