First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan

[grodney]

I walked up to Seven St Station and got some pizza and took it over to the new park for lunch.  A couple pics, including the treatment of the street going through it, below.  A stop at the Hornet's team shop and Amalie's on the way back.  That's an Uptown lunch!

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, grodney said:

I walked up to Seven St Station and got some pizza and took it over to the new park for lunch.  A couple pics, including the treatment of the street going through it, below.  A stop at the Hornet's team shop and Amalie's on the way back.  That's an Uptown lunch!

Thank you! Nobody has taken pictures of the street. I've been wanting to see it.

[Bikeguy]

so glad they buried the power lines..

 

[dubone]

I'm glad the city built the neighborhood a park and nice new streets and utilities.   Too bad the neighborhood still has a do-nothing landlord. 

 

Even the master plan in the CBJ refers to the Treloar house as the "Bail Bond Bldg" because they have scraped the painted signage of the era when this was a bad neighborhood.    It speaks volumes for the respect he has for the historicity and reusability of the building.   Even with a tenant, in the buildings by the light rail with the school in it, will be torn down even though it could easily be built around with so much vacant land.  

Then look at how he ruined his own big idea of Market Street being a retail strip facing the light rail and park.   it is now just a simple square building where TWELVE would already be but for his incompetence.   Market Street will simply have a parking deck facing it.  Maybe there will be some retail spaces in the deck, but it clearly won't be focused around the retail like implied in older plans. 

 

Clearly it would be hard for him to screw up the 10th Street apartments and the hotel since he deals to make them happen, and the market is hot for both that type of uses.  He is also not seeming to be doing anything terribly aggressive despite puffing up his chest for decades about what is possible on this land. 

 

 

The park is beautiful,  but it just makes me sad that it can't act nearly as strongly as a catalyst as Bearden has. 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, dubone said:

  He is also not seeming to be doing anything terribly aggressive despite puffing up his chest for decades about what is possible on this land. 

Totally. This. 

I fear 1st Ward is going to feel like Southend but with Roads, lighting and sidewalks. His plans lack vision, direction, or cohesion. This is a uptown location, I'd like him to spend the 700 million on two blocks not 8. He is not maximizing the use of these sites.

[RaleighHeelsfan]

So does this guy know everyone hates him and his choices? If we all publicly make a huge fuss about this maybe he will listen, or maybe the city will try and do something. He has not lived up to anything he has said.

[dubone]

I hope so, but people like that would try harder if he cared.  

[15895]

I haven't been yet but it doesn't interest me. The reason being is, It looks like a smaller, lower budget version of Romare. Obviously Romare was going to be bigger and more grand. Though despite that, I wish they would've differentiated this park by style. Something weird. More eclectic? Weird? I'm thinking of the Bear statue from Germany by the library on North Tryon. It looks dull, uninspiring and sterile. I mean... the Imaginon building is right in front of it; the park could've stylistically played off the ugly clunker. UNCC Charlotte is pretty weird too... Throw up some geometrical statues of different colors in the shape of the UNCC building that kids could play on?

 

Oh well. Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. (For the record, I do think it's pretty and an overall asset. Just would've liked to be unique or different.)

Edited December 11, 2015 by AirNostrumMAD

[ah59396]

1 hour ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I haven't been yet but it doesn't interest me. The reason being is, It looks like a smaller, lower budget version of Romare. Obviously Romare was going to be bigger and more grand. Though despite that, I wish they would've differentiated this park by style. Something weird. More eclectic? Weird? I'm thinking of the Bear statue from Germany by the library on North Tryon. It looks dull, uninspiring and sterile. I mean... the Imaginon building is right in front of it; the park could've stylistically played off the ugly clunker. UNCC Charlotte is pretty weird too... Throw up some geometrical statues of different colors in the shape of the UNCC building that kids could play on?

 

Oh well. Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. (For the record, I do think it's pretty and an overall asset. Just would've liked to be unique or different.)

 

I'll also echo this (and I know it's super early on so I'm going to hold any real judgment); my wife and I went and visited the park and the first thing she said is "where are the trees?".  And I said "well, they've got to grow, it's not like they can't plant full grown ones".  Then she pointed out that she's not an idiot and said that she meant, there weren't really a lot of trees planted in the park at all, including the entire stone/concrete area at the south end of the park.  It's going to be a pretty wide open park even after the trees grow up.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, RaleighHeelsfan said:

So does this guy know everyone hates him and his choices? If we all publicly make a huge fuss about this maybe he will listen, or maybe the city will try and do something. He has not lived up to anything he has said.

Straight outta the horses mouth.  He knows and doesn't care what people say. He charismatically proports himself to be a driven man with lots of aspiration. Charisma, drive and aspiration only matter when you have the ability to finish what you started.

[SgtCampsalot]

Personally, I feel this park has more going for it than Bearden*: It has the rail trail next to it which will give it better accessibility IMO, and the existing buildings around it are more interesting than the Miami condo-looking buildings around Bearden. Yes, who knows what we'll get from the other parcels, but it's worth noting that several of these existing buildings around FWP are public entities, which has civic value, plus, First Ward, combined with the N Tryon Plan, is generally more interesting with better connectivity than third ward. (Which, upon writing that, may just be a huge personal bias from living along the N Davidson St area, but still)

 

* (OTHER THAN THE DAMN TREES)

Edited December 12, 2015 by SgtCampsalot

[CLTProductions]

7 hours ago, RaleighHeelsfan said:

So does this guy know everyone hates him and his choices? If we all publicly make a huge fuss about this maybe he will listen, or maybe the city will try and do something. He has not lived up to anything he has said.

No, I have specifically asked him this very thing and his response is he doesnt care about the criticism

[RiverwoodCLT]

With First Ward Park open, what's next for Levine Properties?

Will Boye recently met with Daniel Levine, president of Levine Properties, for an update on what’s coming next around First Ward Park. I’ve attached a site plan that, while a little dated, illustrates what the Charlotte real estate firm is planning for the neighborhood. Read on for more details:

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2015/12/with-first-ward-park-open-whats-next-for-levine.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2015-12-11&u=wliErbChCYS6n81xplCL1O%2ByqpF&t=1449886154

Edited December 12, 2015 by RiverwoodCLT

[caterpillar2]

10 hours ago, RaleighHeelsfan said:

12 minutes ago, RiverwoodCLT said:

With First Ward Park open, what's next for Levine Properties?

Will Boye recently met with Daniel Levine, president of Levine Properties, for an update on what’s coming next around First Ward Park. I’ve attached a site plan that, while a little dated, illustrates what the Charlotte real estate firm is planning for the neighborhood. Read on for more details:

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2015/12/with-first-ward-park-open-whats-next-for-levine.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2015-12-11&u=wliErbChCYS6n81xplCL1O%2ByqpF&t=1449886154

So does this guy know everyone hates him and his choices? If we all publicly make a huge fuss about this maybe he will listen, or maybe the city will try and do something. He has not lived up to anything he has said.

So Levine will have plenty of parking spaces available in 2019.  Oh goody!!

[15895]

4 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Personally, I feel this park has more going for it than Bearden*: It has the rail trail next to it which will give it better accessibility IMO, and the existing buildings around it are more interesting than the Miami condo-looking buildings around Bearden. Yes, who knows what we'll get from the other parcels, but it's worth noting that several of these existing buildings around FWP are public entities, which has civic value, plus, First Ward, combined with the N Tryon Plan, is generally more interesting with better connectivity than third ward. (Which, upon writing that, may just be a huge personal bias from living along the N Davidson St area, but still)

 

* (OTHER THAN THE DAMN TREES)

 

Which is exactly why it should've been something semi-special or interesting.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/73/ac/c6/73acc68b71734909240b579309cd87c3.jpg

 

 

Here is Greensboro new park below. I think something similar to this would've tied in perfectly with Google's Dixie Tavern, and especially the children's library, Imaginon.

http://cfgg.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/greensboro-lebauer-park-childrens-garden-rendering.jpg

 

Maybe I should hold my judgments until I visit in real life. It just looks so bland. I know they probably had a budget to follow but I'm sure they could've made it more interesting with the same budget.

Edited December 12, 2015 by AirNostrumMAD

[hinsp0]

I've long been frustrated/impatient with levine's land-banking in first ward.  But, the park is a step in the right direction and is infinitely better than a cluster of surface lots.  Sure, I'd love something more interesting or unique than the park that was built.  But, I'm optimistic that first ward will become a great part of uptown within the next decade because it's essentially a blank canvas.

The master plan may seem bland now.  But, who knows.  Assume that a prominent headquarters relocation comes along at the right time and wants control over the scale and style of their new hq and does not want to move into a spec space.   We may ultimately see $700m invested in a block or two.

Maybe I'm giving Levine too much credit.  But he's not an idiot... And he holds a unique piece of property.

Edited December 12, 2015 by hinsp0

[ah59396]

1 hour ago, hinsp0 said:

I've long been frustrated/impatient with levine's land-banking in first ward.  But, the park is a step in the right direction and is infinitely better than a cluster of surface lots.  Sure, I'd love something more interesting or unique than the park that was built.  But, I'm optimistic that first ward will become a great part of uptown within the next decade because it's essentially a blank canvas.

The master plan may seem bland now.  But, who knows.  Assume that a prominent headquarters relocation comes along at the right time and wants control over the scale and style of their new hq and does not want to move into a spec space.   We may ultimately see $700m invested in a block or two.

Maybe I'm giving Levine too much credit.  But he's not an idiot... And he holds a unique piece of property.

I don't necessarily disagree with your sentiment, but I also think that mentality of "well it's better than a parking lot" needs to change.

Its what is getting us mediocre civic projects and crappy stick built apartments without retail or street life.  I think as citizens of this city, we need to start demanding the very best from new development and directly from the county/city too.  We deserve better than something that isn't a parking lot.

[The Force Sleeps]

1 hour ago, ah59396 said:

I don't necessarily disagree with your sentiment, but I also think that mentality of "well it's better than a parking lot" needs to change.

Its what is getting us mediocre civic projects and crappy stick built apartments without retail or street life.  I think as citizens of this city, we need to start demanding the very best from new development and directly from the county/city too.  We deserve better than something that isn't a parking lot.

So how do we actually go about demanding this and creating change? I'm lighting my torch and grabbing my pitchfork now - just tell me where to go.

[ah59396]

1 hour ago, The Force Sleeps said:

So how do we actually go about demanding this and creating change? I'm lighting my torch and grabbing my pitchfork now - just tell me where to go.

Haha, that's the tough part.  We are pretty powerless.  I've taken to being more vocal about my displeasure with people who wouldn't usually even think about urban planning or development.  I've found that many of my friends that aren't a nerd like me will still make comments like "man this road needs a sidewalk" or "this part of town is really dead", giving me an opening to educate them.  So I guess general awareness is the first step?  I dunno what else to do really besides internet beotch.

[go_vertical]

I'm going to have to slightly disagree with AirNostrumMAD. The park doesn't LOOK bland, it IS bland. It is also boring, sterile, and IMHO uninviting. It is painfully clear now that it has opened that Levine did the bare minimum here and he has now delivered a product to the city that will look aged and tired in no time. Levine is a stain on this community and nobody should ever give him any credit or the benefit or the doubt again. This park looks like a sitting area outside of a hospital that you go to when you can't take seeing a loved one hooked up to tubes anymore. And what is up with that horrible curved pagoda with steel support beams butted up against the fountain? Real nice view of the water feature there.

The comment of "where are the trees?" is very telling as well. I know they are saplings and will eventually fill out, but was anyone saying that when Bearden opened? No, everyone was saying "well, there isn't any shade now, but wait until all theses trees grow. I echo AH's wife's sentiments. Where are they because there certainly aren't enough. Mark my words, the city will need to put a lot more money into this park within a few short years if they want it to be a spot of pride for residents. Thanks for nothing Levine.

[dubone]

That is a great point about the trees.   I had it in my mind too that it is more just the sapling era and in 3-5 years it will be great, but now going back in, it does not look there are very many even planted.  

 

The granite and brick is very nice, the water feature that looks like basalt columns is nice, but without the trees to add height and canopy around the oval field, it is definitely not going to feel like an urban park but more like and 'urban' park.  

 

Bearden has more elements that feel like rooms, where you get surprised around each corner.   

[ah59396]

1 hour ago, dubone said:

That is a great point about the trees.   I had it in my mind too that it is more just the sapling era and in 3-5 years it will be great, but now going back in, it does not look there are very many even planted.  

 

The granite and brick is very nice, the water feature that looks like basalt columns is nice, but without the trees to add height and canopy around the oval field, it is definitely not going to feel like an urban park but more like and 'urban' park.  

 

Bearden has more elements that feel like rooms, where you get surprised around each corner.   

You hit it on the head.

 

now, granted 1st Ward is SMALL, at only about 4 acres, but even parks only 2x its size offer this type of "get lost" experience.  NYC's Tompkins and Washington Square are both about double the size of 1st Ward Park.  Does anyone here believe 1st Ward will ever match the qualitiy of those parks?  Or hell, even just the canopy cover?  I fear 1st Ward Park is going to end up as another Marshall Park.  A "park" only in name.

I really want an urban park I can get lost in.  Unfortunately it appears for the time being we will have to go to Freedom Park.

Still glad they hit a home run with Romare Bearden.  That park continues to draw me to it on a regular basis.

[SgtCampsalot]

At what point can citizens tell city council to spend a few thousand dollars on more trees, and have them listen?

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, SgtCampsalot said:

At what point can citizens tell city council to spend a few thousand dollars on more trees, and have them listen?

You'll want to start with the county board of commissioners, who oversee parks and rec

[caterpillar2]

1 hour ago, tozmervo said:

You'll want to start with the county board of commissioners, who oversee parks and rec

Maybe we can all go there and plant a tree on Arbor Day?