First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan

[KJHburg]

2 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

they seem to be getting along just fine without it.

they  are parking on a dirt and gravel lot along 9th St and N Brevard.   That was the whole involvement  with the state with Levine and this garage for parking for the university at least some spaces.  Eventually those gravel lots will be developed if Levine sells them off. 

[Scribe]

5 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

if Levine sells them off. 

Oh please, lets make that WHEN he sells them off.

My heart can't handle more "Levine Time" to develop anything.

[TCLT]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

those spaces are for UNC Charlotte and that was his agreement with the state to provide some for UNC Charlotte uptown campus. 

 

As far as I understand the 400 space agreement with the city is separate from the one with UNCC. They have an additional number of spaces. I don’t recall how many though.

E: UNCC paid $4.2 million for 300 spaces according to the Observer.

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by TCLT

[KJHburg]

Just now, TCLT said:

 

As far as I understand the 400 space agreement with the city is separate from the one with UNCC. They have an additional number of spaces. I don’t recall how many though.

 

I stand corrected but there is an UNCC agreement too.  That is why they doubled the terrible gravel lot next to UNCC on 9th St. 

[Madison Parkitect]

Guys, I'm sure it's fine. What could possibly go wrong with trying to deliver over 400 parking spaces in a little over a month when those spaces have sat exposed to the elements and unmaintained for months and months and months?

[KJHburg]

in other N Tryon news the new library design is getting more press from the Building industry.

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/snøhetta-designs-charlotte-mecklenburg-library’s-new-main-library

[TCLT]

This garage looks good enough to deliver now.

The corner stairwell is fully enclosed and they also closed off the middle stairwell. Last picture is from the end of September for comparison.

[NOLA2CLT]

12 minutes ago, TCLT said:

This garage looks good enough to deliver now.

The corner stairwell is fully enclosed and they also closed off the middle stairwell. Last picture is from the end of September for comparison.

LOL...I think that pretty much sums it up

[Urban Cowboy]

What a disaster. 

[j-man]

I’m confused...so are they starting the apartments 

[TCLT]

19 minutes ago, j-man said:

I’m confused...so are they starting the apartments 

I don't think they'd throw up walls around stairwell lobbies that are supposed to be wrapped with apartments if there was any intention of restarting apartment construction in any reasonable timeframe. I really believe that this is a desperate attempt by Levine to get the garage to the bare minimum condition necessary to get the financial incentives agreed to with the city for the parking spaces. If that is the case I really hope the city has the contractual leeway and the spine to laugh him out of the room.

[DH17]

This is just embarrassing if the city lets him get away with it

[Dale]

10 hours ago, DH17 said:

This is just embarrassing if the city lets him get away with it

I totally see the city letting him get away with it. 

[rockhilljames]

That is just... *chef's kiss*

[j-man]

19 hours ago, TCLT said:

I don't think they'd throw up walls around stairwell lobbies that are supposed to be wrapped with apartments if there was any intention of restarting apartment construction in any reasonable timeframe. I really believe that this is a desperate attempt by Levine to get the garage to the bare minimum condition necessary to get the financial incentives agreed to with the city for the parking spaces. If that is the case I really hope the city has the contractual leeway and the spine to laugh him out of the room.

Ok...so is that a yes or no? 

[TCLT]

11 minutes ago, j-man said:

Ok...so is that a yes or no? 

That's a no.

At least that's my guess based on the track record, type of work, tiny number of people/equipment onsite, and more than anything the timing of the work. If anyone actually knows what the plan is for this thing it would be great to hear, but I'm not sure the developer even has a plan.

[j-man]

2 hours ago, TCLT said:

That's a no.

At least that's my guess based on the track record, type of work, tiny number of people/equipment onsite, and more than anything the timing of the work. If anyone actually knows what the plan is for this thing it would be great to hear, but I'm not sure the developer even has a plan.

They might as well build an office building to wrap this and use it for that..idk. Seems like a train wreck 

[TCLT]

I feel like I haven't been fair to Daniel Levine. One colossal failure of a development and apparent rent seeking shouldn't overshadow the rest of the man's portfolio of civic and commercial projects. For example, there's the wonderfully engaging field and pond (1, 2) he's given to the residents of First Ward. Can a neighborhood truly be complete without a place where you can see old, exposed rebar protruding proudly through the surface of stagnant rainwater? I think we should also remember the convenient but dusty gravel parking lot (3) he has made for UNCC's Center City Building employees and visitors. Plus, keeping the abandoned one story brick building on that corner vacant is a superb display of his acumen. And of course let's not forget the preservation and restoration of the Treloar House that gives First Ward Park and the surrounding area a gathering place and anchor restaurant to draw visitors to the area and spur spending. Oh wait...can he at least start the rumor that it's haunted? Tourists love that stuff. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is grand and transformative, but I'm not quite capable of bringing together all my ideas into something complete and cohesive to deliver to all of you. So I guess what I mean is

[Madison Parkitect]

LOL is that really exposed, rusty rebar sitting in a stagnant pond? 

Anyone want to go by and "fall onto" one of them so they can sue the guy?

[KJHburg]

We should start a thread call Hall of Shame and this would be in it along with DeeDee Harris's large water filled hole now lovingly named DD Harris Wetland Park by some.  The good thing is that this list would be short but it does happen for example Skye condos on Caldwell St would have been on this list for a while.  So of course would have 210 Trade condo tower with its exposed rebar. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

Don't forget the fact that Levine tore down the perfectly fine apartment complex at the corner of Fairview and Providence across from Strawberry Hill and that cleared land has now been sitting empty for 2-3? years now.

I really can't figure out that at all. They were operational income producing apartments. Tear them down to let it sit empty. Boggles the mind.

[CLTranspo]

It feels like the only thing that will get him to actually shift out of neutral (or is he in park?) would be a lawsuit since the city clearly isn’t doing much, if anything

[TCLT]

I get that the city can't force property owners to do something with their property, so until Levine finds the self awareness to realize he's not cut out to be a developer we're stuck with wasted land in First Ward. But there should be something  that can be done about things like that rebar pit and the 10th Street ruins. Are there really no building codes or safety ordinances being violated? How can a pit with exposed rebar be allowed to be left like that for years and years.  How can they allow streets and sidewalks to be blocked indefinitely? Where is the government on this? They should be moving faster and with greater force to make it untenable financially for developers to leave their properties in these kind of conditions. Whatever fees/fines/enforcement mechanisms that currently exist clearly aren't sufficient.

[SgtCampsalot]

How much political clout does the Levine family truly have?

Let's quantify it... 

[Desert Power]

We could put up a billboard