First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan

[DigitalSky]

That last pic is really nice, the blue sky really stands out, nice contrast!

[cinco]

thanks for the pics, graydog. this project is going to look great when its finished. the views of the skyline from mcdowell are excellent indeed.

Edited January 3, 2006 by cinco

[graydog]

The president's term ended and he wasn't reelected to be on the board of directors, pretty much ending his chances at being involved in the First Ward Association. The new board was elected by residents at the meeting and by a proxy vote with the involvement of the existing directors. The ex-president tried to fight back by saying that the bylaws had never been ratified and therefore elections shouldn't be in December (as required by the bylaws). The issue motivating the proxy votes appeared to be the president failing to recognize or request the votes of existing board members before acting on various issues as president.

First Ward Neighborhood Association had a good meeting last night. I was there for the last few minutes of the board meeting and all appeared very civil and productive. I think we'll see the group become more active this year. They will appoint committees at the next meeting to focus on specific topics. With new real estate developments on tap for the ward, plus the need for a new 1st Ward Park, the timing is good for a renewed organizational vigor.

[graydog]

What do you think of the parntenership with Faison just announced. They have some heavy hitters on their board, most notably Hugh McColl and William H. Grigg (formerly of Duke Energy). The underground parking/park need city help. Is this going to get it?

BTW, does anyone know what Dan Levine looks like?

[dubone]

What do you think of the parntenership with Faison just announced. They have some heavy hitters on their board, most notably Hugh McColl and William H. Grigg (formerly of Duke Energy). The underground parking/park need city help. Is this going to get it?

BTW, does anyone know what Dan Levine looks like?

The Faison partnership was announced last November. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/bus...th/13057562.htm . Was there some change to that that came out recently?

I think it is great that he is partnering with a powerful local group. As good as Cousins was, it clearly was not a partnership that led to any building. Hopefully with McColl and company on the scene, something will happen.

I have seen a picture of Daniel Levine at some point, either in an article or something, but I don't see anything online.

[graydog]

QUOTE(swh1972 @ Dec 8 2005, 02:56 PM) *

Construction to begin the week of December 12 per the developer. laugh.gif

yah sure. I remember the guy at the sales office "promising" me ground would be broken by August at the latest. That was back in June.

Still nothing happening. Now I'm wondering if the money is nervous with the new Furman project coming next door. Why not just forget The Renwick and the CHA apts. and leave this as a park? With all the residential in process the park wouldn't be isolated anymore. The county was planning to move the park a few blocks north, but with Levine's park coming, I'm not sure it makes sense to have 2 parks so close together. Just an idea.

[dubone]

The park I think you are talking about is the playground/playfield for First Ward Elementary school. That is going to happen eventually no matter what because the school needs playfields.

Also, the land that the Renwick will be on is already sold, I believe. Lastly, don't forget the original motivation for building the CHA apartments was that otherwise the city would forfeit millions of dollars in federal housing money that was left over from the Hope VI grant.

I have no idea what the heck is going on with Renwick, but it seems to me that if they sold most of their units, and they just got a new development partner, that it will happen at some point.

[dubone]

Court6 now has the woodframing completed for all of their floors. Now they are starting the steel framing for the section along Davidson Street that has the retail planned.

[atlrvr]

See the twin towers in this pic, at 8th and Brevard?

Rumor mill has it that they will be 50 stories....of course rumor mills are curiously spotty in their reliability.

[Miesian Corners]

I still worry about the Treloar House. For all that Dan says about its history and its marketability, he's done nothing to keep it from deteriorating.

As far as what he looks like, he's an attractive, unassuming mid to late 40s looking guy with dark hair, not incredibly tall, appears fit. He likes long walks in the woods, movies, romantic dinners, and talking about his feelings.

[dubone]

WOW... That would be a significant development, if that turns out that way.

I just wonder why, if they are doing so much height, they need to plow through the 3 historic buildings on the land.

[Norm2]

Hmmmm.....where does this rumor come from and is this person a reliable source? Maybe the demand for office is rising in uptown because of the tight space there is.

[graydog]

The Faison partnership was announced last November. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/bus...th/13057562.htm . Was there some change to that that came out recently?

Nothing changed that I know of. Couldn't recall a discussion and I was interested in what people thought of it.

I have seen a picture of Daniel Levine at some point, either in an article or something, but I don't see anything online.

A friend went to the Secure office to see the model. He said a man there claimed to be working on the project. The man introduced himself as Sid Vargas or something like that. Wondering if it was really Levine. He was about 6', grey streaks, slim.

[ElricSeven]

Nothing changed that I know of. Couldn't recall a discussion and I was interested in what people thought of it.

A friend went to the Secure office to see the model. He said a man there claimed to be working on the project. The man introduced himself as Sid Vargas or something like that. Wondering if it was really Levine. He was about 6', grey streaks, slim.

That's not him. Maybe it was Art Van Dalay the architect.

[graydog]

That's not him. Maybe it was Art Van Dalay the architect.

Had a feeling he was yanking my friend's chain.

[atlrvr]

Hmmmm.....where does this rumor come from and is this person a reliable source? Maybe the demand for office is rising in uptown because of the tight space there is.

Double hearsay with the original source a supposed sub-contractor involved in the tower's due-diligence.

They would be condo, not office.

[atlrvr]

Nothing changed that I know of. Couldn't recall a discussion and I was interested in what people thought of it.

A friend went to the Secure office to see the model. He said a man there claimed to be working on the project. The man introduced himself as Sid Vargas or something like that. Wondering if it was really Levine. He was about 6', grey streaks, slim.

Sig Arnesen? If so, he works for Levine.

That's not him. Maybe it was Art Van Dalay the architect.

Last I heard, Art got into importing and exporting, but was thinking about getting of the exporting and focusing on the importing.

Edited January 9, 2006 by atlrvr

[ElricSeven]

Sig Arnesen? If so, he works for Levine.

Last I heard, Art got into importing and exporting, but was thinking about getting of the exporting and focusing on the importing.

[graydog]

QUOTE(atlrvr @ Jan 9 2006, 02:14 PM)

Sig Arnesen? If so, he works for Levine.

Last I heard, Art got into importing and exporting, but was thinking about getting of the exporting and focusing on the importing.

Yeah Sig is probably what my friend meant. Sid Farkus was a bra salesman. Can't see trading that for a stint with Levine. My friend is an idiot.

[DigitalSky]

Holy crap, Sig Arnesen goes to my church! I never knew he worked for them, I'm gonna have to talk to him about this.

[ElricSeven]

See the twin towers in this pic, at 8th and Brevard?

Rumor mill has it that they will be 50 stories....of course rumor mills are curiously spotty in their reliability.

I can't for the life of me figure out how that rendering fits the land owned by Levine. Which part would butt up agains the arena, i.e., the block on which the Treolar house sits?

Is there a way to point out the other buildings as a reference?

[atlrvr]

I can't for the life of me figure out how that rendering fits the land owned by Levine. Which part would butt up agains the arena, i.e., the block on which the Treolar house sits?

Is there a way to point out the other buildings as a reference?

The outline doesn't include one block he actually owns....the park is shown extending south (left) down to Imaginon....just east (below) the Imaginon is the block which contains the Treolar house, which somehow he must have "forgotten" to include.

[ElricSeven]

The outline doesn't include one block he actually owns....the park is shown extending south (left) down to Imaginon....just east (below) the Imaginon is the block which contains the Treolar house, which somehow he must have "forgotten" to include.

that helps greatly, although I'm not sure how one forgets a whole block

like losing $5 million in the couch I guess

[dubone]

Treloar is on the block that is in the rendering that has the large block building on the left side of the rendering. Levine only owns the Treloar site, but the rest of the block is owned by La Pointe Chevrolet, and CHA.

Hopefully that means that block isn't covered by this plan, and that this hope yet that Treloar will survive the wrecking ball.

The tall yellowish building near the crossing of the red and blue line is on the site of Dixies. That means the building that Dixies uses is toast. Also the Philip-Carey warehouse building, which has a very unique area along the trolley tracks is also toast for the UNCC building.

I doubt that they will relocate the buildings. As these are the last interesting old buildings in this part of town, it is a huge shame that Levine doesn't really indicate that he is saving any of them.

[carolina_fan]

The outline doesn't include one block he actually owns....the park is shown extending south (left) down to Imaginon....just east (below) the Imaginon is the block which contains the Treolar house, which somehow he must have "forgotten" to include.

The old bus station property, that he now owns, extends one block south (right)?