918 replies to this topic

[dubone]

appatone, on Jun 13 2005, 08:05 PM, said:

It would be nice at least if they would let the DCDA could go in and clean it up, plant some grass and add a flower bed or two and at least have a little open green or something in the interim.  That wouldn't cost a lot of cash to build or maintain with volunteers donating plants (maybe even Lowes donating the plants and grass seed to the dcda ) and neighbors volunteering to cut the grass on a schedule.  They could have little things like Shag lessons on Friday nights or movies on the grass.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i'm really surprised that starbucks hasn't worked a deal to use it for customer parking until they do something.  Parking at that starbucks is extremely limited, while there is an open parking lot with tons of space sitting idle behind a fence across the street.  starbucks could easily justify maintaining it during that period of time.

[cooperdawg]

dubone, on Jun 16 2005, 10:49 AM, said:

i drove by the greenway at morehead the other day and there is already some heavy contstruction machinery there digging up the creekbed...so landscaping sounds about right for october.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, the heavy machinery is implementing some in stream improvements put forth by Buck Engineering and should be completed in the next month or so, but the creek won't be moving anywhere as far as horizontal alignment.

[dubone]

i wasn't sure where to put this, but as we discussed many other kenilworth/dilworth projects in this thread, i thought i'd put it here.

Does anyone know whether this project is moving forward?:
http://www.narmourwr...head_street.htm

i found it on the narmourwright page.  Currently, the structure on this corner of morehead/kenilworth is a very rundown dirty building with a nasty parking structure, a broken brick wall and metal fence.  a new project with an attractive design like this would do wonders for that intersection, which a major entry point into the dilworth neighborhood.

[atlrvr]

My understanding of that project is that this was a proposal used to solicit the current property owner to sell, or partner for the redevelopment.  The current property owner has little interest though in doing anything with the parcel......don't worry....he's getting pretty old.

[dubone]

atlrvr, on Jun 28 2005, 08:32 AM, said:

My understanding of that project is that this was a proposal used to solicit the current property owner to sell, or partner for the redevelopment.  The current property owner has little interest though in doing anything with the parcel......don't worry....he's getting pretty old.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

darn, i was hoping it would be closer to a reality.  I guess it is just a matter of time before k-worth and scott are dense from Park Ave to Baxter, so that building will be replaced eventually.

[CharlotteDemonDeacon]

Does anyone have a rendering (or even know the name) of the 4 story building currently under construction in Dilworth between Kenilworth and Scott (across from the carolinas medical center behind Latta Pavillion)?

[atlrvr]

I don't have a rendering to share, but the project is Summit Dilworth (likely to be renamed Camden Dilworth).  It is an apartment community that will be 3 stories on Kenilworth, and 4 stories on Scott.  The parking deck in the middle is supposed to have a roof-top patio/clubhouse and pool.

I haven't been by it lately to see how far along it is, but it was designed by Furman, so it will have that brick and hardiplank look with bump-out windows......it will be unmistakebly Furmanish.

[dubone]

atlrvr, on Jun 28 2005, 09:51 AM, said:

I don't have a rendering to share, but the project is Summit Dilworth (likely to be renamed Camden Dilworth).  It is an apartment community that will be 3 stories on Kenilworth, and 4 stories on Scott.  The parking deck in the middle is supposed to have a roof-top patio/clubhouse and pool.

I haven't been by it lately to see how far along it is, but it was designed by Furman, so it will have that brick and hardiplank look with bump-out windows......it will be unmistakebly Furmanish.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it is pretty far along.  The deck structure is done, and they are doing the wood framing for the rest.  On the scott side, the framing appears to be complete, so you get a really good feel for how it will look.  on the k-worth side, it looks to be about 50% complete.  

I don't know how long it takes to get faced after the framing is done, but hopefully it won't take as long as The Boulevard Co's Parkview project across the street at K-worth and Romany.  That thing took FOREVER... although now appears to be wrapping up.

That block actually had much higher quality houses on it than the next block south, the one just north of Latta.  I was surprised that it wasn't the first to densify.  But as i said before, it is just another domino that will fall within a few years, so probably better that the latta's skyline views are maintained for a little longer.

[dubone]

here is the original rezoning siteplan:

http://www.charmeck....on 2002_130.htm

It includes a low-qual version of the rendering.

[Miesian Corners]

Talked to the developer last week.  He said they're looking for an occupancy date of 12/1/05.

[CharlotteDemonDeacon]

Thanks for the updates.

[Miesian Corners]

A219724, on Jun 13 2005, 03:47 PM, said:

I think it (Epicurean site) would be ideal for a nice mixed use development similar to the one right across the street with residential and retail on ground level. I actually went to Blockbuster the other day, and it really got to me how bad the lot looks. It needs to be better manicured. I think the city should have a rule making them keep their lot up, as it is in a highly desireable area of town that many people shop and dine at. It really sticks out like a sore thumb...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was on DCDA back when the original proposal came through.  Not a pretty sight.  The family didn't want to work with the neighborhood to make the building more ped friendly or change the design (one big faux French thing).  Even their chosen developer (JDH Capital) couldn't get them to budge on certain things.  I aksed if they would consider either relocating the overhead utilities to the rear of the site or (better yet) putting them underground.  You'd have thought I'd aked for the first born to be sacrificed for Passover.  Not only was I yelled at, I had fingers pointed and shaken in my face and told in no uncertain terms that I had no right to aks them to spend their money on something as useless as utility relocation.  Needless to say, they didn't get DCDA's approval.

Even though I am sad that nothing has happened on the site, I do smile when I drive past knowing they're paying taxes on a large piece of land that provides no income to them.

[dubone]

is the inactivity a direct result of dcda rejection?

also, why faux french with a name like epicurian?  why not italian?  sheesh, can we not even get internally consistency of faux themes?

on an aside -
Those utility poles around there really need something to be done about them.  is there not a way to create utility districts where ratepayers can share the cost of local utility improvements?  I'd gladly pay a few dollars a month for underground wires in the mile or so radius around my house.

[Mobuchu]

dubone, on Jun 28 2005, 12:09 PM, said:

is the inactivity a direct result of dcda rejection?

also, why faux french with a name like epicurian?  why not italian?  sheesh, can we not even get internally consistency of faux themes?

on an aside -
Those utility poles around there really need something to be done about them.  is there not a way to create utility districts where ratepayers can share the cost of local utility improvements?  I'd gladly pay a few dollars a month for underground wires in the mile or so radius around my house.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I could not agree more on the poles.  I just think their ugly, ruin the look of a comunity and in turn reduce the walkability of a neighborhood.  Not to mention it would make my life easier.

I made a phone call out of curiosity to someone I know on the construction side of TWC, to ask about the costs and steps it takes to put utilities underground.  I asked specifically about a couple blocks on East blvd near Scott and Kenilworth.  After permits, dealing with the city, installing duct banks, new lines, new fiber, splicing, manholes(which would be needed in this section), labor, night time hours, and everything else involved it could cost more then 50k for just our fiber and cable.  Add bellsouths hordes of fiber and the cost of running power underground and anyone else on those poles and your talking 100's of thousands easily.

This is what happened on Cedar St., behind the panther practice field near J&W(panthers and J&W split the cost) and also recently behind Imaginon Childrens center.   And soon near courside, davidson, 5th, 6th st's area, and down Elizabeth.   Yes it would be nice down East blvd. but the owners of Epicurean are never going to pay for it.

[Miesian Corners]

^  That's why I suggested relocating them to the rear of the site.  All they had to do was reserve the right of way for BellSouth, Duke and Time Warner.  It was going to add around $60K to the cost of a $10 million project.  They've spent that in taxes over the past 8 years with a vacant lot.

[dubone]

thanks for researching that.

i think it is tough to expect property owners to pay for the section right in front of their projects.  Maybe a slight percentage of it, say 25% or so for big projects, or 50% if it is large insitutions that own quite a bit of land in the area, such as along Eliz Ave or around CMC.  

It seems to me that if a permanent funding mechanism were in place, like those proposed after the 2003 (?) ice storm, that over the course of a decade, much of the intown utility poles could be buried.  

200k is expensive, but if planned rationally to coordinate with other construction projects, where they'd need to dig or close roads/sidewalks anyway, many of your listed costs would just go away.  If a permanent neighborhood- or district-based funding arrangement were in place, the work could automatically be done at the most advantageous time based on some priority framework.  

No doubt signature corridors like east blvd would be high priority, so the bonds on 200k (or some discounted number) could easily be absorbed by ratepayers in the square mile around it.

[Miesian Corners]

Ran some quick numbers.  The Castanas Family (owners of the site and the original Epicurean Restaurant) have paid $117,000 in taxes over the past seven years for the three lots they own on between Scott and Kenilworth.  I chose to add up seven years because they proposed the Epicurean Shoppes in 1998.

DCDA had little (if anything) to do with the project's failure.  It was poorly designed and they couldn't get anyone to sign leases.  They themselves were to be the anchor, opening a new Epicurean Restaurant at the corner.

[dubone]

my guess is once the K-worth/Scott blocks are densified north of East Blvd, some developer will be looking very strongly at combining the epicurian, blockbuster, adt, and misc lots together for a nice big project.  

(I hope they reconnect Ideal Way to itself in that section as part of reconnecting the grid.)  

Once those 2 or 3 blocks north of latta are redeveloped, there is really no place to go for large projects but further south.  There maybe some random parcels north of Morehead, but they are fairly small and limited.

[monsoon]

Miesian Corners, on Jun 28 2005, 05:22 PM, said:

Ran some quick numbers.  The Castanas Family (owners of the site and the original Epicurean Restaurant) have paid $117,000 in taxes over the past seven years for the three lots they own on between Scott and Kenilworth.  I chose to add up seven years because they proposed the Epicurean Shoppes in 1998.

DCDA had little (if anything) to do with the project's failure.  It was poorly designed and they couldn't get anyone to sign leases.  They themselves were to be the anchor, opening a new Epicurean Restaurant at the corner.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem with this part of East Blvd is simple, its called Downtown.  Once a very hot area for real estate,  about the time major condo developments started here, the fad of downtown living started and killed the market for condos in this area.  I know people who did pre-sales investing over there and have since seen their investments become worth less than they paid for the units.   Nobody wants to pay DT prices to live on East Blvd.

[atlrvr]

atlrvr, on Jun 28 2005, 10:32 AM, said:

My understanding of that project is that this was a proposal used to solicit the current property owner to sell, or partner for the redevelopment.  The current property owner has little interest though in doing anything with the parcel......don't worry....he's getting pretty old.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oops....I may have doomed this man.  The owner of the horrible building at Morehead and Kenilworth just died, so now it is up to the estate to decide what to do with the property.  It will almost certainly be sold, so maybe that snazzy rendering is closer to a reality that we once imagined.