Plaza-Midwood Projects (Central, Commonwealth, The Plaza)

[Midwoodian]

Ridiculous traffic this morning on Central @ 8:45-ish. Backed up from the apartment worksite right next to the railroad tracks. Totally inconsiderate to motorists, blocked traffic during morning rush. They had cement trucks and dump trucks pulling in, backing out one after the other with nearly total disregard for traffic.

 

I noticed heavy, heavy clay mud tracks going west bound and eastbound on Plaza originating from this site this morning around 8:35/840.  I think there is a City ordinance against allowing those clay/mud tracks to stay on the roadway--I hope they clean it up.  Sounds like I just missed the backup.  

 

This is now the third/fourth time i have witnessed/heard of this site being "dissrespectful" to the community during their building.  On 2-3 occasions I have witnessed the workers entering and exiting the site with complete disregard for traffic and right of way...pulling out from Clement in front of traffic, etc.  Now the traffic closure/delay and mud...

 

It's too bad the project manager or foreman isn't ensuring a more respectful approach for the build...

Next week when they have the RR crossing closed for 4 days should be fun.

Do you know why they are doing this again? They just replaced the ties and crossing a year or two ago...

[Niner National]

I noticed heavy, heavy clay mud tracks going west bound and eastbound on Plaza originating from this site this morning around 8:35/840.  I think there is a City ordinance against allowing those clay/mud tracks to stay on the roadway--I hope they clean it up.  Sounds like I just missed the backup.  

 

This is now the third/fourth time i have witnessed/heard of this site being "dissrespectful" to the community during their building.  On 2-3 occasions I have witnessed the workers entering and exiting the site with complete disregard for traffic and right of way...pulling out from Clement in front of traffic, etc.  Now the traffic closure/delay and mud...

 

It's too bad the project manager or foreman isn't ensuring a more respectful approach for the build...

Do you know why they are doing this again? They just replaced the ties and crossing a year or two ago...

They cleaned the road. I just walked down Central to lunch and it was wet from Pecan to Hawthorne.

 

I do not know why they are closing the RR crossing. There is a stack of ties beside the tracks though, so I'm assuming they're just replacing the ties again. Heavy construction trucks going over them frequently may be taking their toll on the ties in place now? Just a guess.

[hokiehigh]

According to their FB page, April 26 was the last service there. No information on why they closed their door or the plans for the property, although now I'm curious.

 

I have been wondering about this property too.  I did notice today that the grass has finally been mowed.

[Guest]

Civic By Design just had a lot of people from the Plaza Midwood concerned about recent developments. City planning, a planning commissioner, and the councilwoman for the district were there. At least people are talking about the issue.

[Carolina Ron]

On my way home from work yesterday, I saw a bulldozer behind the Todd's Flowers building starting to tear a portion of it down.  Does anyone know what the new building will look like?  It was mentioned earlier in the thread, but I can't seem to find anything concrete.

[Crown]

On my way home from work yesterday, I saw a bulldozer behind the Todd's Flowers building starting to tear a portion of it down.  Does anyone know what the new building will look like?  It was mentioned earlier in the thread, but I can't seem to find anything concrete.

 

No attachments yet, but accela says

 

 

Edited June 10, 2015 by Crown

[Crown]

Brodt Music / Legion Brewing elevation 

 

[Crown]

Here's some of the plans from Comida  // The Former Penguin // The new Little Spoon group spot

Looks like they are adding some patio space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[archiham04]

Hopefully they aren't proposing to cut off the alley right there... that patio looks awfully wide.

Edited June 10, 2015 by archiham04

[Guest]

Hopefully they aren't proposing to cut off the alley right there... that patio looks awfully wide.

looks like it abuts to the the Alley, based on scale. I think the alley is a public right of way.

[archiham04]

You'd be surprised at how many of the recent new projects in PM have been cannibalizing alleys

[Guest]

You'd be surprised at how many of the recent new projects in PM have been cannibalizing alleys

Actually after overlaying it onto the site. It appears they are cannibalizing the alleyway after all.

[archiham04]

Usually the gifting of city owned right of way to a private entity requires a public hearing...

Crown, do you have a link to the Accela page or other resource?  Virtual Charlotte Map has failed me.

[Crown]

Usually the gifting of city owned right of way to a private entity requires a public hearing...

Crown, do you have a link to the Accela page or other resource?  Virtual Charlotte Map has failed me.

 

 

https://aca.accela.com/charlotte/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=LandDevelopment&TabName=LandDevelopment&capID1=15LDU&capID2=00000&capID3=00025&agencyCode=CHARLOTTE&IsToShowInspection=

[Guest]

https://aca.accela.com/charlotte/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=LandDevelopment&TabName=LandDevelopment&capID1=15LDU&capID2=00000&capID3=00025&agencyCode=CHARLOTTE&IsToShowInspection=

okay. There is a to scale site plan that confirms it abuts to the alleyway. 

[archiham04]

VanLandingham's current submittal to HDC: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/HDC/Cases/2015/2015-007.pdf

[Guest]

VanLandingham's current submittal to HDC: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/HDC/Cases/2015/2015-007.pdf

 

I for one don't mind it. I like that the architecture does a good job paying homage. 

[tozmervo]

Since P-M is the epicenter of most of the criticism recently, wanted to make sure people caught this Charlotte Talks show about growing the right way/ avoiding "sterilizing development." It's an excellent listen.

 

http://wfae.org/post/charlotte-how-grow-right-way

[Miesian Corners]

VanLandingham's current submittal to HDC: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/HDC/Cases/2015/2015-007.pdf

I'm with RDF, I think they've done a good job.  Not sure why they went from shake to siding, but overall I like it.  

 

(edit: there was a rogue apostrophe in the text)

Edited June 11, 2015 by Miesian Corners

[archiham04]

I was not involved in the discussions on the switch, but if I were to guess, I think that HDC tries to avoid a matchy-matchy approach to contextualism, and likely felt that the shakes would clash with the main estate.  The architectural styles will complement and the materials will be "of the era".  This will hopefully make the development look less conspicuous, and more organic.

[BNY]

I'm with RDF, I think they've done a good job.  Not sure why they went from shake to siding, but overall I like it.  

 

(edit: there was a rogue apostrophe in the text)

 

Agreed this is better.  I still wonder how that area will handle the parking demands of those townhouses and (especially) the pool. There just isn't enough.

[archiham04]

The original hope was to have the majority walk.  In actuality, I think they will end up having about half of their membership that will not be within walking distance.  I suspect the remote (next to segen mart) lot will get a workout.  

 

...also, there is a possibility that even if HDC and Landmarks approve... that the city will not recommend approval for just this reason.

Edited June 11, 2015 by archiham04

[Spartan]

I don't know Charlotte's zoning code very well, but here in Raleigh they have an interesting zoning provision that y'all should look at. I've mentioned it before. In Raleigh's new form-based Unified Development Ordinance, any lot with an "urban" frontage earns an exemption from parking requirements for the first 16 units and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. In practice this has resulted in a bunch of small-scale apartment buildings with less than 30 units, retail on the ground floor, and significantly less than 1:1 parking ratios. Developers sometimes take the full 16-unit exemption and sometimes they only take part of it, but in practice it gives the developer flexibility to build only as much parking as they think they will actually need. All in all the urban form of these buildings have been pretty fantastic so far.

Mostly this has happened in the Hillsborough Street corridor (I can think of eight such projects - five of which are developed by the Charlotte-based company FMW). I would consider neighborhoods like Plaza-Midwood, or particularly NoDa given the light rail and access to the university, to be great candidates for this approach.

 

Raleigh has much more progressive development regulations than Charlotte, and they incorporate form-based code (or at least elements from it) from what I recall. We are at least 4,5 years from any meaningful change in that regard so Raleigh will have a 7-10 year head start in terms of quality small projects. I know that when I go to Raleigh I'm always impressed at the high quality urban projects (from a design standpoint) they have there.

 

 

Finally, and I really don't mean this to come off as rude, but the search function is incredibly useful.  Many of these developments have been discussed a lot elsewhere in the forum.  So you may be able to find a ton of info on a specific project by running a search on the project name.  In this case you probably couldn't do it as easily because I don't think you knew this was called Marvel Apartments.  Anyway, it is a useful tool, and search engines are not always as useful in forums.

 

Go easy on newbies. As you stated, it's not easy to search when you don't know the name of a project. That said, for new people reading this, check out the Center City Development Maps thread to view the map that contains links to the appropriate places for more information.

[pgsinger]

Go easy on newbies. As you stated, it's not easy to search when you don't know the name of a project. That said, for new people reading this, check out the Center City Development Maps thread to view the map that contains links to the appropriate places for more information.

 

Yeah, I wasn't trying to be mean, just trying to educate.  I tried to word it as delicately as possible, and I certainly meant no offense.

[Guest]

I just walked down Central Ave. with my dad close to Nova's Bakery and it was... unfortunate. This place has a lot of potential but its car-centric design will be the biggest challenge to the community for decades to come. TLDR at bottom.

 

I noticed immediately that the 40-45 MPH traffic produces a great amount of noise pollution, particularly from trucks. It was difficult at times to hold a conversation with dad. Sidewalks are placed so close to the road so you maybe just a few feet from a 2,000 pound automobile going past you at lethal speeds. In a few locations, dining tables on the curb were empty, probably a result of the traffic. The bricks do not help. 

 

I almost forgot to mention this was about 2:30 - 3:00 PM on Tuesday. I need to see it on the weekends.

 

With few exceptions, most shops are designed with cars in mind, meaning front-side parking. Biggest offenders are 1703 Central Ave and places like the Midwood Smokehouse. Harris Teeter is another. It's great that there is a local grocery store but it's so large and takes up a whole block while greedily using half of the space for surface parking. Apparently, the community had a to compromise with the developer on how the structure was built. I am absolutely terrified what the original design the developer had. I'm sure it could have been worse. Overall, just a lot of asphalt.

 

Architecturally, there are some great gems in the area. The Soul Gastrolounge building is quite charming as is The Diamond. Some of the newer developments though leave me scratching my head. The Nook has a decent front facade but I cannot for the love of me understand the side facing the dairy queen. Seriously, what the hell?

 

The yellow modernist apartments next to the lovely Zada Jane's Cafe aren't necessarily ugly but it's completely out of place in the historic neighborhood. First floor parking and it's choice of using those steel bars for the front facade make it imposing to pedestrians.

 

The second biggest challenge to the community is the shopping center with the Family Dollar. That is a textbook strip center. Though I see it's potential. That parking should one day be turned into street facing 2-3 story shops. It would be quite glorious. Until then, it's a parking crater where half of the parking spots are empty. Central ave. doesn't provide any safe pedestrian crossing there anymore.

 

TLDR; Alot of work to do before Plaza Midwood becomes a great neighborhood. Traffic on Central needs to heel to the community by possibly closing down one of the lanes and hopefully that streetcar will come in a few years. Traffic should drop to around twenty five miles an hour. Newer shops should try to add to that 'main street' where the Bakery is. Finally, plant some street trees next to the section with Noda's bakery, it will help slowdown traffic and shield shoppers from the heat.