Optimist Park / Belmont Projects

[15895]

2 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

I 100% think that charging to park is fair and should be done, but some people roll their eyes at the transit notion because the system isn't set up to be effective for local trips that aren't in a narrow corridor..... The vast majority of Charlotte doesn't live walking distance to a light rail station and our bus system continues to be operated poorly, have routes cut, and have extremely long headways between buses that just make it a last resort. 

If somebody lives off Commonwealth in Plaza Midwood..... it would take 40 minutes to get to Optimist Hall via public transit in Charlotte...... that's insane. That compares to just 9 minutes in a car. Now I DO think the convenience of that 9 minute drive in the car comes at a price.... including charged parking. 99% of people would gladly pay $5 to park versus spend 40 minutes on transit to go 2 miles. Once people are done complaining, we'll see this paid lot be full because people aren't going to give up their Toyota 4Runner or Jeep Wrangler for getting to Optimist. 

It will also be interesting to see how many people circle for free parking if they are planning to be at Optimist a while and try to street park in the residential areas on 16th, 17th, 18th, et.. across Parkwood.

Beyond insane. 

I think inner city Charlotte would benefit from a special rapid bus service with colored lines similar to the DC Circulator. I believe several cities have special bus systems like the below. The buses come every 10 minutes, comes with wifi I believe, charger ports. And it needs to connect neighborhoods directly 

 

 

I'd love to see an initial bus service with colored lines, stations with a lot of real time shelters, etc. that I drew up below:

 

I think a lot of bus systems are close or over or slightly below pre-pandemic ridership. With Charlotte's bus tanking, I think it's wise to look into discontinuing a bunch of service and start being creative with certain rapid bus routes with ten minute headways, nice transfer stops, etc. And start figuring out where people want to go... without spending hours doing a simple short thing.

Edited August 11, 2022 by AirNostrumMAD

[DJ8hep]

I remember being surprised the first time I went to Optimist Hall and didn’t have to pay for parking. A place like that in the Twin Cities definitely was guaranteed to have paid parking.

[Hushpuppy321]

How is parking going to be enforced since they don’t have gates and ticket machines in most of the parking locations?  Going to install some over this weekend?

[Rickybobby]

2 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

How is parking going to be enforced since they don’t have gates and ticket machines in most of the parking locations?  Going to install some over this weekend?

My guess would be like how they do it at the music factory. Which my wife got a $75 ticket at lastnight. She hadn't been paying or validating on her volleyball nights and they finally caught her.

They just have signs up at each spot that direct you to an app for payment.

[Madison Parkitect]

40 minutes ago, Rickybobby said:

My guess would be like how they do it at the music factory. Which my wife got a $75 ticket at lastnight. She hadn't been paying or validating on her volleyball nights and they finally caught her.

They just have signs up at each spot that direct you to an app for payment.

Yeah, I bet they do an app and just have someone patrolling the lots.

[kermit]

57 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Yeah, I bet they do an app and just have someone patrolling the lots.

yup, license plate reader tech can be delivered to your door tomorrow for less than $1k

https://www.amazon.com/license-plate-recognition-camera/s?k=license+plate+recognition+camera

Depending on how aggressively they enforce you may be able to thwart OH parking fees by backing into your space so your plate can't be read (depending on how active the person driving the plate scanning vehicle around is).

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by kermit

[SgtCampsalot]

It seems like this may have been breezed over just a  bit since it was posted in the "First Ward" thread:
 

On 8/8/2022 at 2:13 PM, AnonymousCanadian said:

 

https://charlotte.axios.com/287336/new-office-development-to-be-built-next-to-optimist-park/#:~:text=Charlotte-based White Point Partners,Brevard at the Belmont intersection.

[JRCLT]

It seems like this may have been breezed over just a  bit since it was posted in the "First Ward" thread:
 

This was actually posted here months ago likely actually when this story came out in February of this year. With so much going on it’s no wonder some forgot about it.

[NYtoCLT]

There's construction/foundation going down on the corner lot of Kennon and Pegram.  It is across from the abandoned corner store.  Anyone have any idea what is going up there? 

[PMrez]

Any updates on the old corner store at the corner of Belmont/Pegram? Looks like significant progress and haven't noticed a For Lease sign in quite some time. Thoughts on something like Soul moving in. It's not quite as walkable with night life options as PM but they have a loyal following and would be an awesome addition to that area. Just a random thought I had. Maybe it's just the similarity of the exterior to the old space that triggered the idea. 

[tozmervo]

On 2/4/2022 at 10:49 AM, jtmonk said:

Saw this on jasonthomasclt Instagram this morning. 130,000 SF, 8 story office building behind Optimist Hall.  Looks pretty good. 

 

I noticed a crane of significant height in the direction of Optimist Hall - is it for this project?

[KJHburg]

New apartments marching up North Brevard 2 new complexes under construction and the crane for the office tower and garage at Optimist Mill.  

anyone know how that parking situation is going with the free parking then paid??

this is really Mill District. 

 

[Hushpuppy321]

On 10/5/2022 at 7:56 PM, tozmervo said:

I noticed a crane of significant height in the direction of Optimist Hall - is it for this project?

Yes I believe so.  That Office appears planned for directly adjacent to the Apartment & Parking Deck Complex under construction.  This area will be a hit for those apartments and eventually the Office Space.  Who wouldn’t want to work in an office (If you couldn’t WFH) directly adjacent to Optimist Hall?

[Hushpuppy321]

Update - Someone prior asked about the Crane at Optimist (Food) Hall.  It would appear that this new Crane is only Sufficient for the Apartment Complex under construction.  The Office portion of the work (to be located adjacent to the Parking Deck) will need its own separate Crane roughly in the area I circled it would seem.   Sorry in advance for the crude mark up… lol.

[JRCLT]

Update - Someone prior asked about the Crane at Optimist (Food) Hall.  It would appear that this new Crane is only Sufficient for the Apartment Complex under construction.  The Office portion of the work (to be located adjacent to the Parking Deck) will need its own separate Crane roughly in the area I circled it would seem.   Sorry in advance for the crude mark up… lol.
http://content.invisioncic.com/x329420/monthly_2022_10/2A8B901B-4BB2-4207-A4D8-B5F9F6DA2288.thumb.jpeg.64a5cc409a48c23a4a873cb3a9740338.jpeg
http://content.invisioncic.com/x329420/monthly_2022_10/85567D54-1ACC-4A70-8137-2660886D815D.thumb.jpeg.bdf5f548929cc0a27b51f4cea797bc1d.jpeg

That’s a tall garage… probably will pick up a lot of the parking demand at OP I’m thinking.

[JRCLT]

(Double post glitch? Idk how that happened? haha.)
*deleted*

[kermit]

Steel going up at 16th at tracks (behind U haul, this is not the apartment project just South of here)

 

[Desert Power]

The massive new Seoul:

 

[KJHburg]

Drove down Seigle Ave through Belmont today.  Lots of infill continuing to be built.  

[Nathan2]

16 hours ago, KJHburg said:

 

Really hate to see all the infill with garages facing the street. Makes for a terrible pedestrian experience and the frontage always ends up looking like the photo above, lots of cars blocking the sidewalk. 

[kermit]

47 minutes ago, Nathan2 said:

…., lots of cars blocking the sidewalk. 

Would REALLY like to see some enforcement of this law in Charlotte.

(not necessarily the folks who have suburban guests block the sidewalk for an hour, but at least the folks who park their F-150 across the sidewalk every day for years (speaking of a neighbor of mine, not the photo)

Edited November 9, 2022 by kermit

[KJHburg]

39 minutes ago, kermit said:

Would REALLY like to see some enforcement of this law in Charlotte.

(not necessarily the folks who have suburban guests block the sidewalk for an hour, but at least the folks who park their F-150 across the sidewalk every day for years)

those townhomes where the white truck is parked were under construction not yet occupied.  But I have seen vehicles block in other areas of course but this is not an example of that. 

[atlrvr]

Wood Partners (of the "Alta" brand) has bought the church (didn't realize it was a church, thought it was some municipal building) at the southeast corner of Seigle and 10th for new apartment project.  No details other than that.

[TCLT]

2 hours ago, atlrvr said:

Wood Partners (of the "Alta" brand) has bought the church (didn't realize it was a church, thought it was some municipal building) at the southeast corner of Seigle and 10th for new apartment project.  No details other than that.

That is (was?) Charlotte Lab School's kindergarten. Don't think it was a church.

[slipperypete]

1 hour ago, TCLT said:

That is (was?) Charlotte Lab School's kindergarten. Don't think it was a church.

Pretty sure this was previously part of Seigle Ave Presbyterian. The Lab School took over one of their buildings when the church sold their property for redevelopment.