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Optimist Park / Belmont Projects


dubone

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  • 3 weeks later...

Coming soon: 68 more condominiums on the same block and 42 across the street.

I knew tuscan had plans for the rest of the block, but this is the first reference I have found to what might actually go there.

Opt 12 doesn't take up much space, but Urban Stash takes up almost half of the entire block, which leaves about a quarter of the block empty, which makes me wonder how 68 condos can be squeezed in. Wouldn't that have to be a mid-rise, at least?

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They just renovated Urban Stash a few months ago, though, so I doubt they'll tear it down. They converted it into storage after deciding the area wasn't quite ready for office space, so they may hang on to that for a while in hopes of a turnaround.

Like E7 said, I think a midrise would be cool. Courtside would really stand out from that view.

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They just renovated Urban Stash a few months ago, though, so I doubt they'll tear it down. They converted it into storage after deciding the area wasn't quite ready for office space, so they may hang on to that for a while in hopes of a turnaround.

Like E7 said, I think a midrise would be cool. Courtside would really stand out from that view.

If someone puts up a reasonably priced midrise there at around $150 per square foot with a good view, I'm in. Unfortunately, the pricing I'm seeing doesn't reflect the surrounding neighborhood. I wish Tuscan were a bit more Blvd Centro-like in their pricing and sweeten the deal for early adopters.

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If someone puts up a reasonably priced midrise there at around $150 per square foot with a good view, I'm in. Unfortunately, the pricing I'm seeing doesn't reflect the surrounding neighborhood. I wish Tuscan were a bit more Blvd Centro-like in their pricing and sweeten the deal for early adopters.

I agree that some of their pricing seems a little high, but many of the Duncan Gardens units are less than $120/sq ft. Opt 12 is more like $160-$175. If Tuscan were to build a mid-rise I would think they would charge more unless they would still want to fall under the $132,000 limit that allows buyers to potentially get assistance from the city.

Edited by f0xym0p
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I agree that some of their pricing seems a little high, but many of the Duncan Gardens units are less than $120/sq ft. Opt 12 is more like $160-$175. If Tuscan were to build a mid-rise I would think they would charge more unless they would still want to fall under the $132,000 limit that allows buyers to potentially get assistance from the city.

I guess there's just a bit of a disconnect in my mind when condos are more expensive per square foot than sfh's.

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Expect to see movement soon on the Alpha Mill project on 12th St. They were just issued a demolition contract for part of the building. Don't worry, the Historic Landmark's Commision signed off on the demo. I guess they are getting rid of the crappy add-ons to the original building.

Well, it took a while to get moving, but we now have construction at Alpha Mill!

They have already demolished some of the extra buildings that are not part of the final plan. They have lots of heavy machinery on the site, tearing up the asphalt lots and the surplus buildings. They also appeared to be starting work on removing windows from the main mill building.

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I think I hear crickets chirping on this thread :).

Here are some reasons that I think we all should be excited about Alpha Mill renovation beginning construction:

- It is a historic mill building in First Ward/Optimist Park area that was an eyesore, but will now be a thriving apartment community.

- It is a large scale revitalization project in Optimist Park that along with last year's mass rezoning from I2, could help turn around this neighborhood from a wasteland of closed industrial businesses.

- It converts a brownfield to a productive use.

- It begins TOD development patterns along the Light Rail Corridor.

- It helps to reconnect uptown to the neighborhoods to the north. Brookshire Freeway, the train tracks, and the blocks of industrial wasteland created a separation in past decades. By building higher density residential/mixed use in this area, the psychological barrier will be greatly diminished.

- This project was conceived many years ago, and rezoned last year. It appeared that the project had stalled, but now it is moving forward.

I know Optimist Park doesn't generate too much excitement among people. Optimist Park neighborhood has one of the most negative of reputations in the city, for crime, pollution, ugliness, residential flight, poverty, etc.. I believe that the more it pulls out of its troubled conditions, the better it is for uptown, the better it is for the city as a whole, and the hope and spirits of the community itself.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I drove through Optimist Park tonight on my way home and I must say that the Tuscan projects on 16th Street are really going to make a difference to the neighborhood. Opt12 is fully framed now, and the mass is very different than how that neighborhood used to look.

Hopefully all those Tuscan Projects will be an anchor for future development towards the city to replace the salvage yards just south of these projects. With these projects just north, and Alpha Mill and the promise of LRT just west, the industrial section of Optimist Park around Belmont Ave really has an opportunity to turn around and fulfill the Master Plan for the area.

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Re Revitalization hasn't gotten the convenience store at 10th and Davidson to do much differently. I think they are low margin businesses and don't have much to reinvest for better facilities.

Did you mean the store on 15th Street and North Davidson?

I agree if you did. I wonder what impact closing down Peidmont Courts will have on the survival of this business. since a majority of it's clients came from that area.

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Does any one know the expected time line for the Opt12 and Ducan Garden Projects?

Secoundly according to tuskan' web site they are plann to add to new projects to the area around 15th street does any one know the exact location of those projects.

Are ther any current planns to do any thing with the Metadist churh of 15th street?

Thanks,

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Welcome to UP, Scotter. Nice to see some more interest in the OP/Belmont area.

I'm not sure about the 15th & N. Davidson store, but I'm guessing the store and barber shop that share a building right beside Piedmont Courts on Siegle is taking a serious hit.

Opt12 and DG should probably be done by Spring. I think someone originally said February, but that is looking unlikely. As for additional projects, we speculated a couple pages back about a mid-rise on the same block as Opt12 and Urban Stash. Of course that's nothing more than wishful thinking at this point.

The church is still being used, so hopefully it will be left alone.

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To be clear, I was talking about the convenience store in First Ward next to the United House of Prayer Church. Even though the entire neighborhood is revitalized, that convenience store still looks and operates much the same way as it did before the revitalization. I think that indicates that it isn't likely for Optimist Park's convenience stores, like the one at 15th and Davidson, to change much, even as revitalization occurs.

I think keeping the Methodists and removing the wrecking companies and junkyards will be a better path to revitalization. :)

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Does any one know the expected time line for the Opt12 and Ducan Garden Projects?

Secoundly according to tuskan' web site they are plann to add to new projects to the area around 15th street does any one know the exact location of those projects.

Opt 12 is supposed to be finished in February but it doesn't look like they will meet that schedule, but maybe it will be done in March. They still have all the interior work to do and the cladding of most of the exterior. The first phase of Duncan Gardens is supposed to open one month after Opt 12 and then the second phase the next month and then the third phase the next month after.

One of the realtors at First Charlotte handling sales for these Tuscan projects recently said that Tuscan may get rid of the Urban Stash warehouse and build a mid-rise condo building in its place. Of course that would be a couple years in the future.

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