FreeMore Projects (West Morehead, Freedom Drive, Bryant Park)

[UrbanFuture]

It has been hinted strongly that Beazer was entertaining offers, so this just seems like they quit pretending with the website.

My favorite is the wording (which no doubt is IE's choice: "The website declined to show this webpage". Um. Ok. Declined?).

Beezer is finished in Charlotte. They are closing shop in our city. All salespeople have been let go, all properties listed with Allen Tate. Roughly 18 employees are left from what I have heard. Possibly (definitely) why the websites are down. Sad but true, the suburban builders are looking at some nasty realities across the board this quarter and this year.

[atlrvr]

Heard today that there will be a 2nd phase to Celadon which will be even "greener" than the first phase.....apparantly there is demand out there for environmentally responsible housing....who would have thought by looking at what most developers are offering..

It seems that I was slightly off, but have since been corrected The next "greener" condo project actually is not adjacent to Celadon but a mile or so NW...it will be the same developer as Celadon, and will be one of the most enviromentally friendly projects yet.

[charlotte49ersuptown]

Beezer is finished in Charlotte. They are closing shop in our city. All salespeople have been let go, all properties listed with Allen Tate. Roughly 18 employees are left from what I have heard. Possibly (definitely) why the websites are down. Sad but true, the suburban builders are looking at some nasty realities across the board this quarter and this year.

I guess this means that Morehead Common is off the books and the site is once again in limbo. I think this is a good sign, this site needs a better mix of uses and a little more density than what was planned.

[ontap]

I guess this means that Morehead Common is off the books and the site is once again in limbo. I think this is a good sign, this site needs a better mix of uses and a little more density than what was planned.

I'm not so sure I would consider the site off the books. I'm not surprised that Beazer decided to pull out of Charlotte. The unrelenting bad press left no options. I would be surprised if Beazer didn't have an 'exit strategy' in place months ago.

[atlrvr]

Hmmmm...I wonder if the deal closed with them selling a portion of the land to an apartment developer?

As much as I hate to say it, the Beazer site plan was actually far superior to the crap Ryan was putting up in South End, which mercilessly seems to be over as well. As for product, it never came out of the ground, so its hard to say what could have been....I'm certainly hopeful that someone will see it as something better than an opportunity to transport the 'burbs to Uptown.

[JBGB]

The only thing I see as a downer for this piece of property is that it backs up to the Charlotte Pipe factory. I just can't see why someone would want to sit on there balcony and drink a cup of coffee in the morning and smell burning plastic.

[Commoner]

Hmmmm...I wonder if the deal closed with them selling a portion of the land to an apartment developer?

As much as I hate to say it, the Beazer site plan was actually far superior to the crap Ryan was putting up in South End, which mercilessly seems to be over as well. As for product, it never came out of the ground, so its hard to say what could have been....I'm certainly hopeful that someone will see it as something better than an opportunity to transport the 'burbs to Uptown.

Is the Ryan crap in South End over, or is it continuing? I'm not clear. I actually ended up buying one, too. For what it's worth, they seemed committed to seeing the rest of the site plan through.

[sfmartin]

The only thing I see as a downer for this piece of property is that it backs up to the Charlotte Pipe factory. I just can't see why someone would want to sit on there balcony and drink a cup of coffee in the morning and smell burning plastic.

Buy/Sell on the foundry sticking around another 5 years? That can't be a fun spot for them either considering the increasing congestion and the number of complaints they will receive once the area is more residential. I'm selling.

[Charlotte_native]

Buy/Sell on the foundry sticking around another 5 years? That can't be a fun spot for them either considering the increasing congestion and the number of complaints they will receive once the area is more residential. I'm selling.

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry has been looking for relocation spots for a while now (primarily in Stanly County). I have a family member that works there.

[atlrvr]

Is the Ryan crap in South End over, or is it continuing? I'm not clear. I actually ended up buying one, too. For what it's worth, they seemed committed to seeing the rest of the site plan through.

I was told no.....that will finish what they have started, but they aren't buying any more dirt from Blvd. Co.

[Commoner]

I was told no.....that will finish what they have started, but they aren't buying any more dirt from Blvd. Co.

So do they already own all of the cleared land, or was there additional land (not yet cleared) that they're no longer purchasing?

It looks like they have one block 3/4 complete and have cleared/grated/graded (I don't know if there's a difference or how to spell it) at least two other blocks. I'm just hoping they finish the 3+ blocks that have been cleared at this point.

Thanks for the info. For all its faults, I saw enough upside and obviously liked the product enought to buy. Some of the South End personalities who I thought might be most critical actually seemed pleased with the plan - I didn't get the same sense of criticism from them as I did on UP.

[atlrvr]

Typically the way it works in this type of development, the builder doesn't clear the land or even grade it. The Blvd. Co. does all that, and then sells the land to Ryan immediately before they start physical construction of the unit, so as I understand it, they will not be purchasing any more land period.....The Blvd. Co. will need to find a new buyer for the already graded land.

Edit. I admit I haven't driven by the site, since the completion of a unit, so it's unfair for me to judge the final product. I will complain about the front loaded garages, though it is possible that they didn't build any of these units yet, so it may be averted, though any future buyer would likely build it out similar to Ryan's plan as opposed to going through the hassle of another rezoning.

[Commoner]

Typically the way it works in this type of development, the builder doesn't clear the land or even grade it. The Blvd. Co. does all that, and then sells the land to Ryan immediately before they start physical construction of the unit, so as I understand it, they will not be purchasing any more land period.....The Blvd. Co. will need to find a new buyer for the already graded land.

Edit. I admit I haven't driven by the site, since the completion of a unit, so it's unfair for me to judge the final product. I will complain about the front loaded garages, though it is possible that they didn't build any of these units yet, so it may be averted, though any future buyer would likely build it out similar to Ryan's plan as opposed to going through the hassle of another rezoning.

The front-loaded garages only appear in some of the Greenbrier units. Ours has a rear-loading garage, as do all built or u/c units on Bland. Plus, it's brick on all-sides, which is an improvement on some similar (or identical) floorplans they've developed elsewhere around town.

Drive by sometime. I'm shocked how close I'll be to the Bland St. transit stop, Nikko, etc.

[AMZIE]

Wesley Village project got a boost last night from city council, The new Stewart Creek Parkway will be built from Freedom Dr. to Tuckaseegee along the creek, this will add access to the new Stewart Creek Greenway being built now by Park & Rec. this street will be on the other side of the creek from the 3 new art monument that were recently installed on Freedom Dr. at W. Morehead St. they are also going to reconfigure how Thrift Rd. and Freedom Dr. intersect.

[ontap]

It's my understanding that Beazer's project Morehead Commons was reported in the newspaper as being for sale since Beazer is leaving the Charlotte market. If this is correct, why is work continuing on the installation of water/sewer getting the pads ready to pour. Work hasn't ceased at the site, especially excavation at the portion which was to be sold to Lane for the apartments and mini-storage. Is it possible that this project will continue under a different builder's name? From the beginning the Beazer name was never connected with Morehead Commons. None of the signage or the Morehead Commons website ever mentioned who was the builder. It was only referred to on the Beazer wesite as "coming soon." Never any links. Is it possible this is still a go?

[atlrvr]

I doubt that it would be built as proposed....the land broker with NAI stated that a potential buyer needed to seek a rezoning to increase density to the point where numbers worked.

As far as why work continues, I assume just prepping the land for sale. They probably see it as a value added excercise, or at least it increases it marketability.

[Raintree21]

If nothing is in the short term plans, it would be nice if they tried to seed the ground or something so it's not just bare dirt there. It looks horrible and I'm sure the runoff from the clay is noxious to the streams in the area.

[Charlotte_native]

If nothing is in the short term plans, it would be nice if they tried to seed the ground or something so it's not just bare dirt there. It looks horrible and I'm sure the runoff from the clay is noxious to the streams in the area.

If it isn't going to be improved for a while, i think they have to do this

[ontap]

I doubt that it would be built as proposed....the land broker with NAI stated that a potential buyer needed to seek a rezoning to increase density to the point where numbers worked.

As far as why work continues, I assume just prepping the land for sale. They probably see it as a value added excercise, or at least it increases it marketability.

I understand readying for sale if the work was generic. They are installing individual water & sewer lines into each pad per the Beazer plan. Today they are digging up Cedar Street. Don't know if it's being removed completely or they are just lowering the grade. This all seems really expensive if there aren't any immediate plans.

[atlrvr]

Is this working going on across the whole site, or just the portion that was to be sold to Lane?

It does seem odd that they would be extending utilities to individual building pads, because if density is increased, the meter size would have to be increased. There is no point in pre-emptively putting in too large of a meter, because in most locales, it affects your commercial water rate.

I suppose the land may be already under contract, and Beazer is acting as a land developer, but again, it seems a bit pre-mature if a rezoning is needed.

[Charlotte_native]

They may be working on this in the same manner as a suburban neighborhood. Get all the pads ready for what has already been approved, then sell them to other builders. That wouldn't surprise me at all (and it does appear they are working on the whole site). Many builders, even given the current market conditions, would likely jump on ready-to-build pads in this location.

[AMZIE]

On the Morehead Common site they are working on the whole site, apartment & condo areas. Cedar St. is completely dug up curb & asphalt, looks like the are lowering the grade to match the lots on each side that they lowered the grade on.

Saw on West Morehead next to the old Grinnell Bldg next to Wachovia a construction sign for Robert Johnson Architecture. Hopefully a new Bldg. or rehab the old Grinnell Bldg.

[Andyc545]

This might be a stupid question, but if they are building the pads, which I am assuming you mean the concrete foundation slabs, how can they increase the density of this project in the future, especially if the water lines, etc are ran in the slab, assuming they are, and assuming increased density means more housing per current slab?

[atlrvr]

Pad in this case would just be graded/leveled dirt with utilities in the ground...no poured concrete.

As far as the Grinnell building, I posted a rendering in this thread about a month ago. It will be located behind the existing buildings on a surface lot....not up on Morehead. I believe it's the corner of Bryant St. and Summit Ave.

[mfowler12]

Does anyone have any information/update on the Morehead Corners project at Freedom and Morehead. It seems like that sign has been there forever. Is Landmark waiting to lease-up?