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

[Niner National]

I am puzzled why Charlotte Pipe would do this. They have a huge facility out near the Monroe Airport. I haven't been there in a few years, but there seemed to be plenty of room for expansion. Maybe I am thinking of a different company.

Anyhow, once again I find everyones attitude somewhat puzzling. Developement cheerleaders, as long as it's pretty and doesn't smell or have big trucks roaring by. I have stated before y'all want lots of development as long as it is the kind you want. Would this create jobs? Is it a factory? I've scanned back thru this thread & couldn't tell. So, blue collar workers, who make the things that make it possible for inner cities to exist must work far out in the country side. Companies do not build there facilities near up/down town because of the cost of land. Mass transit offers nothing for them. The inner cities will be full of well off urbanites living and working there. But the blue collar be damned. Go find your hovel in those hideous housing developments you all despise.

That is Charlotte Plastic. They are owned by Charlotte Pipe, but only manufacture plastic pipes there. They manufacture metal pipes in downtown.

Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[TotalLamer]

Now I'm no newbie to Charlotte (been here since 89) but I can't really remember what ever used to be in that HUGE empty area where Cedar Street dead-ends at Morehead... they've recently put up some rather nice looking black fencing and landscaping around the vast emptiness... is there a plan for something to go here? Did something used to be here?

[DEnd]

That's the area where the Coffee Cup used to be. It was going to be residential condo's, I think, but it's been years since I saw the development plans for the area. IIRC it used to be mostly warehouses. It was recently sold to Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, and will likely be used as a storage yard for now. There's a thread around here somewhere...

Found it: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/10863-west-morehead-projects/page__st__360

[dubone]

Please use the original topic for further discussion.

[nonillogical]

This is hardly worth a post, but I just had to point out that the Charlotte Pipe and Foundry entrance sign has been installed at W. Morehead & Clarkson, and it is laughably, cringe-inducing bad. Sorry I don't have a pic yet, but it looks like a 10-ton beige tombstone. Zero resemblance to the sign spec'd here http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2012/035-049/2012-038%20site%20plan.pdf

[WesleyHeightsWay]

http://freemorewest.com/events/1/Taste-of-FreeMore

Come out to FreeMoreWest's first annual Taste of FreeMore on Saturday, October 6th!  Grab your friends & neighbors and head on up to the Burger Co. parking lot from 4pm-8pm.  They are hosting The Blue Dogs from Charleston and 42 Colplay tribute band for some live tunes.

Since it's October, what better way to celebrate than to sip some local beers from Four Friends Brewing and Birdsong Brewing? Sample food from the area's restaurants, Savor Café, Pinky's Westside Grill, The Burger Company, The World Famous Open Kitchen, Picante Mexican Grill and ice cream from Dairy Queen!  Food items will be $1 to $5 and they will be serving food & drinks from 4-8 pm. 

Please bring pencil donations for Classroom Central to benefit underprivileged students or household donations (and computers) for Goodwill to our onsite donation station. 

This is a family-friendly event with FREE admission, and cash only for food and drinks.  Also, check out our local art tent, and fun stuff for the kiddies!

See you there!

[mfowler12]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any information related to the recent advisory council hearing covering the Steward Creek/Irwin Creek Greenway that runs from Seversville Park behind Lela Court in Wesley Heights area.The last information I heard was a proposal to move the greenway adjacent to the rail bed due to this rail being part of a future transportation corridor (interesting). There was also a discussion to add an extension of this greenway to go towards the rail yards adjacent to BofA Stadium.

[Conformity]

I am puzzled why Charlotte Pipe would do this. They have a huge facility out near the Monroe Airport. I haven't been there in a few years, but there seemed to be plenty of room for expansion. Maybe I am thinking of a different company.

Anyhow, once again I find everyones attitude somewhat puzzling. Developement cheerleaders, as long as it's pretty and doesn't smell or have big trucks roaring by. I have stated before y'all want lots of development as long as it is the kind you want. Would this create jobs? Is it a factory? I've scanned back thru this thread & couldn't tell. So, blue collar workers, who make the things that make it possible for inner cities to exist must work far out in the country side. Companies do not build there facilities near up/down town because of the cost of land. Mass transit offers nothing for them. The inner cities will be full of well off urbanites living and working there. But the blue collar be damned. Go find your hovel in those hideous housing developments you all despise.

I am admittedly late on this.  With partners, I only the only piece of land not controlled by Charlotte Pipe as you move toward 77 on Morehead.  The Dowd Family has owned and operated a melting smelting and casting complex on the back side of 277 (as viewed from Morehead) for over one hundred years.  I don't recall anyone working to force them or the 500 so jobs off that land.  I can tell that from my perspective the issue is one of planning.  In the late 90's and early 2000 the West Morehead Plan was just coming to fruition.  I speculated millions there and so have others based on the promise of that plan.  Nearly every adjacent property had been converted to MUDD zoning.  Investment was happening. The streetscape was completed west of I-77 and more investment came.  Now everyone has money in it...public money.

 

Crescent then

Frank Martin and George Shield

then Beazer

Then I think Lane and others got cozy with it for a while,

but ultimately CP&F bought it.

 

My investment will ultimately be surrounded by ductile iron pipe storage....so I speculated...and things didn't go my way.  I don't fault the Dowd Family for doing what is right for them.  I fault the City for caving on this crucial piece of frontage.  From the Stadium to 77, the South Side of Morehead will never be developed.  Once again the City, while at once claiming to value the intriguing areas that make up that first ring (West Morehead, Dilworth, Elizabeth, Plaza Midwood, Central,  etc), makes decisions that shut off any prospects for pedestrian activity along the key connectors leading from uptown to Charlotte's bastions of the real.

[nonillogical]

Small apartment (or condo?) building to be built on S. Summit just behind Savor and the 1 or 2 office buildings there. Looks pretty nice and fits the neighborhood imo. 

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2013/007-023/2013-022%20site%20plan.pdf

[WesleyHeightsWay]

Apartments, but higher end units that could be converted in the long term. I think they are planning 33 units +/- . Over half the units will be studios; they are targeting young professionals and college students.

Seems like a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Edited December 10, 2012 by WesleyHeightsWay

[nonillogical]

Apartments, but higher end units that could be converted in the long term. I think they are planning 33 units +/- . Over half the units will be lofts; they are targeting young professionals and college students.

Seems like a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Yeah I really like this. I work across the street and think there is definitely some pent up demand here, both for new residential and restaurant/retail. I wouldn't be surprised if the remaining lots next to Skybridge are near next in line for apartments (it was supposed to be a phase 2 originally right?).

[atlrvr]

I agree about the lot next to SkyBridge...I was just looking at that the other day thinking it was the perfect apartment infill spot.  Yes, there were supposed to be 2 more identical buildings going down Calvert.

 

I'm pretty excited about this building, and really anything along the W Morehead corridor.  It has so much potential.

 

Any more talk about running a streetcar along the old rail line/greenway through the neigbhorhood up to Cedar St.?  Seems like that was a legit idea 2 years ago that went silent.

[Niner National]

I work in the building on the far end of the chain of buildings that used to contain the tattoo shop/coffee shop. The unit closest to 77 was hit by a car two weeks ago. They have boarded it up, but that building was already in really poor shape. Can't help but wonder if they'll just eventually tear it down.

[nonillogical]

^ I saw that too. I have such high hopes for that space for retail (and hey, a tattoo shop/coffee shop actually sounds amazing to me!), so I really hope someone saves it. It has character.

 

We must be office neighbors btw. 

[WesleyHeightsWay]

Any more talk about running a streetcar along the old rail line/greenway through the neigbhorhood up to Cedar St.? Seems like that was a legit idea 2 years ago that went silent.

The Trolley folks at Atherton Market talk as if this is still a go, and someone (city, NS, etc) has been out surveying the greenway so the tracks can be unearthed, but otherwise not much movement as far as I can tell.

Also, the Hans Krug showroom appears to be open (in between Picante and The Burger Company), although I never see anyone in there.

[ajfunder]

Just curious but where do the tracks need to be unearthed? I thought they were intact and uncovered west of Cedar and removed East of Cedar. I know there is a little dirt pile on the tracks near the end but I thought that was it. How far into downtown would this line go, would it go under the NS tracks and end next to BofA or would it end at Cedar? How far west would it go? Is this info even available?

I also hope this project moves forward.

Alex

[Spartan]

Everything west of Wesley Heights is still under gravel. The idea of the project was that it would run from Cedar Yards, where the tracks currently end at Cedar St, and follow the existing rail spur to the northwest to some TBD terminus and eventually to Gastonia. We have a thread about this somewhere. I'll see if I can track it down.

 

Edit: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/49193-piedmont-northern-railroad/page-3?hl=%2Bpiedmont+%2B%26amp%3Bamp%3B+%2Bnorthern#entry1161987

[TotalLamer]

I agree about the lot next to SkyBridge...I was just looking at that the other day thinking it was the perfect apartment infill spot.  Yes, there were supposed to be 2 more identical buildings going down Calvert.

 

I'm pretty excited about this building, and really anything along the W Morehead corridor.  It has so much potential.

 

Any more talk about running a streetcar along the old rail line/greenway through the neigbhorhood up to Cedar St.?  Seems like that was a legit idea 2 years ago that went silent.

 

I'm not sure how, precisely, that would work.  Once you get to a certain point along that line, it becomes active again.

 

Currently, there's a derail here (right around BlueLinx lumber, an active customer) that signifies the "end of the line" so to speak...

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=28202&hl=en&ll=35.247517,-80.879164&spn=0.002404,0.003149&safe=off&hnear=Charlotte,+North+Carolina+28202&t=h&z=19

 

However, I'm pretty sure even past that point, the line is still owned by CSX and open to being reactivated if the economy improves, though I'm unsure.  I -do- know that Suburban Propane would still -like- to get service, it's just that CSX can't justify keeping the line open that far just for that one customer.

[CLTNative]

Heard that an assemblage sale should close this week on West Morehead between McNinch and S Cedar. Brokered by Nichols Co. Parcels 07324301, 2 & 3. Apparently midrise. Anyone have insight?

 

http://goo.gl/maps/qY023

 

(Edit) Did find this info: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17367275

Edited January 16, 2013 by CLTNative

[Matthew.Brendan]

Interesting. I assume the old brick Cash*Stone building will be torn down?

[CLTNative]

I believe so. There is another building beside that one that would need to come down. I like the facade of the Cash Stone building, it would be a cool entrance to an apartment building.

[Matthew.Brendan]

Too bad for how it all turned out for the land across the street. That whole stretch of Morehead is pretty treacherous for traffic. Telephone poles way too close to the street and the road in general is in pretty poor shape. Better sidewalks under 77 connecting to Freedom would be nice.

[atlrvr]

Heard that an assemblage sale should close this week on West Morehead between McNinch and S Cedar. Brokered by Nichols Co. Parcels 07324301, 2 & 3. Apparently midrise. Anyone have insight?

 

http://goo.gl/maps/qY023

 

(Edit) Did find this info: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17367275

 

They were doing core sampling/drilling this morning on the site.

[nowensone]

Will take some of the "colorfulness" out of walking to Panthers games, I always thought they needed to slap up more small buildings for bars between the existing ones for more of a complete dive-bar row kind of effect (and to get rid of the tiny parking lots which make travelling the road almost impossible before game time).  Just curious, they chose a developed lot over the empty ones across the street, what are those reserved for?

[nonillogical]

I'm surprised that with all the nice old buildings we like to knock down in Charlotte, that old bank turned bail bonds place turned tattoo parlor at Freedom & Morehead is getting saved to become a Dunkin' Donuts. I think it looks fine, but I was really hoping for a denser complete redevelopment of that corner eventually. Maybe the parking lot can still get built over one day.

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2013/033-037/2013-035%20site%20plan.pdf