Westside/Beatties Ford/Biddleville/West End Projects

[videtur quam contuor]

In the mid 90's I worked on a Habitat House on Auten Street. After our house was done there was another next to it. You can see them there as they fit the Habitat model closely. The land was free or nearly so. Doubt that is true over there now.

Last time I was in the neighborhood the fire station on Tuckaseegee still had the Fort Apache colors and I thought that it was not appropriate now and perhaps never was.

Edited August 10, 2016 by tarhoosier

[GeauxCLT]

7 hours ago, QClifer said:

I went to the meeting last month and Pappanostis said they were getting paperwork together for rezoning in the fall. Once some of the area is rezoned around the mill they will begin to start a little work on a individual buildings. The cardboard recycling plant will probably close in about a year. Nothing new will open for 2-3 years. I think the large mill itself is a good 7-8 years away from being renovated. 

I own a lot over there and got a re-zoning notice in the mail about a week and a half ago from the city for the mill and land around it. It outlined a timeline for meetings and public hearings, but I tossed it so can't provide anything more detailed. From my recollection it was all happening pretty soon. 

[GeauxCLT]

Savona Mill rezoning...

[DCtransplant]

More detail about Savona Mill: 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/12/13/savona-mill-project-focuses-on-history.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2016-12-13&u=qAWDz9GlI42O2KBKyU94zj5Gh7x&t=1481660812&j=76747751

[Guest]

https://issuu.com/argosrealestateadvisors/docs/argos_aug16_savonadeck_pages_issuu/16

Marketing Deck I hadn't seen for Savona. 

[kermit]

^ Nice find!

The section on the Lakewood Trolly is pretty sparse but they do have a route map which shows it extending all the way to Graham. I am skeptical they will get it across Cedar but I admire their chutzpah.

[QClifer]

Ive noticed yesterday and today there have been workers out drilling in the boarded up grocery store parking lot on Trade St. Taking core samples I guess in the parking lot. I do not think it is related to the trolley because I saw them do one 20feet away from the building and several places around the parking lot, not just close to the street. Any ideas of whats going on??

Thanks

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, QClifer said:

Ive noticed yesterday and today there have been workers out drilling in the boarded up grocery store parking lot on Trade St. Taking core samples I guess in the parking lot. I do not think it is related to the trolley because I saw them do one 20feet away from the building and several places around the parking lot, not just close to the street. Any ideas of whats going on??

Thanks

Any idea the approximate address?

 

[QClifer]

1600 and 1606 w trade st. The property was sold 12/2016.    I know there is a lot of change in that area

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, QClifer said:

1600 and 1606 w trade st. The property was sold 12/2016.    I know there is a lot of change in that area

 

Whatever that means...

Edited June 7, 2017 by Guest

[DCtransplant]

Interesting - That's a pretty prime spot for the redevelopment of the corridor. Right on the future streetcar line. The laundromat next to it on the corner of Bruns and Trade just recently flipped owners as well. 

In other West End news:

• the 86 townhome development by Hopper Communities seems to be underway at Duckworth and Wesley Heights Way with some demo and initial grading work
• the Grandin Heights townhome development in Wesley Heights is moving along with a few townhome clusters nearing completion
• Work has begun to streetscape 4th street extension through Wesley Heights as part of the CNIP
• Work has begun to align Wesley Heights Way with Frazier Ave, also as part of the CNIP
• No significant streetcar work yet, except for the removal of the Johnson C Smith pedestrian bridge over Beatties Ford
• and last but not least... the new "fancy" West End Bojangles is open right next to entrance to I-77

[videtur quam contuor]

I know that property from an historic perspective. I worked at Bruns Avenue School 40 years ago. There was a Park and Shop grocery in that center. For those of you unfamiliar with the Park and Shop name it was a local chain of stores located in what we would call underserved locations and neighborhoods and no better than you would expect. Sometime after I worked in that neighborhood there was a Family Dollar store in that string of shops. I would ride my bike from Dilworth occasionally to Bruns Avenue and so had a clear view of the location. Across the street at the south east corner of Bruns and Trade was an ice house, a business that made and sold ice for locals and also bags for distribution. If you live in a neighborhood with an ice store you have limited modern appliances at your service. (as if I need to say). That is where the new residences begin in the Google street view. I initiated a Habitat house project two blocks from there in the early 1990's as a project of CMS employees, the only Habitat project by CMS to date, as far as I know. Auten street was the location.

I would love to see some project there at the Trade address that addresses the current nature of the neighborhood. I agree with the poster above that the streetcar will change things for the better. Drive around Coxe, State, Auten, Bruns, Smallwood and other streets in the JCSU environs and see what has happened. It continues to amaze me.

[DCtransplant]

That's really interesting and helpful background - thank you. At the streetcar groundbreaking Anthony Foxx talked about going to that Park and Shop as a kid. Wonder if there would ever be interest in re-opening a neighborhood grocery store on that plot or similar. It's been brought up before at the local community meetings, but never seems to be much hope for it.

[QClifer]

I guess when a grocery store does open it will be near morehead and Wesley heights. You would think there would be enough demand for one with the 2 new townhome developments being built 2 blocks from w trade. 

[DCtransplant]

Anyone have any updates on Savona Mill rezoning? Seems to be stuck in neutral.

http://charlottenc.gov/planning/Rezoning/RezoningPetitions/2016Petitions/Pages/2016-112.aspx

[DCtransplant]

Meeting tomorrow on Phase II of Mosaic Village. Believe it's to announce a plan for 1600 W Trade but not 100% sure.

[kermit]

Yes! We need way more of this

 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, kermit said:

Yes! We need way more of this

 

wow. Thats rad.

[Scribe]

A year of no rent. Interesting if it is going to be an equipped kitchen. Just bring your own pots and pans, type of deal?
Definitely need to watch how this develops.

[DCtransplant]

Went to the Griffin Brothers neighborhood meeting tonight, pretty informative and helpful. Highlights below. Additionally they plan to share a presentation which I'll upload here if/when they send it out. Apologies in advance for the length!

Planning on 2 different developments along West Trade - the rehab of the old A&P store at 1600 West Trade and a brand new building next door to Mosaic Village and the JCSU arts building (dubbed Mosaic Village II).

For the old A&P store they have 3 things planned: Food Hall, Music Hall, Community Center. Currently the land is owned by the Duke Endowment. Sounds like this will be a multi-layer partnership with JCSU, Griffin Brothers, Duke, Center City Partners and potentially others. Ideal timeline would have this open in early 2018 but they said this would be highly unlikely unless everything comes into place quickly.

Food Hall - They plan to have 4 fully built kitchens plus a bar. Each kitchen would be about 160 sq ft. Would have shared tables (plus outside dining) for the four restaurants for diners with waiters. Would be an order at the restaurant and you get a number type deal. They kept referencing the Smallman Galley in Pittsburgh (http://www.smallmangalley.org/) and actually said they had visited and met with the owners to understand how the model works. Chefs would have free rent for a year and would have to go through an application process. Griffin brothers would ideally like some of these chefs to succeed and open restaurants in the NW corridor and fill spots in Mosaic Village and elsewhere.

Music Hall - A little short on details but they did mention something like the Double Door Inn. They've been in talks with the former owner of the Double Door about bringing in some of his memorabilia from the former spot.

Community Center - 10 year lease given to the community to make of it what they will. Short on details here as well.

For Mosaic Village II they plan to build the site up to between 5 and 8 floors - between 60 to 80K sqft. Will include about 50% office space for nonprofits and 50% office space at market rate. One floor will be a business incubator for trade-type jobs hopefully partnering with JCSU (likely) and Johnson and Wales (unknown). Timeline for this would be to start Summer 2018 and ideally open when the Gold Line opens.

Other random details - they are working with NCDOT to build a short walking path connecting Auten St and W Trade St where there formerly was a public street connector.

All very new and fluid so I'd expect things to change/evolve as this moves forward.

Edited August 23, 2017 by DCtransplant
Spelling

[DCtransplant]

Here's the presentation.

[Niner National]

I got some details on Toucan Louie's, which is a Common Market / Rhino Market like concept going in on Rozzelles Ferry in an old gas station.

The concept itself is nothing Charlotte doesn't already have..market, bottleshop, coffee, etc all in one, but they will be focusing heavily on local products and producing many of their own products. Coffees and meats will be roasted in store rather than just buying commercially packaged meats.

[deleted]

Not sure if anyone has noticed but the construction of new housing in Wesley Heights, around JC Smith and along the Gold Line extension is accelerating quickly.  I'm happy to report that, in addition to some condo and townhouse projects that aren't awful but don't fit well into the neighborhood, there are a lot of brand new single family homes that are beautiful and built in the style of the original houses (craftsman type and others).  It's a bit hit and miss, with beautiful new construction next to some poorly maintained homes.  There has been a fair amount of impressive restoration also but more new construction lately.  This neighborhood is coming back fast and my primary concern pertains to the displacement that accompanies gentrification.  From what I've read, there is a pretty strong sense of community in this impressively diverse neighborhood.   If you haven't been over there lately, check it out (including off the main streets adjacent to JCS).

[QClifer]

I have been building in Smallwood for 2-3 years. It has really picked up in the past year with more builders unsung the area. Dirt was getting to expensive in villa heights Belmont etc. it’s hard now to find a deal in this area. New homes in the area are 450-550k now.   In the past few months over watched people snap up all kinds of things in enderly Park on Tuckaseegee rd. There’s a few new builds over there.  I believe that area will take off about 2 years from now as people wont be able to afford noda, villa heights, Belmont, Smallwood, biddleville but still want to be within 2 miles of downtown 

[KJHburg]

from the Charlotte Retro twitter feed today.  This is an ad for Wesley Heights lots from 1922 

My grandmother lived in Wesley Heights when she was young and worked at Belks uptown.