Dumb Idea of the day...

[Matthew.Brendan]

What building is that? What's the story?

[tozmervo]

Citygroup Center in Midtown Manhattan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citigroup_Center

 

The wiki article has the gist of it:

 

When planning for the skyscraper began in the early 1970s, the northwest corner of the proposed building site was occupied by St. Peter's Lutheran Church. The church allowed Citicorp to demolish the old church and build the skyscraper under one condition: a new church would have to be built on the same corner, with no connection to the Citicorp building and no columns passing through it, because the church wanted to remain on the site of the new development, near one of the intersections.

[DEnd]

Figured as much though as long as we're playing the idea game, what if the planetarium structure didn't actually rest on the Parking structure?

 

Build it on a support system based off of legs that went from Discovery place block to the BoA Child care center block and give it a kid of futuristic spaceship look?

 

Cool, no?      Of course, this is the dumb idea thread, so maybe not...  

 

 

That is basically how the ICU tower at CMC was built.  It's a pretty expensive way to build, and really only done when you can't teardown the structure underneath it for whatever reason; for CMC it was because they couldn't interrupt the cath lab and the ICUs that were pre-existing under the new ICU tower.

[DEnd]

Part of the reason for wanting transit, especially light rail, is to increase density and reduce automotive traffic, as a city Charlotte should look for cheaper ways to achieve the same goals.  I have been enamoured with "Shared Space" lately, and it is an interesting concept, however it also got me looking at Dutch cities and how they decreased their automotive travel share.  Part of the way they have done this is by creating bicycle routes that are segregated from automotive traffic throughout their cities.  My basic idea is that I view 5th to be overly wide, it could be reduced by a full lane and have almost no impact of traffic (I could be wrong though).  So we would take one full lane and devote it to bicycle traffic, probably with the use of bollards, though a small planted curb might work, this would go from the bridge over little sugar creek to around Tryon (or maybe JCSU to the west).  A bicycle bridge and path would cross little sugar creek connecting to the greenway, from there it would go under using the existing tunnel under Kings, the go Around Memorial stadium via Sam Rayburn or Armory.  Then preferably go under Charlotte town connecting again to Armory.  At the end of Armory, a path or a short jaunt down 7th over Hawthorne Via a bike friendly crossing, to Park Drive.  There should also be a bike friendly crossing along 7th somewhere that would allow a connection to chantilly (and even Plaza Midwood).  I have no idea if it would work or not but it would give quite a few in town neighborhoods a good bike path into the city, and that is probably worth trying.

[southslider]

CCCP is planning protected bike lanes on 3rd. Granted, I like 5th better for its link to Independence Park via Memorial Stadium.

[MilZ]

^good point, that would be nice

[New Name]

Here's a dumb idea that would cost money that no one would ever spend:

 

A series of very large Crown sculptures placed around Charlotte to unite the area as the Queen City. They could be in the cloverleafs of Interstates, major intersections, parks, etc. Something about the size of the "onion rings" or the "chocolate chip cookies" and placed similarly. 

[nowensone]

I have one: lets proactively, and perhaps awkwardly and oddly, double Uptown and inner ring street signs in German.  In 50 years it may be natural and make sense, and have attracted at that point enough German firms/employees.

[15895]

Yes to both.

I'd like to see a prominent statue in uptown of Queen Charlotte. A cool one like the one at the airport.

Or rename one of the Wards (or Part of a Ward like gateway village) Strelitz, Mecklenburg Strelitz or Charlotte Sophia and have German & Charlotte flags lined down the streetP with German architecture. Have a park in "Strelitz" named "Charlotte Sophia" with a giant flag pole of the CLT & German Flag or a giant Charlotte statue. Similar to the National Monument in DC. (as in a statue surrounded by lots of flags)

It'd be cool to have an uptown ward named Charlotte Sophia or Strelitz and have another urban neighborhood named either Charlotte Sophia or Strelitz.

Maybe rename some streets in "Charlotte Sophia" where the main road would. E Strelitz, another Mecklenburg, etc.

Just a day dream...