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Charlotte in 2013


ah59396

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Since we are starting another year and we all made it past December 21st, I thought it'd be fun to run through things we are "hoping" for in 2013.  Obviously there are plenty of things we know are going to happen, e.g. light rail breaking ground, final touches on Romare Bearden, 20th anniversary edition of Jurassic Park coming out, ect.  But what is your hope for Charlotte in 2013.  Think big, think crazy, think practical!  I don't care!

 

I'll start.  I hope the Panthers are getting ready for the playoffs in late December of 2013 and the AA-US Air merger goes through and is beneficial for the city.

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  1. Most (if not all) of the proposed CIP is passed
  2. Movement on Epicentre Tower 
  3. Movement on Retail in Downtown (Apple Store or Container store or something)
  4. Panthers/Bobcats/Knights all improve
  5. UNC Charlotte Football (starts in August) is a smash success crowd and performance wise
  6. More Diverse businesses move to CLT/open Shop.  Would love one major corporate relocation here
  7. Movement on NC Music Factory Residential
  8. Movement on an MLS team to play in Charlotte (pipe dream I know)
  9. Movement on First Ward Park including residential/commercial buildings
  10. Google selects us as their next high speed internet connection city
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A quick little one ill probably post more later but a few quick things before work:

- Funding for the Red Line & Streetcar

- RNC 2016

- Superbowl Bid

- Highrises in uptown

- Proposal to fix Grid in SouthEnd

- Proposal to cap 277

- US Airways to stay independent (seems likely)

- ENN Corp. relocation (yes... I am still holding out...)

- Gateway Station designs, Progress, etc.

- SouthPark continue to get apartments, office buildings, etc

- retail in uptown

- Major Financial/Banking announcements/Relocations

- Convention center Hotel

- Concrete Plans for Federal Courthouse Highrises

- Proposal to renovate Convention Center to be street friendly

- Now that our neighborhoods are getting Name Recognition (including NoDa, Myers Park, and SouthEnd during DNC and Patraeus Scandal) I think it's be nice to have street improvements & signs that plaster names of neighborhoods. SouthEnd has some good signs and in uptown poles name the direction of SouthEnd. I'd like to see more neighborhood Signage.

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Miesian Corners" data-cid="1249532" data-time="1357145180"><p>

I'm with Urbanity. It's highly UNlikely that US Airways will remain independent. CLT will become American Airlines' second biggest hub.</p></blockquote>

I should have said "which doesn't seem as inevitable"

But yes, that's on my 2013 wish list. An independent US Airways with discussions of a Santiago, Chile flight

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The good:

 

1) Two speculative office projects announced for downtown

2) Federal Courthouse announcement

3) Infill residential market booms / condo market returns (but no new high-rise condos in 2013). West Morehead booms as a commercial corridor and Bryant Park and Smallwood see significant SFH investment.

4) Chain retail (e.g. bed bath and beyond, a clothing store, etc.) added to Southend (ugh)

5) Third Ward becomes a secondary entertainment / dining district thanks to Bearden park and fully formed BB&T field. Latta Arcade is the focalpoint.

6) US / American merger will make Charlotte more attractive as a location for Latin American corporate offices and for European manufacturers

7) NS intermodal hub at the airport will open -- new distribution firms will flock to the West Meck / Gaston county area. This will get lots of press, but not create huge amounts of new employment.

8) CSX will expand its intermodal capacity at Pincoa yards in anticipation of increased traffic in Charleston and Savannah due to Panama Canal widening

9) Local leaders finally begin discussions on the 2040 transportation plan. LRT for the airport and Independence corridor is selected (but funding problems are unresolved)

10) The expansion of non-bank investment management firms adds 1,000 new high wage jobs downtown. In addition, Bank of America begins adding (rather than subtracting) jobs in Charlotte

11) Conversion of the Speed Chanel into Fox's version of ESPN triggers a small sports / film cluster in town

 

The bad:

 

1) Despite having a Charlottean in the governor’s office, McCrory (or more specifically his budget director) will cut off ALL state funding for new transit or urban livability investments (the red line and the 277 cap will be victims). Also expect state legislation which makes TIF more difficult for local governments.

2) The new legislature will erase any remaining vestiges of NC being a progressive state -- this may slow the (admittedly unsustainable) flow of young professionals without jobs to town. (however the new legislature will succeed in attracting manufacturing firms to rural areas of the state)

3) Streetcar extension dies until the potential of the BLE becomes clear to the masses (late 2015?)

4) Revaluation issues combined with public funding for Panthers stadium renovation creates a minor county budget crises.

5) Slightly declining gas prices triggers a deathbed flurry of sprawl. High suburban retail vacancies result.

6) (worst of all) The local beer bubble bursts. We end the year with just three local breweries.

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8) CSX will expand its intermodal capacity at Pincoa yards in anticipation of increased traffic in Charleston and Savannah due to Panama Canal widening

 

Just a quick note as someone who works for CSX... this already happened.  Last year involved a major project, including putting signals in all the way from Pinoca Yard to the far end of Freedom Siding.  Also a new yard lead was constructed parallel to the main line from Pinoca Yard out to the I-85 bridge.  Lastly, the Intermodal Ramp was improved by extending tracks 1 through 3 all the way back to the mainline on the south end where before they had simply ended.

Although honestly the most important thing that happened was the signal installation.  Charlotte has always been dark territory... now we've got dispatcher-controlled switches and the whole nine yards.  Last I heard, CSX was looking to extend signals all the way north to Stouts, just short of Monroe.  I think they want to put in a proper siding in Matthews as well.

 

(Note: CSX's directions are retarded.  From Charlotte, taking the line NW to Bostic is "Southbound" and taking the line SE to Monroe is "Northbound".)

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I'll throw in my 2 cents

 

I hope to see a manufacturing renaissance with at a minimum the following:

-Car assembly plant (perhaps a new VW plant)

-Areva nuclear manufacturing plant

-B&W Modular nuclear reactor plant

-Aerospace manufacturing plant (Light Jet, Helicopter, etc..)

-Gas Turbine engine plant

-Nucor Steel Mill

-Alcoa to reopen Badin Works

 

Other than that, I would like to see city and airport officials set up an initiative to attract more cargo airlines such as Atlas, Polar Air Cargo, Kalitta, Cargolux, ABX, and Ameristar as part of the multimodal rail-air-truck hub much in the same way Huntsville airport has.

 

Also I would like to see the city refocus area transit initiatives including adding LRT to the airport, LRT to Matthews, and the Red Line.

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A few new years wishes

  • New brewery opens in Plaza Midwood
  • Project announced and started at Morningside Village area by Veterans Park
  • Charlotte Eagles move to Memorial Stadium and start selling beer bringing in a new era for Charlotte.  If they have to break their status as a Christian organization, all the better (I think this limits their potential)
  • I know there are no shortage of music festivals in the country, but I would like something similar to the Center City Fest to come
  • Bury power lines in popular neighborhood business districts
  • Ally moves HQ to clt
  • I know it is already mentioned, but it is so critical; CLT remains a major hub after US Air / American negotiations end.
  • Movie studio takes over Eastland and major movie filming in clt is announced
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There's usually greenway construction happening somewhere in the county. There's work on McAlpine Creek GW now, and I believe there is complete design work done for new stretches of Briar Creek and Torrence Creek (dunno what the construction status is on those)

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  1. Movement on an MLS team to play in Charlotte (pipe dream I know)

 

This one may not be as much of a pipe dream as you think (although not gonna happen in 2013).  There are rumors that MLS will start a youth academy in Charlotte, making CSA's and NMSC's development academies superfluous.  This would be several years in advance of establishing an MLS team here, in order to develop youth talent and HGP (Home-Grown Players) in advance of an actual team.

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There's usually greenway construction happening somewhere in the county. There's work on McAlpine Creek GW now, and I believe there is complete design work done for new stretches of Briar Creek and Torrence Creek (dunno what the construction status is on those)

It did look like there was work being done along Briar Creek, but I wasn't sure if it was greenway related or simply utility work.

 

I'd love to see Sugar Creek greenway get extended north and finally connect in with the Toby Creek and Mallard Creek greenways. I'd then be able to ride my bike from the Park Road shopping center all the way up to Prosperity Place Rd in the University area.

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Most of my hopes for 2013 are based on taking South End to the next level and aiding its transition into downtown making it more urban and seamless.

• A major project developed on the reclaimed land along 277.

• Some Street Friendly Development between South Church, South Blvd, Morehead and Carson Blvd. Its really the last barrier (other than 277) between uptown and south end.

• Street Friendly Development on the North West Side of Tryon in South End, across from Mosiac. This is a desolate spot at night despite the hundreds of apartments and 2-3 bars on the south east side.

• I'd like to see Mint get more of an urban treatment. It has some of the best stock of old buildings in the city that are ripe for bars and restaurants. There is also some great empty lots for infill.

• Redevelopement of the Catholic Diocese lot. I saw a "available" sign last time I was in town.

• Revival of the Design Center Tower and Hotel

• Revival of the Dilworth Hotel

• Redevelopment of the log bound by Dogget, Hawkins, Worthington and Abbot.

• Continued revival of the "furniture district"

• Small scale chain clothing stores. Anne Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, H&M etc. I think they definitely have their place in this neighborhood, along with the boutiques!

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1) Resolution one way or the other on the Bobcats/Hornets name. I'm fine with either, though I'd now lean towards the latter. Just would like for the debate to end. 

2) Rebirth of the 300 South Tryon office/residential tower in some form.

3) Residential components at the NC Music Factory comes to fruition

4) Another carrier to bring service to CLT. Perhaps British Airways return? Or something that's a long shot like Virgin. 

5) A large corporate expansion (or relocation) for uptown that drives the need for another tower announcement to meet demand (related to #2)

6) Unemployment to dip down below or near 8%

7) Some kind of resolution to the rusty rebar at the former 210 Trade site. I'd settle for some kind of fancy billboard as an interim solution.



I will single-handedly (or double-fistedly) fight to keep that from happening  :alc:

 

Plus one on that. I almost exclusively drink NC beers now. NoDa, Birdsong and Big Boss regularly reside in my fridge. 

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  • Charlotte Eagles move to Memorial Stadium and start selling beer bringing in a new era for Charlotte.  If they have to break their status as a Christian organization, all the better (I think this limits their potential)

Amen! That would be great!

 

Another option is for Charlotte to get a North American Soccer League team. 

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A project that might be kind of cool to start thinking about but perhaps would be beyond 2013 would be some sort of aesthetic water structure in uptown. I personally was thinking of a concept similar to that of the Lake Bellagio in Las Vegas with the singing fountains. It could be very cool as a part of the new First Ward Urban Village Perhaps??? Just a crazy fantasy but who knows...

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Can I add something...I know I'm not lucky enough to live in Charlotte but I admire the spirit of the city. How about an iconic statue of the city namesake or a huge crown at a strategic gateway to the city. I like the soccer league team idea also. Living in Europe for 4 years my perspective has changed so much of what a city should be and feel like. What would take Charlotte to the next level and set it apart from peers would be to identify those stroll streets and organically grow them in to neighborhoods. The last idea I have is just a piggyback on what most of you have already asked for and that is retail located in the city center. Notice I didn't specify uptown because retail doesn't have to be amongst the towers. It can be pretty close though. If Charlotte can get the retail close to the core and grow those streets of shops that create a buzz then that would be as big an impact than a 900 footer. Now if was a 1000 footer then just forget what I said.

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