SouthEnd "Gold District"

[DMann]

If you look at the string of high rises coming to Morehead it is impressive.  This development, Riverside and Enterprise, the building by Royal Court, swinging down to the Pearl Medical complex and the apartments by midtown.  Quite a string that will significantly change the width of the skyline.

[deleted account]

1 hour ago, j-man said:

I feel like it would work for NorthEnd, or Midtown…this doesn’t fit here but it’s not a bad looking building. But no retail is ridiculous!

Not trying to be argumentative but you think a building like this fits better in NorthEnd than here? What do you consider NorthEnd? 

[KJHburg]

aerials of the Gold District 2 cranes up 1 just down.    the aspen heights W Morehead building is surely missing an opportunity for retail the design is so so.

 

[Cadi40]

Damn not even a Starbucks or a bank branch… 

[RANYC]

To all my construction people, how simple would it be for Aspen or a future owner to retrofit the ground-floor to retail spaces if market perception changes (or if Morehead goes on a road diet or gets radical traffic calming)?

In my view, Morehead at that location just isn't hospitable to stroll-worthy retail.  I walk that stretch all the time.  Very pedestrian-hostile except when big chunks closed off for stadium events.

Edited April 14, 2022 by RANYC

[JRCLT]

You are all gonna hate this take, but not every building needs retail, and apartment density is good. There is a ton of retail space coming online in south-end around this. It will make that space more vibrant and in demand. 
 
To be clear though. There should have been a restaurant/bar space. 

It’s zoned UMUD? isn’t this mixed use? If I’m not mistaken. Didn’t know parking garage and residential counted as “mixed” use.

Lol but yeah retail could have been great here.

Side note: Driving through “Belk Canyon” in the next several years will be insane. Wow. Can’t imagine.

Correction doesn’t seem to be UMUD. At least I don’t think it is currently…

[KJHburg]

3 hours ago, RANYC said:

To all my construction people, how simple would it be for Aspen or a future owner to retrofit the ground-floor to retail spaces if market perception changes (or if Morehead goes on a road diet or gets radical traffic calming)?

In my view, Morehead at that location just isn't hospitable to stroll-worthy retail.  I walk that stretch all the time.  Very pedestrian-hostile except when big chunks closed off for stadium events.

It can happen.  Some apartments  on Central Ave were built without retail but with the intention in the future of doing retail there.   You can put the fitness center or something that can easily be moved in the space for now and do it later.  So yes very possible with some planning. 

[DownEast]

Bump. I was going to going to take another look at this thing and chuckled. No more than 5 days after renderings released for the first high rise in the Gold District, and this thread had slipped to page 2. Charlotte's got a lot... going on. And some are still digesting their first impressions. Not a big fan. But critical mass is coming and retail should flourish. I feel we've had more hits than misses lately, though.

Edited April 18, 2022 by DownEast

[Hushpuppy321]

On 4/11/2022 at 1:29 PM, utcltjay said:

I have yet to see the rendering, but yes, I imagine that will be the nail in the coffin for my uptown view.  Hopefully the 19 story building will be decent to look at.  I am not at all impressed with the Prospect nextdoor here, very dull and didn't cary over the contemporary feel that the original black and white renderings depicted.  

If anyone has a rendering of the tower going up on Moorehead, I'm definitely curious!

So the view of Uptown from almost all of these Townhomes will be blocked?  Not very familiar with this area

[utcltjay]

On 4/19/2022 at 2:24 PM, Hushpuppy321 said:

So the view of Uptown from almost all of these Townhomes will be blocked?  Not very familiar with this area

It will very likely cover up the peaks of the Bank of America building and Duke Energy Center towers you can just barely see in this picture.  I do have a rooftop patio that I will probably still see them from, but it will most likely cut out everything below the crowns.  The units further down, away from Mint Street will be less affected as they will probably see around the new building more.

[Hushpuppy321]

On 4/21/2022 at 7:48 PM, utcltjay said:

It will very likely cover up the peaks of the Bank of America building and Duke Energy Center towers you can just barely see in this picture.  I do have a rooftop patio that I will probably still see them from, but it will most likely cut out everything below the crowns.  The units further down, away from Mint Street will be less affected as they will probably see around the new building more.

Wow that’s a severe sight line blockage.  Do you worry about loss of future value of some of the Townhome units?  I’m sure sale prices were in the mid 600’s…

[DownEast]

2 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Wow that’s a severe sight line blockage.  Do you worry about loss of future value of some of the Townhome units?  I’m sure sale prices were in the mid 600’s…

Location x3. While the loss of views suck. It's only that. The desirability of this area has skyrocketed. The main reason being the proximity to uptown and South End. Fold in retail options, Hopfly Brewery, and others over time... I'm mighty jealous. Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. 

[KJHburg]

I would say anyone buying any low rise condo or townhome in the inner city neighborhoods with a view needs to know that will change possibly and more than likely.  Look at the David Weekley townhomes along Carson Blvd.  Their views are getting majorly blocked by high rises all around but in the end where else will you be able to buy a townhome that close to high rise office towers and uptown and south end?   What I tell people unless you are oceanfront, lakefront someone can always build something bigger than your home or structure and block your view.  The value will be in the neighborhood changing and becoming more residential with more retail and restaurants nearby.  

[KJHburg]

Mini self guided walking tour yesterday of the Gold District.  the Prospect the Spectrum apartment complex is getting closer to completion as is the the Grubb apartment complex on Mint.  With all the nearby nightlife and breweries I expect these to lease up good.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by KJHburg

[gman430]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[videtur quam contuor]

Seeing these many photos of apartment buildings with individual air conditioning units on the roof leads me to wonder if any residential construction uses circulated chilled water for air conditioning with a central chiller. Is it really better/cheaper/efficient to have individual units rather than central?

[Blue_Devil]

1 hour ago, tarhoosier said:

Seeing these many photos of apartment buildings with individual air conditioning units on the roof leads me to wonder if any residential construction uses circulated chilled water for air conditioning with a central chiller. Is it really better/cheaper/efficient to have individual units rather than central?

You will see that on the taller towers. It is substantially cheaper from both maintenance and replacement to use individual units when possible

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, tarhoosier said:

Seeing these many photos of apartment buildings with individual air conditioning units on the roof leads me to wonder if any residential construction uses circulated chilled water for air conditioning with a central chiller. Is it really better/cheaper/efficient to have individual units rather than central?

I have seen that done in Phoenix and Texas but not much around here. 

[JRNYP2C]

The loss of those low buildings on Morehead is another example of burying Charlotte history.  I really wish they could have incorporated them in the new development.

[JRCLT]

Historically speaking…it’s not too uncommon to build on top of the old. We cannot save everything and eventually…everything will have to be replaced. History is what is recorded and stored as knowledge. Simply because something ceases to exist physically does not mean it isn’t history. Images, records, and files surely exist of these buildings. They are history whether they are standing or not. Unless your connection to any of these buildings is personal and does not include simply, “because it’s old” then maybe let those buildings go. It is natural for things to be replaced, reused, and restructured. A structure is never meant to last forever and that is not because of design, if not it is simply impossible to make something stand the test of time while meeting codes and regulations. These buildings that were removed imo don’t have much of anything that is worth saving.

[15895]

5 minutes ago, JeanClt said:

Historically speaking…it’s not too uncommon to build on top of the old. We cannot save everything and eventually…everything will have to be replaced. History is what is recorded and stored as knowledge. Simply because something ceases to exist physically does not mean it isn’t history. Images, records, and files surely exist of these buildings. They are history whether they are standing or not. Unless your connection to any of these buildings is personal and does not include simply, “because it’s old” then maybe let those buildings go. It is natural for things to be replaced, reused, and restructured. A structure is never meant to last forever and that is not because of design, if not it is simply impossible to make something stand the test of time while meeting codes and regulations. These buildings that were removed imo don’t have much of anything that is worth saving.

I think losses of smaller structures could be remedied by ground level facades that at least mimic low rise structures. 
 

Rail Yard in SouthEnd, The Hearst Tower plaza & Ally Center in Uptown are among some projects that do a good job of feeling like there are low rise pedestrian scale spaces. 

[JRCLT]

I think losses of smaller structures could be remedied by ground level facades that at least mimic low rise structures. 
 
Rail Yard in SouthEnd, The Hearst Tower plaza & Ally Center in Uptown are among some projects that do a good job of feeling like there are low rise pedestrian scale spaces. 

Set backs would also help remedy the towering feel.

[nicholas]

Imo the best modern tower in NC looks like this at the bottom.  I can't even remember (or tell) which storefronts remained and which were torn down and incorporated into the project.  You can't really see the tower from the sidewalk because it's set back from everything.  What is stopping Charlotte developers from doing similar?

[RANYC]

2 hours ago, nicholas said:

Imo the best modern tower in NC looks like this at the bottom.  I can't even remember (or tell) which storefronts remained and which were torn down and incorporated into the project.  You can't really see the tower from the sidewalk because it's set back from everything.  What is stopping Charlotte developers from doing similar?

OMG, i've been looking for a tower like this with small-footprint facades at the base and up against the streetscape.

It's precisely the kind of ground-level interaction that i think some of the Plaza-Midwooders, those against the Commonwealth development, were looking for to maintain the streetscape sensibility of the strip-fronts further down Central.  I'd love to see such distinct ground-level facades at the base of many of the towers that are going up and at the base of parking garages as well.  Where the market can't support more retail, these small-footprint facades could be ground-level townhomes/brownstones.

Edited May 14, 2022 by RANYC

[KJHburg]

3 hours ago, nicholas said:

Imo the best modern tower in NC looks like this at the bottom.  I can't even remember (or tell) which storefronts remained and which were torn down and incorporated into the project.  You can't really see the tower from the sidewalk because it's set back from everything.  What is stopping Charlotte developers from doing similar?

One City Center in downtown Durham is great and you don't even realize the tallest building in downtown is on this block unless you look up.  Plus my favorite in Raleigh is the Dillon which saved the facade of  old warehouse and then mimic the look in other areas.  Most of these storefronts at One City Center were rebuilt after the old ones did not make it even though they tried.   We need to do more of this all over Charlotte and again I say look to Raleigh and Durham.