Ascent Uptown - 33 stories (3rd and Poplar)

[grodney]

I hadn't noticed in a couple of those pics that the construction fence is gone now.  Trees and bushes going in on the street level.

 

[atlrvr]

I keep hoping they put small 1"x1" glass tiles on those concrete columns....would really finish it off.  I like the dark moody street profile here, and think once the plants start overtaking the concrete boxes it's going to be really cool....I think more Seattle than Miami.

[caterpillar2]

1 hour ago, atlrvr said:

I keep hoping they put small 1"x1" glass tiles on those concrete columns....would really finish it off.  I like the dark moody street profile here, and think once the plants start overtaking the concrete boxes it's going to be really cool....I think more Seattle than Miami.

It would be wonderful to look into one of those pretty windows and see a nice, chic boutique or retail other than a restaurant. I think more London, i.e. Selfridges or Marks and Spencer's (much smaller scale) for the future. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by caterpillar2

[Tyrone Wiggum]

On 5/14/2017 at 0:06 AM, uptownliving said:

Anyone notice the banner they put up? #uptownstunner    Lol

 

Well, in their defense, it does beat the original choices.  To wit:

 

 

[JerseyBoy]

15 minutes ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

Well, in their defense, it does beat the original choices.  To wit:

 

 

Wonder if this was their inspiration?

 

[caterpillar2]

I sure hope these idiots don't come with the building. 

[birky]

Thanks. I now have a subtitle for my forthcoming coffee table book, "The Parking Decks of Charlotte: Uptown Stunners"

[KJHburg]

4 hours ago, birky said:

Thanks. I now have a subtitle for my forthcoming coffee table book, "The Parking Decks of Charlotte: Uptown Stunners"

Can I preorder a copy? Here is the TRUE UPTOWN STUNNER today. 

[KJHburg]

The #UptownStunner is a photo contest with up $1000 Visa gift card. One of us on this board should win this. http://www.charlottestories.com/ascent-uptown-launching-photo-contest-w-3000-prizes-uptownstunner/

[The Force Sleeps]

48 minutes ago, Seabrooke said:

Plants are in the planters today

Stunning.

[ontap]

The plants don't help.  The developer needs to take down the parking deck scrim, paint the deck walls black so they recede, and reinstall the scrim.  A couple gallons of paint would make this project look much better.  It would make this building an #uptownstunner

 

[AirNostrumMAD]

I like the parking deck. It's the Mural I hate

[Bikeguy]

I'm predicting that the screening will take on a whole new texture as the many multiple nooks and crannies between the concrete and the screening become ideal homes to nesting birds and all the s**t that they generate. 

 

[AuLukey]

The plants don't help.  The developer needs to take down the parking deck scrim, paint the deck walls black so they recede, and reinstall the scrim.  A couple gallons of paint would make this project look much better.  It would make this building an #uptownstunner

 

 

I think this is a great idea! Not that it will ever happen. They could even carry the mural over and have varying shades of black/blue/grey and it would clean up the deck significantly. It's a shame the renderings didn't really represent how translucent the screening would actually turn out. Maybe then somebody would've had the foresight. Oh well, in the end it turned out to be a pretty cool building. Although I will admit I was walking through Bearden with a friend a week or so ago and he, unprompted, commented on how nice the building looks but also how hideous the deck is. The mural was met with mixed review.

 

I just wish the mural could've had a bit more pizazz, like this one I ran across outside of Miami last week. I mean, they were clearly going for faux-Miami with this project anyway.

[caterpillar2]

1 hour ago, AuLukey said:

 

I think this is a great idea! Not that it will ever happen. They could even carry the mural over and have varying shades of black/blue/grey and it would clean up the deck significantly. It's a shame the renderings didn't really represent how translucent the screening would actually turn out. Maybe then somebody would've had the foresight. Oh well, in the end it turned out to be a pretty cool building. Although I will admit I was walking through Bearden with a friend a week or so ago and he, unprompted, commented on how nice the building looks but also how hideous the deck is. The mural was met with mixed review.

 

I just wish the mural could've had a bit more pizazz, like this one I ran across outside of Miami last week. I mean, they were clearly going for faux-Miami with this project anyway.

Yep, this would blend right in. We could steal some palm trees from Lake Norman. 

[tarwater]

Does the city government have no authority over what kind of mural can be put up? Or like, a neighborhood association or something? The developer can do anything they want?

[tozmervo]

14 hours ago, tarwater said:

Does the city government have no authority over what kind of mural can be put up? Or like, a neighborhood association or something? The developer can do anything they want?

More or less. The city cannot (and imo should not) regulate aesthetics like that.

Just remember, murals can be repainted. That disappointment is easy to fix.

[elrodvt]

1 hour ago, tozmervo said:

More or less. The city cannot (and imo should not) regulate aesthetics like that.

Just remember, murals can be repainted. That disappointment is easy to fix.

I certainly sympathize with not having the city involved in choosing "art" but disagree on aesthetics. Charlotte seems to lack any design review process and to me anything at all should be game for review wrt to whether it "fits" in the neighborhood. What if they wanted neon pink walls on all sides on this building? Does that fit the character of the neighborhood? I suppose you could argue that in this area of the city there is no character. But in 4th ward, for example, murals on buildings and even the color on houses should be controllable right?

We're doing fine on getting new buildings built but I would argue the quality and design are wholly inconsistent and we will regret this later. It would be fine to turn down some developments. Such as apartment buildings with huge parking podiums or stick built junk in uptown. Both of which have taken up valuable land near BB&T. 

[Finkle]

By state law cities can not have a design review board for aesthetics, thanks to our current legislature.

[elrodvt]

7 minutes ago, Finkle said:

By state law cities can not have a design review board for aesthetics, thanks to our current legislature.

That's just super. There is no creative way around that though? Seems to me they could slow track anything they don't like. wink wink.

[KJHburg]

I am not worried about it as yall are assuming nothing will ever be built next door I think something will in a few years. The one thing I like about Ascent is the height and and what a small lot this was built on. As the block is developed around it the mural side will disappear. 

[elrodvt]

3 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

I am not worried about it as yall are assuming nothing will ever be built next door I think something will in a few years. The one thing I like about Ascent is the height and and what a small lot this was built on. As the block is developed around it the mural side will disappear. 

I was really mostly complaining about allowing the huge & ugly podium than the mural itself. but yeah...

[KJHburg]

8 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

I was really mostly complaining about allowing the huge & ugly podium than the mural itself. but yeah...

Well I agree about the podium. Look at the Avenue tower many don't even realize there is 10 floors of parking under the actual condos they masked it well. 

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, elrodvt said:

I certainly sympathize with not having the city involved in choosing "art" but disagree on aesthetics. Charlotte seems to lack any design review process and to me anything at all should be game for review wrt to whether it "fits" in the neighborhood. What if they wanted neon pink walls on all sides on this building? Does that fit the character of the neighborhood? I suppose you could argue that in this area of the city there is no character. But in 4th ward, for example, murals on buildings and even the color on houses should be controllable right?

We're doing fine on getting new buildings built but I would argue the quality and design are wholly inconsistent and we will regret this later. It would be fine to turn down some developments. Such as apartment buildings with huge parking podiums or stick built junk in uptown. Both of which have taken up valuable land near BB&T. 

How do you distinguish between art and aesthetics? who do you trust to make that decision for you? I might like a little neon pink in the city for some color, lord knows we complain about beige enough. maybe we should have banned all those tacky flashing led lights going up on all the buildings in uptown. 

In any event, you picked one of the areas in Charlotte protected by a historic overlay district. http://charlottenc.gov/planning/HistoricDistricts/Pages/Home.aspx

 

 

[elrodvt]

18 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

How do you distinguish between art and aesthetics? who do you trust to make that decision for you? I might like a little neon pink in the city for some color, lord knows we complain about beige enough. maybe we should have banned all those tacky flashing led lights going up on all the buildings in uptown. 

In any event, you picked one of the areas in Charlotte protected by a historic overlay district. http://charlottenc.gov/planning/HistoricDistricts/Pages/Home.aspx

 

 

It's hard I agree but you have to try. I had to appear before the design review board in Burlington, VT a few times which was a panel composed of (from memory) developer volunteers, planning staff and citizen volunteers. In general it was amicable and lead to a MUCH better result.