Brooklyn Village Redevelopment in 2nd Ward

[Dale]

Kids are okay with junky.

[deleted]

I'm OK with this, as long as it brings people/activity.  I'm not sure that it will...

[caterpillar2]

On 10/24/2016 at 0:16 PM, birky said:

I have debated bringing this up for a few weeks now given the sensitive nature of this topic.  However, considering current events this seems like an opportunity for discussion.

In short, I think we should avoid calling the redeveloped land in 2nd Ward anything resembling "Brooklyn". 

When minority groups discuss the term structural racism, what is really being suggested is what can be called covert racism.  That is, it's racism which is subtle/passive and usually lacking in intent.  We tend to think of racism as something that is overt, like using a slur when referring to someone. This act demonstrates intent.  What African-Americans in this country are trying to get others to acknowledge are the racial components of society that most of us never notice but reinforce domination of one group by another.  "Brooklyn Village" is a great example of this.  For those unfamiliar with the backstory, Brooklyn was an African-American neighborhood in 2nd Ward that was razed in the 1960s and 70s.  The intent of the city was to fight crime and squalor, which often occurs in economically depressed neighborhoods.  In order to redevelop the area, many black families were forced to relocate to other parts of the city.  Forced relocation can be a huge burden on the working poor, and I think it's safe to say that incidents like these are not among the city's proudest moments.

Now we are seeing calls for this area to once again be redeveloped, back into a neighborhood with mixed-use developments. There's an implied acknowledgement here that was lost was culturally significant.  But the plan for this new development only calls for 10% set aside for affordable housing. Knowing what we do about demographics, this means the new "Brooklyn Village" will be predominantly white.  And this is where I think we run into a problem - I wish there was a better term, but essentially we're talking about a white washing of the history of the previous Brooklyn neighborhood. I think it's one thing for a neighborhood to gentrify (and there are lots of criticisms with how that comes about), and another thing entirely to appropriate the name and the history of "Brooklyn" for a redevelopment that will really have nothing to do with the original.  And I'm not suggesting that I'm against the redevelopment plan.  Just call it something else.  I think this is one of those simple choices that takes into consideration our fellow citizens.

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by caterpillar2
I'm not moving there, so I don't need to comment.

[rjp212]

Profitt Dixon is set to begin construction in February on their new complex at the Actors Theater. 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article127607074.html

 

[KJHburg]

I maybe crazy but I like these colors everyone complains about beige here is Miami nice colors. 

[qcguttersnipe]

29 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

I maybe crazy but I like these colors everyone complains about beige here is Miami nice colors. 

I'm sure that It will be beige by completion.

[HopHead]

I know we all hate the exterior of this ES hotel. But the inside is actually pretty nice... Seems very open. Almost like a hospital should be.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/01/23/photos-inside-construction-of-uptown-charlotte-s.html

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, HopHead said:

I know we all hate the exterior of this ES hotel. But the inside is actually pretty nice... Seems very open. Almost like a hospital should be.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/01/23/photos-inside-construction-of-uptown-charlotte-s.html

I thought the hotel looked great inside and they are opening full evidently with the CIAA tournament. 

[deleted]

If this was in the suburbs, the design would be fine.  The interior looks great based on the pictures.  For me, the design being sub-par is disappointing but the location adjacent to the convention center makes it a travesty.  Even in South End or around Gateway, I could live with it...

BTW, I like the "hospital" comment, HopHead.  That joke never gets old.

[Matthew.Brendan]

So...... Brooklyn Village...... 

[Guest]

So...... Brooklyn Village...... 

A complicated transaction involving multiple publicly own parcels. What about it?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Matthew.Brendan]

Eh, just not a peep in the last 6 months. I guess no news is good news in this case. 

[gman430]

Montage: 

Edited August 20, 2017 by gman430

[deleted]

Vilma Leake's comments were awful.  If you disagree with her you must be a racist.

Also, another grocery store?  That would make five in Uptown if all those rumored materialize (at least one too many)...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article171436472.html

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by JBS

[elrodvt]

^ link?

[rancenc]

9 hours ago, JBS said:

Vilma Leake's comments were awful.  If you disagree with her you must be a racist.

Also, another grocery store?  That would make five in Uptown if all those rumored materialize (at least one too many)...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article171436472.html

 

You are correct on Ms Leake!  

[elrodvt]

Calling that racist seems pretty extreme. I see apologists for other politicians, who're making a lot more extreme statements, stating they're only being called out for not being politically correct.

Another grocery seems nuts to me also - unless it is a small deli kind of place with some ethnic flavor to it.

Is she the same person who said Charlotte would always be a car city and didn't need so many sidewalks when debating a development somewhere south of downtown? My vague memory recalls something about a cross walk near a new hotel? I've been hoping to find out who said that so I can help vote them out of office.

Edited September 6, 2017 by elrodvt

[deleted]

For the record, I didn't come close to calling her a racist.   I said that she was implying that people who disagree on the park are the same people who put African Americans out of Brooklyn.  You don't have to be a racist to want Marshall Park to remain.  What people are saying about other politicians has absolutely nothing to do with my comment. 

“The people who are doing most of the talking never lived in Brooklyn,” she said. “And yet today, they tell us how it should be. That bothers me. … The very people … talking about Marshall Park helped put us out of Brooklyn.”

[elrodvt]

You said a lot less than that and evidently I misinterpreted. all good then.

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, JBS said:

For the record, I didn't come close to calling her a racist.   I said that she was implying that people who disagree on the park are the same people who put African Americans out of Brooklyn.  You don't have to be a racist to want Marshall Park to remain.  What people are saying about other politicians has absolutely nothing to do with my comment. 

“The people who are doing most of the talking never lived in Brooklyn,” she said. “And yet today, they tell us how it should be. That bothers me. … The very people … talking about Marshall Park helped put us out of Brooklyn.”

It seems as though she is (understandably) frustrated at the idea that Marshall Park exists entirely because of that Urban Renewal era, and so the idea of fiercely pushing to preserve it gives off a "too little too late" feeling. 

Now, is it appropriate to make that point when this park is what we have right here, right now, and what we do or don't do with it has no bearing on the tragedy that was the loss of Brooklyn? I don't know.

[southslider]

But where will the geese sh!t?

[SgtCampsalot]

The reason I'm worried about Marshall Park part is because it is the only public amphitheater space in uptown until you get to the west side park off Moorehead. Those are invaluable places that are hard to make in a dense urban environment (hence it took razing an entire community to build this one).

[Miesian Corners]

I'm worried about losing Marshall Park because it has lots of 50-year old trees.  If it's one thing Charlotte developers are good at, it's leveling old-growth trees and planting one inch-caliber saplings in their place.  Of course, the city is just as responsible for allowing it to happen. Look no further than CMC's new cancer building on Morehead. Every street tree gone on the south side.

[go_vertical]

^^ I absolutely agree with this. What really bothers me about this is that the city has a rather nice, natural looking body of water surrounded by a park with a beautiful canopy. I don't want another square park with a fountain slapped down on one or two city blocks. With some sprucing up Marshall Park would be just as nice as Bearden but with a much more natural, relaxed feel. Scaling it down and making it another cookie cutter urban park would be a huge mistake in my opinion. Park space this big will never be available again within the loop, especially with the rapid pace of development we are witnessing. Twenty years from now the city will seriously regret this decision.

Edited September 6, 2017 by go_vertical
Proofreading

[Scribe]

I would like a quick poll:

When is the last time you've actually walked through Marshall Park? Not drive down 3rd or McDowell... walked, strolled, or biked through it.

That "natural looking body of water " you are talking about is disgusting.  The park if it were to stay, needs a serious remodel and better water treatment.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Scribe