Design Center Expansion in South End

[KJHburg]

New mural going up in Nebel Alley at the Design Center. 

[KJHburg]

Well this is interesting.   The Nebel Annex at the Design Center replacing a most recent part of the old hosiery mill with a tower.  

http://landmarkscommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Nebel-Annex-Staff-Report-2.0.pdf

From the Ledger this morning:

""Office tower above South End historic site? Asana Partners is proposing to build an office tower of around 7 stories above the Nebel Knitting Mill Annex on West Worthington Avenue in South End, across the street from the 23-story Lowe’s Design Center Tower. The plans sparked a recent debate at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. Asana filed for a demolition permit last month but hopes to preserve the building’s art modern-style facade.""

 

My opinion is that I do like it and they are right it will increase the viability of the project for a long time i.e. nobody will be looking to demo the whole block for a high rise.  it adds more retail and this annex building is not as historic as the original mill where Superica/Barcelona are located and where my grandmother worked. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by KJHburg

[Guest]

Honestly I have no issue with a project like this if it keeps the facade. Reminds me of projects Raleigh and Nashville have had for years, always have been jealous we couldn’t do something similar to preserve our buildings

[KJHburg]

^ Exactly this just puts a new building in the middle of the existing building and these floorplates for the office space is smaller thus will attract tenants who don't need a full floor more of a boutique office building.  

Remember this is something else proposed from the other Childress Klein RAM site on facing West Blvd next to the Lowes tower that is a tower site too.  That one will be much taller than this 9-10 story building. 

Asana is adding a building like this in Atlanta's Krog Street Market blending it with the existing renovated retail space. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by KJHburg

[SydneycartonII]

[atlrvr]

From the submission:

Architect: Little

 

[HopHead]

^More of this, please!

[Hushpuppy321]

The immediate vicinity around the design center (2 or 3 blocks) is almost becoming like the Center of SouthEnd in its own Trade & Tryon way.  (Camden & Tremont)

[Madison Parkitect]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

The plans sparked a recent debate at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

That's one way to put it...

[carolinaboy]

Wow. That is amazing.

[Reverie39]

This is stunning. Love me some modern blue glass that we get so much of in CLT these days but as a very old East Coast city one would expect more historical brick facades too. They actually complement modern buildings very well if done right, imo.

[Blue_Devil]

4 hours ago, Madison Parkitect said:

That's one way to put it...

What is the other way to put it?

[Madison Parkitect]

34 minutes ago, Blue_Devil said:

What is the other way to put it?

You can read the minutes on the Commission's page, but I'll say that it didn't go well for the applicant the first time around. It was very civil all around but the view of the Commissioners ended up being almost unanimous.

[Blue_Devil]

38 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

You can read the minutes on the Commission's page, but I'll say that it didn't go well for the applicant the first time around. It was very civil all around but the view of the Commissioners ended up being almost unanimous.

That is disappointing as this project looks great

[atlrvr]

Reading the June comments, (and the June agenda), it's unclear how much has changed from the images I posted above.  

It looks like they are requesting to build a tower, keeping just the Worthington Ave facade remain, but not otherwise utilizing the brick structure there.  

Feels like no big loss along Hawkins, but I would like the alley to be preserved.

I didn't see anything in the comments that appear hostile to this plan.  Basically, Asana is saying we are working on a revised plan to preserve what we can (at economics that make sense) or we'll demo the whole thing.   It sounds like the commission is saying "we would be more likely to approve the request if you place a permanent easement on the remaining portions, even if just the Worthington facade".

Is that summary correct?

[Madison Parkitect]

37 minutes ago, atlrvr said:

Reading the June comments, (and the June agenda), it's unclear how much has changed from the images I posted above.  

It looks like they are requesting to build a tower, keeping just the Worthington Ave facade remain, but not otherwise utilizing the brick structure there.  

Feels like no big loss along Hawkins, but I would like the alley to be preserved.

I didn't see anything in the comments that appear hostile to this plan.  Basically, Asana is saying we are working on a revised plan to preserve what we can (at economics that make sense) or we'll demo the whole thing.   It sounds like the commission is saying "we would be more likely to approve the request if you place a permanent easement on the remaining portions, even if just the Worthington facade".

Is that summary correct?

That's what happened at the June meeting, yes.

The first meeting was earlier in the Spring (maybe April?) and the applicant was originally talking about saving the entire building. The Commission (again, not unanimously, but almost) felt that building this specific tower on it didn't meet the guidelines for preservation. The discussion mostly focused on aesthetics. Since then the applicant has decided to try to preserve just the Worthington facade and it seems that the Commission is doing what it can to ensure part of the building gets preserved.

As described here before, the Commission can't really ultimately do anything to save any part of a building. It can issue a 365-day stay on demolition, which gives the Commission some leverage on a developer who wants to start their project, but ultimately it's in everyone's best interests (both applicant and Commission) to find common ground and help Charlotte grow in a smart way.

[Matthew.Brendan]

but where is the 10 floors of parking deck??

[Blue_Devil]

4 hours ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

but where is the 10 floors of parking deck??

This is actually a revolutionary design where the tower is the parking and the office is in the historic part on the 1st and 2nd floor. It got lost in the news article.

[ertley]

On 7/11/2022 at 9:43 AM, HopHead said:

^More of this, please!

I completely agree: Better to work with amenable developers--i.e. compromise--than be too demanding or even obstreperous in negotiations and have them just tear entire older structures down. The older I get the more I appreciate the wisdom of "Do not let the pursuit of perfection prevent doing good." 

[Reverie39]

13 hours ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

but where is the 10 floors of parking deck??

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Reverie39

[atlrvr]

On 4/19/2022 at 10:32 AM, atlrvr said:

Building permits for foundation and vertical package for Phase 2 have been filed within the last week.  (this would be 125 West Blvd, so the corner of West and Hawkins). 

Not much info gleaned yet.  RAM Realty is the developer, and RJT+R is the architect (out of Atlanta who I think was the architect on the Lowe's tower as well)

Clearly this is fully designed at this point, but I haven't heard/seen anyone confirm exactly what is planned. 

336 apartments

13,200 sq ft of retail

495 parking spaces

Sounds tall I would think given the size of the site....same lot size as the Greystar site on South, 5% more units and parking, so guess this will be 25-26 stories.

[KJHburg]

55 minutes ago, atlrvr said:

336 apartments

13,200 sq ft of retail

495 parking spaces

Sounds tall I would think given the size of the site....same lot size as the Greystar site on South, 5% more units and parking, so guess this will be 25-26 stories.

I am hearing 25 floors so you are right on target.  

[JRCLT]

If this starts soon 3/4 corners b/w Camden and East/West Blvd will have towers rising…

[Norm2]

54 minutes ago, JeanClt said:

If this starts soon 3/4 corners b/w Camden and East/West Blvd will have towers rising…

Hopefully this does start soon. I have a feeling a lot of projects won't start I'd they don't break ground by the end of the year 

[Blue_Devil]

2 hours ago, norm21499 said:

Hopefully this does start soon. I have a feeling a lot of projects won't start I'd they don't break ground by the end of the year 

Why? Recession? Charlotte while not recession proof, is in a pretty good place overall. People will still be moving here in droves.