Learning from Other Places

[elrodvt]

^cool building.

I remember when we were deciding where to relocate we toured a condo mid rise in Charleston. It was across the street from the river. This was maybe 10 years ago and when I checked on insurance it was really outrageous. Maybe 10k/year if memory serves?? Hurricane and Sea level rise. When we were there it rained the night before, nothing big, and water was gushing up out of the storm water drains and many streets had a foot or more of standing water. Crazy!

Fixing this is going to result in a really huge bill in a decade or two. Then there is the idiocy of allowing people to rebuild over and over  again after floods. Eventually, and people are going to go nuts over this, those properties need to be condemned and turned into barrier. 100 year food plain is rapidly becoming 5 year flood plain!

Same for people building in areas of high fire risk. Etc...

[KJHburg]

From up the road in Raleigh and Cary in Wake County.  They are doing some FANTASTIC suburban urban mixed use projects.  Charlotte may beat Raleigh in high rises and infill projects but these suburban town centers are just great.  Don't worry I will increase my trips to Raleigh even more as they get going and especially with the new Texas based Bucees coming to I-85/40 before the Chapel Hill split.  

1.  North Hills expansion on the old JC Penney site at North Hills original part.  Check out that 10 story building designed by Duda Paine 

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2020/10/07/kane-realty-unveils-plans-for-12-story-mixed-use.html

2. Fenton in Cary under construction with Wegmans, Superica, movie theater, offices, retail, apartments, hotel

http://fentonnc.com/

3. Carolina Yards aka old Cary Town Center mall totally demo but Belks and Dave and Busters urban grid pattern on the site

https://carolinayards.com/

4. and back in north Raleigh Midtown Exchange close to North Hills 

https://midtownexchangenc.com/

These are some of best projects like this anywhere in the country in my opinion.  

 

[KJHburg]

here is something I saw in Houston today this sign in the Galleria area.  This is  a GREAT idea and Charlotte should and could copy.  Check out the website and the short video about panhandlers and homelessness.

http://meaningfulchange.org/

PS I will have a Texas size edition of things Charlotte can learn from yes Houston.  But I wanted highlight this cause.  57% drop in chronic homelessness in this city.  Can Charlotte say that???

 

[KJHburg]

anyone wondering how much it cost to build one of those big Ferris wheels?  well the new one in Miami was a cool $18M and is now opened.  When I go to Miami this winter I will surely take trip around.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/skyviews-miami-the-iconic-176-foot-observation-wheel-is-now-open-to-the-public/

[KJHburg]

Learning from Texas Austin edition.  Austin is absolutely booming downtown and in the suburbs. 

Problems" However their infrastructure is woefully behind.  Texas can build massive highways and will but Austin leaders fought the state over road plans 20-30 years ago and now they are paying the price.  (they thought if they don't build the roads people won't come but they still did)    The daytime congestion on highways in Austin is even greater than Houston and much greater than Charlotte.  The have a massive transit proposal now but like Charlotte their jobs are very decentralized in the north suburbs around the Domain and even tech campuses further north like Apple's new 10,000 job campus.  Dell is up in Round Rock.   They do have tech offices downtown like Google and Facebook and I think many who might work there live close by either in downtown or the immediate areas.  Their downtown and I went mid morning weekday had very little people just like uptown Charlotte just construction workers, homeless and few people on scooters.  In fact I saw a story today their pedestrian traffic is down 65% since pandemic.  My last visit was 5 years ago or so and I saw many more homeless and much more graffiti and that is not a good thing. 

things the QC can learn:  they have a great identity with live music venues and huge festivals and the cool factor.  Like Charlotte is getting more expensive to live there and Austin is already more expensive than Charlotte.  They have some great new high rise condos and office towers going up like the Google building downtown.  Plus being on a river makes the skyline special. Being a state capital helps their national identity as well as there is but one Austin that anyone has ever heard of.  Plus having University of Texas on the edge of downtown really helps and it has over 50,000 students.    Many more condo towers than Charlotte.   Their food scene is legendary and still a leader in food trucks.  

First  photo is the new Apple campus underway they already have 6000 employees in Austin and adding 10K more on a huge suburban campus. 

Google's new building downtown  (in one of my skyline shots with river in foreground) 

https://austin.curbed.com/2019/4/2/18291500/google-building-austin-new-design-pelli

this building is under construction up to about 3/4th floor now.  

http://www.6xguadalupe.com/

Their economy is much more tech and government and reminds me of the economy of Raleigh Cary than really of Charlotte's.  Their only energy company which is big in every Texas city was recently purchased by a Dallas company so they will probably consolidate the jobs there.   I love their jenga style Indpendent condo tower and we need one in this style here in Charlotte and who knows maybe one is on the drawing board. 

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

this may soon start happening in Charlotte especially uptown in class B office towers and I can think of several 

https://rebusinessonline.com/lowe-usaa-break-ground-on-multifamily-redevelopment-project-in-northern-virginia/

[KJHburg]

what can Charlotte learn from a huge sprawling metro area like Houston home to over 7 million people, 5th largest in US.    Well a few things of course.  People are always surprised when I say Houston along with San Antonio is one of my favorite cities in Texas.  

1. Houston Metro trains operate mostly on streets like our upcoming streetcars.  Houstonians have learn to live with them on the streets after noted accidents once they started running. I am sure our drivers which are no better will find out the hard way too.   2. new office construction in a city with 18% vacancy but there is a flight to quality.  3. 40 story Market Square apartment tower with pool that overhangs the city 40 floors up.  I think the Ellis should have done this.  4. Despite being a city where you build anything anywhere you want most of the time they have saved many older high rises especially their hotels.  Lesson for Charlotte uptown in particular do NOT replace the Hall House Hotel Barringer with a stick built low rise.  5. Post Rice loft apartments in another old hotel. 

6. yet another old hotel still a hotel the Lancaster.  7. fantastic skyline and Charlotte's is too but you have to get way back to get it all in one photo. from the huge Texas sized 3 story Buffalo Brewery.  8.  Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country with huge Asian, African American and Hispanic populations yet still considers itself the largest city in the South.  9. any city that has a 64 story office building Williams Tower outside the downtown is a winner in my books. 10. Huge parks but Houston is huge.  This is Hermann Park between the Texas Medical Center (largest such area in the world) and Museum district all on the Metro rail SW of downtown. 

 11.12. fantastic museums that all offer free admission one day a week and the day I went to the 3 building huge MOFA-Houston it was courtesy of Shell Oil.  Would be a great idea for Charlotte to offer this more than once a month.  Like the Hornets for example offering a free day at the Harvey B. Gantt.   13.14. there was a discussion a while back on UP about having more high rises along the freeways well Houston does that well.  (Galleria area first shot and Memorial City of the Katy 1-10 freeway)   15. Houston metro tracks did see one car from California turning in front a moving a train.  Charlotte needs to learn about this real quick.

  16. another old hotel made anew into the Guest Quarters suites downtown.   17. sure wish Charlotte had a 72 story 992 foot tall Wells Fargo Plaza like this glass one.  18. maybe these kinds of bus shelters instead of having so many benches everywhere uptown that have become homeless havens.  (read previous post about how Houston has less people on the street in the last few years in a previous post)  19.20 another group of older buildings converted into 3 Marriott properties.  Texas does value their history in their cities and Charlotte should do the same especially uptown.  21. positive murals downtown and we need more uptown.  22. close up at that pool 40 stories up  would you swim it?  I would to get a photo!  23. yet another old hotel this one the Cambria do you see a pattern in Houston?  24. 25. . The Woodlands a huge planned city with walkable downtown along a canal with paddleboats.  26. HUGE skatepark right near downtown in Buffalo Bayou park.  They have even a larger one north of downtown.  

for all the rest of Houston photos I dumped them in the Houston thread of UP.   Houston and Atlanta are the only top 10 US metros I would ever live in but don't worry Charlotte is my #1 of all sizes. 

somehow a few photos got out of order but I think you can figure it out. 

Edited November 6, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Jax or Jacksonville has condemned a 16  story apartment tower that stalled under construction since 2016 about the same time a certain parking garage in 1st Ward was built and still not opened.  I give it to Jax as they condemned it and it is coming down soon a shell of a building.  If the garage in First Ward is structurally defective why is it not condemned?  If not why is not opened???

read about it here

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/10/30/developer-submits-demo-permit-berkman-ii.html

Edited November 7, 2020 by KJHburg

[UrbanCharlotte]

On 5/15/2020 at 6:56 PM, The ATX said:

Then it's a project that I'm unaware of or don't have height info for.

https://austin.towers.net/downtown-austins-first-supertall-tower-plan-arrives-at-waller-creek-site/
 

this is the project I was referring to back in May

[JRNYP2C]

10 hours ago, UrbanCharlotte said:

https://austin.towers.net/downtown-austins-first-supertall-tower-plan-arrives-at-waller-creek-site/
 

this is the project I was referring to back in May

Pretty cool!  That would look good in 1st Ward.........just saying!

[KJHburg]

Miami got a new hedge fund office that considered Charlotte evidently.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/18b-hedge-fund-marathon-chooses-miami-for-a-new-office-beating-out-charlotte-atlanta/

and Miami continues to boom with new condo and apartment towers captured in this one photo.  Can't wait to check out Miami in Jan. again.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/miamis-staggering-growth-as-seen-in-a-single-photo/

[KJHburg]

from exactly 3 years taken by me. Makes me kinda sad this city state of Hong Kong is a lot less free now.  Next Asian city when I can travel again internationally Singapore! Their skyline is great too. 

things Charlotte can learn" this is how to light it up!

 

[KJHburg]

Great historical renovation to take place in Detroit.  I only wished I had gone by this beautiful train station when I last visited the Motor city years ago.  I have only seen it modeled at the Biltmore Estate.  see photos below. 

https://www.cpexecutive.com/post/ford-unveils-plans-for-30-acre-detroit-redevelopment/

what a great project!

https://michigancentral.com/

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Here is something Charlotte can learn from Houston.  Start a non profit that builds SROs single room occupancy like McNinch Place all over town.  Many are just studio apartments with no real kitchen but a microwave and fridge and communal kitchens.    They have just built their 9th one in Houston.   Check them out.    Called New Hope Housing.  we need a lot of this to move people off the streets.   They do build some bigger units but many are micro units.  We can not call ourselves a great city with the tent cities and rampant homelessness we have in this town.  We can build a $10 Billion transit system but if it is going by tent cities everywhere is it worth it?     We have to get serious about this and at least Houston is trying and succeeding where we are not. 

https://www.newhopehousing.com/properties/harrisburg/   and they are building them along transit lines! 

https://www.newhopehousing.com/our-approach/

Edited November 19, 2020 by KJHburg

[DH17]

On 11/19/2020 at 1:12 PM, KJHburg said:

Great historical renovation to take place in Detroit.  I only wished I had gone by this beautiful train station when I last visited the Motor city years ago.  I have only seen it modeled at the Biltmore Estate.  see photos below. 

https://www.cpexecutive.com/post/ford-unveils-plans-for-30-acre-detroit-redevelopment/

what a great project!

https://michigancentral.com/

 

As someone with deep Michigan roots, I am very happy to see this. Parts of Detroit have definitely rebounded and are doing immensely better, but it will take generations to recover from the mass de-industrialization and white-flight that took place from 1960-2010.

Detroit peaked at 1.85M residents around 1950 in only half the sq. miles as Charlotte. It was 4x as dense as modern day Charlotte back then. Imagine if Charlotte lost 2/3 of it's population and how empty it would feel....truly a tragedy

[KJHburg]

Hey Charlotte! 

This is Raleigh.  We are not as small as you think and we are growing faster!  I know on urbanplanet you have talked about how Charlotte does not have a lot of high rises along the highways except in uptown.  We do here in Raleigh along the Beltline especially in North Hills area with a 32 story apartment tower under construction now.  And more to come in Midwood Exchange.   Hey ride the Amtrak up to the Capital City and see our nice train station we have.  Check out our museums and our walkable downtown.  Plus we have that nice new  downtown Publix.   Hey while you are here have a steak or some seafood at the highest grossing largest restaurant in the state which at half capacity is 397 patrons. 

Sincerely,

The Capital City and City of Oaks Raleigh

PS Durham says hello and so does Cary. 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

this is good looking high density mid rise for sale  product being built in Raleigh near their downtown.  Stacked 2 story townhomes with rooftop decks and the good news is this builder is in the Charlotte market too.

Stanley Martin Homes prepares to build new condos in downtown Raleigh - Triangle Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

 

Here is the same community being built in Richmond

New Condominiums For Sale - The Paxton (stanleymartin.com)

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by KJHburg

[rancenc]

And this was suppose to be the tournament's debut in Baltimore.

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/12/14/ciaa-tournament-canceled-as-season-called-off/

 

 

[KJHburg]

Here is what a DGX store looks like this one is brand new in downtown Wilmington (also one in downtown Raleigh)  It is a Dollar General urban format store and reminds me of the tiny Teeter uptown.  One of these would do good in uptown Charlotte or even in Southend.  Serves the basic needs and is meant to be walked to and shopped. 

[carolina1792]

Downtown South project rezoning in Raleigh was approved 7-1. Now it will be a long road ahead but looks like it's on track to start development by the end of next year with the stadium maybe ready some time around 2024 to 2026 depending on the TIF situation. 

 

 

 

 

[KJHburg]

Here is a great project that would fit right in somewhere in Charlotte maybe Southend.  This is RiverPlace in downtown Wilmington a mixed use project with large city parking garage wrapped with apartments and for sale condos and ground floor retail and dramatic staircase.  This is one sharp looking project and I am not just saying that because I worked for this developer years ago but it is true.  

River Place Wilmington  even better than the renderings.  Photos from Tuesday.   Notice the parking garage treatment very nice.  Blends in nicely with older historic buildings of downtown Wilmington. 

Retail tenants include Mellow Mushroom, DGX store, salon, BofA branch and soon on the upper plaza new location for Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.   This is a project that would be good in any city in NC and it is fabulous in Wilmington.   Between Water and Front Streets check it out next time you are in NC's port city which by the way is booming in all directions. 

Condominiums & Apartments Downtown | River Place Wilmington, NC

[KJHburg]

Even Kenya will now have a 1000 footer in Nairobi   tallest in Africa! 

Kenya’s Pinnacle Tower will be the tallest tower in Africa | Building Design + Construction (bdcnetwork.com)

as a Hilton Honors member glad to see a Hilton next door. 

Edited December 21, 2020 by KJHburg

[urbanlover568]

Greed always backfires...Hopefully Developers/Lenders here take notice of what's happening in NYC. 

 

Manhattan Gentrifier Stumbles With Rental Apartment Bankruptcies

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/manhattan-gentrifier-stumbles-with-rental-apartment-bankruptcies

[KJHburg]

In the City Beautiful this weekend (that is Orlando for those who don't know) and I think @elrodvt and I can agree on this McDonalds I think!  Would it not be nice for uptown Charlotte to have the worlds 2nd Netzero solar powered environmentally friendly McDonalds like this one maybe in Levineland or 2nd Ward.  Okay we can go with a slightly smaller model and no drive thru. 

McDonald’s Unveils Net Zero Energy-Designed Restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort

mcdonald's unveils net zero energy restaurant at disney world resort (designboom.com)

McDonald's new restaurant is 100% solar powered (fastcompany.com)

not opened for in house dining so I went through the drive through and parked and walked around a bit.  and I had a chocolate shake with a paper straw (LOL) for those interested . 

 

[KJHburg]

today touring around Palm Beach County FL and West Palm Beach's tallest buildings are  STALLED OUT.  You think we have problems with 2 stalled out hotels uptown and unused brand new parking garage with unknown problems.  Check this out my photos and the accompanying story.

Construction halted on tallest buildings in Palm Beach County | WTVX (cw34.com)      

hmm residential which is the shorter tower is booming here in south Florida so not sure what he is saying about that.

My photos today.