Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower

[Matthew.Brendan]

Yep at this point I don't think Uptown will ever transform into a Shopping destination. Better to just embrace it for what it is, the Core Business District, and nightlife/entertainment after work. Nothing wrong with that really.

[rockhilljames]

Well if we can ever let go of the artificial separation we've created in our minds between Uptown and South End we would realize that we are developing a shopping district downtown. 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

43 minutes ago, rockhilljames said:

Well if we can ever let go of the artificial separation we've created in our minds between Uptown and South End we would realize that we are developing a shopping district downtown. 

I don't think the John Belk Freeway is an artificial barrier that we just contrived. It certainly can be a combined district, the rail trail being the first stitch. 

[TheOneRJ]

The retail in SouthEnd is a good effort, but it’s not a true central area to shop like King Street is to Charleston for example. 

[Windsurfer]

12 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

I don't think the John Belk Freeway is an artificial barrier that we just contrived. It certainly can be a combined district, the rail trail being the first stitch. 

At lunch I was cruising around that area and the thought occurred to me that the parking lot where Business Journals is located would  make an awesome food truck zone.  I'm guessing it's probably too valuable from a development standpoint to do something like that. The old building will probably get sold and torn down like the rest of Charlotte, but just think how that block could transistion with something funky between South End and Uptown.

Off topic (my apologies) but I see where downtown Portland's food truck block at Alder is being removed for a new 35 story development.  

[rockhilljames]

Granted, but we're not the only city to have freeways running through downtown. My comment was more about the mental perception people seem to have between the two areas rather than the physical barrier that 277 presents. I do wish we could cap it the way Columbus did to unify downtown and Short North, but that's another discussion.

[hinsp0]

I hope uptown does get retail that makes sense for its residents, daily workers, and out of town visitors.  I’m a native Charlottean and I’ve always had high hopes that uptown would one day develop complete amenities that many large cities and some of the cities cited in the posts above have long enjoyed.

However, many of us are not interested in going uptown to shop regardless of whether the retail is there or not and regardless of whether we work there or not each day.  I’m about to move my office to morehead street from Ballantyne blah blah land, but I still doubt I’d do much, if any, uptown shopping other than maybe the walk to Whole Foods.  

I live a stone’s throw away from Southpark mall.  If I want to shop anywhere other than online or costco, I’m going to Southpark.  I don’t love Southpark.  In fact, I generally hate going there and I generally hate that it’s a huge box that prevents the creation of a street grid connecting the surrounding areas, creates traffic headaches, and creates an unfriendly pedestrian environment,  However, parking is free and the location is very convenient at least for us south charlotteans who live out our glorious suburban fantasies in our oversized homes on half acre  or greater lots, with multiple cars, multiple kids, and multiple golden retrievers.

Now, about this new Duke tower.  It looks sweet, sounds good, and seems to be a slight improvement over the parking but.  Although, one could make an argument that the parking hut was a historic bastion of what is increasingly becoming a bygone era uptown aside from in Mr. Levine’s sublimely preserved ward.

[JorgiPorgi]

I honestly don't think infrastructure of Uptown supports people who don't live uptown to come in and shop.  I rarely go into uptown due to difficulties of parking/walking etc. I'll echo that Center city needs to focus on ammenities for the residents moving there- Grocery, target, etc... The real walkable retail seems to be growing in Southend which will be that district for Charlotte in the next 5 years. Maybe retail will organically spread back into uptown via the rail trail.  I don't see Uptown having a huge shoppable district a necessity for the vibrance of a very business oriented and new uptown. Sorry to keep this off topic. BACK TO THE TOWER!

[Skyybutter]

On 5/11/2019 at 7:17 AM, RiverwoodCLT said:

 

I hope he gets a MBL team.  Would be great for Charlotte.

Here here! MLB. Been hearing MLB is ten years down the road since 1990.... Does MLB not realize the potential.... no team between DC and urghh ATL. Granted, Braves fans in the Carolinas and Tennessee won't budge. But NC and say Spartanburg, some if CAE and some of S.VA...would surely support a Charlotte MLB team?? The triangle is such a hodge podge of transplants you would likely win native NC'ers. Anywho. Its been yet another 10 years and nothing. 

[Muggsy01]

3 hours ago, Skyybutter said:

Here here! MLB. Been hearing MLB is ten years down the road since 1990.... Does MLB not realize the potential.... no team between DC and urghh ATL. Granted, Braves fans in the Carolinas and Tennessee won't budge. But NC and say Spartanburg, some if CAE and some of S.VA...would surely support a Charlotte MLB team?? The triangle is such a hodge podge of transplants you would likely win native NC'ers. Anywho. Its been yet another 10 years and nothing. 

Only way I see CLT getting an MLB team is if the Tampa ballpark deal collapses again and the Rays move. That's a very real possibility btw. I think for expansion, Portland & Montreal are all but a lock, & if Montreal falls through I think Nashville or Austin would be ahead of CLT. Going down in August though to Pinehurst & spending a night in CLT, first time I've been not during basketball season, & I'm really excited to go to a Knights game. Ballpark looks beautiful, I've only seen it from the outside. Be happy with the Knights, MiLB is so underrated. 

[Cassman]

18 hours ago, rockhilljames said:

I do wish we could cap it the way Columbus did to unify downtown and Short North, but that's another discussion.

Where is this discussion?  I want in!  Capping one block on the Belk (between Tryon and Church or Tryon and College, take your pick) and one block on the Brookshire (between Caldwell and Davidson, in connection with the Silver Line crossing 277 to hop onto 11th Street) would be awesome.

[NotSoAlien]

Some new toys showed up today. 

[CLT_sc]

21 hours ago, NotSoAlien said:

Some new toys showed up today. 

Really surprised they didn’t have to close College St and move red lights to get that big piece of machinery onsite.  Glad they used a large trailer to carry that piece of equipment in picture #1.

looks like they are drilling and have steel on the site, what are they doing?  I though the parking lot would be gone by now.

Edited June 19, 2019 by CLT_sc

[nakers2]

Is this going to be a steel framed building? If so that would be cool, first steel skyscraper in a while, not sure the technical definition of a skyscraper, if there even is one, but to me it's kind of a "you know it when you see it" thing. 

[Sigma]

I think Tryon Place is steel constructions.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

On 6/13/2019 at 8:48 AM, Muggsy01 said:

Only way I see CLT getting an MLB team is if the Tampa ballpark deal collapses again and the Rays move. That's a very real possibility btw. I think for expansion, Portland & Montreal are all but a lock, & if Montreal falls through I think Nashville or Austin would be ahead of CLT. Going down in August though to Pinehurst & spending a night in CLT, first time I've been not during basketball season, & I'm really excited to go to a Knights game. Ballpark looks beautiful, I've only seen it from the outside. Be happy with the Knights, MiLB is so underrated. 

This is off topic as hell, but why would Nashville be ahead of CLT? They have 3 professional sports teams with the new MLS team vs. 2 in Charlotte and Charlotte is bigger, growing faster and has a much larger corporate presence. Really don't know why they are mentioned in every conversation. 

[Muggsy01]

34 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

This is off topic as hell, but why would Nashville be ahead of CLT? They have 3 professional sports teams with the new MLS team vs. 2 in Charlotte and Charlotte is bigger, growing faster and has a much larger corporate presence. Really don't know why they are mentioned in every conversation. 

I think MLB would want to go farther from Atlanta. I really don’t think Nashville is very close either though. I think it’s pretty much MTL & Portland for sure. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Muggsy01

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

3 minutes ago, Muggsy01 said:

I think MLB would want to go farther from Atlanta. I really don’t think Nashville is very close either though. I think it’s pretty much MTL & Portland for sure. 

Nashville is 5 miles further from ATL than Charlotte. Culturally, I think Nashville and Atlanta have more overlap than CLT and Nashville is home to two MLB TV markets vs Charlotte having 3 (meaning more connected to ATL) . North Carolina is also 3.5M people larger.

 

Getting back on the topic, did they rip up the parking lot yet? Looks like a lot of staffing progress this week. 

[CLT_sc]

14 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

Nashville is 5 miles further from ATL than Charlotte. Culturally, I think Nashville and Atlanta have more overlap than CLT and Nashville is home to two MLB TV markets vs Charlotte having 3 (meaning more connected to ATL) . North Carolina is also 3.5M people larger.

 

Getting back on the topic, did they rip up the parking lot yet? Looks like a lot of staffing progress this week. 

First, I agree with your comments on MLB.  It has become trendy to say Nashville  & Austin will get x over Charlotte without really looking at too much data.

The  parking lot is still there.  They are drilling in spots, just not sure what they are doing.  As of this morning, the parking lot is muddy with a few drilling trucks onsite, one bobcat and a ton of Silverado and F150’s.

[Bruco72]

38 minutes ago, CLT_sc said:

First, I agree with your comments on MLB.  It has become trendy to say Nashville  & Austin will get x over Charlotte without really looking at too much data.

The  parking lot is still there.  They are drilling in spots, just not sure what they are doing.  As of this morning, the parking lot is muddy with a few drilling trucks onsite, one bobcat and a ton of Silverado and F150’s.

And as a few minutes ago, half of a construction trailer. 

[nakers2]

3 hours ago, Sigma said:

I think Tryon Place is steel constructions.

Don't consider that to be a skyscraper more than a highrise. Once again, it's kind of a "I know it when I see it" deal. 

[KJHburg]

Getting back to the 41 story tower at hand which by the way would be the tallest building in Tennessee if in the aforementioned major city in that state.

Bonus shot of 48 story Duke Energy Center the Wells Fargo owned HQ of Duke and of course its mini me the Museum tower. 

 

[CLT_sc]

2 hours ago, Bruco72 said:

And as a few minutes ago, half of a construction trailer. 

Looks like the second half of the trailer has arrived, progress.  And, it appears that there are enough workers on site to have a good 7 on 7 football game.  Topping out should be around 2030 at this rate.

[KJHburg]

6 minutes ago, CLT_sc said:

Looks like the second half of the trailer has arrived, progress.  And, it appears that there are enough workers on site to have a good 7 on 7 football game.  Topping out should be around 2030 at this rate.

ah don't worry they will flood the zone soon enough. 

[NotSoAlien]

Some shots from today. They brought the other half of the trailer in and were drilling some hole in the sidewalk.