Duke Energy Plaza Headquarters | 40 Story formerly Charlotte Metro Tower

[BJKM]

Street front is coming together.

[RANYC]

I wish there was some way to celebrate this garage and shame other developers into doing better

[RANYC]

What are the chances we can entice Nucor into planting a signature High-Rise in the heart of Uptown as well?

Edited September 1, 2022 by RANYC

[tozmervo]

41 minutes ago, RANYC said:

What are the chances we can entice Nucor into planting a signature High-Rise in the heart of Uptown as well?

Not good. They are infamously conservative with spending money.

[KJHburg]

2 hours ago, RANYC said:

What are the chances we can entice Nucor into planting a signature High-Rise in the heart of Uptown as well?

Nucor bought a 2nd vacant office building right by their existing HQ on Rexford Rd in Southpark. 

[RANYC]

On 9/1/2022 at 8:15 AM, Mgelbach said:

Couple more pictures from the front side, they did finally patch the missing glass! 

 

IT'S WILD THAT THE SAME COMPANY SET TO OCCUPY THE GEM OF A BUILDING ABOVE, ALSO DOES THE BELOW TO OUR CITY'S STREETSCAPE TREE CANOPY, LEAVING SIGNS OF THE MASS DYSFIGURATION ON NEARLY EVERY ARTERY, THOROUGHFARE, BOULEVARD, AND COLLECTOR STREET.  JUST IMAGINE HOW STUNNING OUR STREETS AND PATHWAYS WOULD LOOK WITH NO WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS AND NO TREE BUTCHERY POLICIES.

Edited September 3, 2022 by RANYC

[JRCLT]

 
IT'S WILD THAT THE SAME COMPANY SET TO OCCUPY THE GEM OF A BUILDING ABOVE, ALSO DOES THE BELOW TO OUR CITY'S STREETSCAPE TREE CANOPY, LEAVING SIGNS OF THE MASS DYSFIGURATION ON NEARLY EVERY ARTERY, THOROUGHFARE, BOULEVARD, AND COLLECTOR STREET.  JUST IMAGINE HOW STUNNING OUR STREETS AND PATHWAYS WOULD LOOK WITH NO WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS AND NO TREE BUTCHERY POLICIES.

It’s a safety/cost issue.

At a basic level: Electricity V.S. Nice street.

Needless to say which one everyone would choose. Wouldn’t want an arch forming or a power line knocked from falling or swinging trees.

Cost: cheaper to cute trees that will regrow and aren’t likely to die from trimming vs burying power lines…

I would also like to see more tree lined streets that aren’t disfigured by the lines too excessively as you portrayed. Not unique to this one company, only mention this as it’s an unrelated post to a whole different line of discussion.

[RANYC]

1 hour ago, JeanClt said:

It’s a safety/cost issue.

At a basic level: Electricity V.S. Nice street.

Needless to say which one everyone would choose. Wouldn’t want an arch forming or a power line knocked from falling or swinging trees.

Cost: cheaper to cute trees that will regrow and aren’t likely to die from trimming vs burying power lines…

I would also like to see more tree lined streets that aren’t disfigured by the lines too excessively as you portrayed. Not unique to this one company, only mention this as it’s an unrelated post to a whole different line of discussion.

Dude, we all know the policy and stated and assumed reasons for it.  The imagery is to show the ugliness of the policy, and to keep up an alert for alternatives to the policy, like pole settings, like tree placement, like thresholds for trimming, and like strategies for line burial.  Things that are ugly and deemed necessary in the moment don’t mean that innovation won’t render them obsolete someday with improved means of power transmission.  This post with its imagery is a hopeful nod to the future.

Edited September 3, 2022 by RANYC

[JRCLT]

Dude, we all know the policy and stated and assumed reasons for it.  The imagery is to show the ugliness of the policy, and to keep up an alert for alternatives to the policy, like pole settings, like tree placement, like thresholds for trimming, and like strategies for line burial.  Things that are ugly and deemed necessary in the moment don’t mean that innovation won’t render them obsolete someday with improved means of power transmission.  This post with its imagery is a hopeful nod to the future.

Yes. Agreed. I’m pretty sure I meant to include a sentence saying something along the lines of “until the city/company decide to pay more for aesthetics or innovation or even a simple shift in layout/setback solution that is presently available but not discovered due to unallocated resources.” (More or less) Though I guess in the effort to be concise in my statement and editing I might have lost it. Burying has its challenges with price and maintenance accessibility. If it was the cheapest best option it would be standard. If it were better in the long run I’d hope they would have made estimates to determine that (Cost-Benefit in the long term not a lot of people/entities due to saving in the now). As of now the poles and trimming trees for safety is the cheapest option and has been for more than a century unless something dramatic changes this is it for cheap. The other options are in the quote, Dude. ;^* Haha.

[RANYC]

18 hours ago, JeanClt said:

Yes. Agreed. I’m pretty sure I meant to include a sentence saying something along the lines of “until the city/company decide to pay more for aesthetics or innovation or even a simple shift in layout/setback solution that is presently available but not discovered due to unallocated resources.” (More or less) Though I guess in the effort to be concise in my statement and editing I might have lost it. Burying has its challenges with price and maintenance accessibility. If it was the cheapest best option it would be standard. If it were better in the long run I’d hope they would have made estimates to determine that (Cost-Benefit in the long term not a lot of people/entities due to saving in the now). As of now the poles and trimming trees for safety is the cheapest option and has been for more than a century unless something dramatic changes this is it for cheap. The other options are in the quote, Dude. ;^* Haha.

This is a national issue and doesn't just impact Duke Butchery.  Apparently, after the NYC blackout of 2003 which was partially attributed to downed distribution lines because of trees, federal guidelines were issued mandating more aggressive tree-cutting and pruning practices by utilities.  So in the early 2000s, this became a much bigger deal and a more prominent issue for communities all around the country.  Unfortunately, many canopies were planted decades ago when there was a great deal more flexibility on the issue of pruning and trimming, and folks had gotten used to trees intermixed with lines with no pushback from utilities.  The federal guidelines changed all that.

Edited September 4, 2022 by RANYC

[JRCLT]

This is a national issue and doesn't just impact Duke Butchery  Apparently, after the NYC blackout of 2003 which was partially attributed to downed distribution lines because of trees, federal guidelines were issued mandating more aggressive tree-cutting and pruning practices by utilities.  So in the early 2000s, this became a much bigger deal and a more prominent issue for communities all around the country.  Unfortunately, many canopies were planted decades ago when there was a great deal more flexibility on the issue of pruning and trimming, and folks had gotten used to trees intermixed with lines with no pushback from utilities.  The federal guidelines changed all that.

Yep, it’s not unique to Charlotte/Duke. No pruning at all is probably cheaper too. Since these federal guidelines aim to reduce chances of service disruption that would explain that utility companies didn’t worry about it too much before. Even with trimming, during storms power lines still go down.

https://www.ncufc.org/Trees-and-Utilities.php

[videtur quam contuor]

I have witnessed a squirrel fricassee himself on a transformer.

[j-man]

The most exciting part of this development besides it being a great fill in for the skyline, would be the retail it is adding to the back end because that area is a pretty dead zone. Pretty much until you get to the epicenter. 

Edited September 10, 2022 by j-man

[KJHburg]

DEP from all angles up down and all around.  Today.   Tryon St frontage looking great but alas I don't see my historic parking booth. 

[Rufus]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

 

I've always been annoyed at this part of the Gantt Center. It's always felt unfinished, even if it is only a parking deck entrance. I hope they can collaborate with DEC to do something with the massive blank wall now adjacent. 

[FLOSC843]

2 hours ago, Rufus said:

I've always been annoyed at this part of the Gantt Center. It's always felt unfinished, even if it is only a parking deck entrance. I hope they can collaborate with DEC to do something with the massive blank wall now adjacent. 

Its close enough to the stadium that maybe a new panthers mural might do the trick or maybe an CLT FC one? Although im not sure how neighboring Ally would feel about that one lol.

[DMann]

any chance the Duke digital lighting wall on the concrete bunker makes its way to the broad expanse of the new Duke Tower garage?????

[turbocraig]

2 hours ago, Rufus said:

I've always been annoyed at this part of the Gantt Center. It's always felt unfinished, even if it is only a parking deck entrance. I hope they can collaborate with DEC to do something with the massive blank wall now adjacent. 

Maybe relocate that 90’s matrix lighting sculpture from The Bunker to this wall.  I’m sure the guests at the JW would love that.

[DMann]

great minds think alike!

[NCMike1990]

5 hours ago, KJHburg said:

but alas I don't see my historic parking booth. 

Did you check the lobby?

[DonkeyKong]

#signage alert 

[DJ8hep]

Haha I drove the opposite direction today so I missed it!

[navigator319]

#signage alert 
http://content.invisioncic.com/x329420/monthly_2022_09/46CF0C81-CE01-4E26-B082-ADBB06D90802.thumb.jpeg.caa234c21323adeb9d7d3805cb3e8069.jpeg

Well they messed up the proportionality of that. Should be 20% larger and 25 feet higher up.

It’s a great building and all and at 600ft can’t debate that, but it’s also boring. IMO another prime lot taken on one side by a glass and vented parking podium and the other an office plaza. The new STK is likely to activate more than this complex will.

[turbocraig]

They’re doing some kind of test lighting pattern on the north side section where the signage is going to go.  It’s strobing different color stripes.   Will be interesting to see what the final scheme will be. 
 

[BJKM]

I saw the sign…it opened up my eyes and I saw the sign!