Caldwell Street--The Next Great Street

[ertley]

Caldwell is the uptown continuation of South Boulevard and along with Tryon connects the South End to uptown. The transformation of South Boulevard and South End (fueled by the light rail and trail) should augur what's possible for other avenues (and areas) in Charlotte. Caldwell is actually a major connecting street, after transitioning to Parkwood⁺⁺ directly connecting Optimist Park (and the NoDa area) to uptown and thus to South End.  I believe thinking *now* about how to accentuate Caldwell and make it a premier N/S avenue through uptown, on par with Tryon, will help uptown achieve a sense of real import,, and ensure it's not merely a simple "main street" area. 

Tryon will certainly always remain the premier street, and it's probably closer to its culmination (within 277) than we might realize. (Really, the library redevelopment is the biggest gap/impediment right now to its 'completion'; the N/W side of Tryon is virtually 'finished', with the exception of the Sky House frontage; and once those two parts (already in their planning stages) are executed, its nearly done... )The two streets supporting Tryon on either side--Church and College--are both in decent shape overall (except First Ward, which focusing on Caldwell helps); Trade is o.k. and will continue to improve; and of course Stonewall has transformed into a focus street within the past three? years. It's time, then, to think ahead to avenues or areas not in any stage of major development.

Caldwell connects the South End (ultimately) to NoDa and continues paralleling the Blue Line/rail progression all the way to (what was) 20th St. Yet now it's virtually a pass-through, with no major buildings or centers of activity (just a couple of new hotels) actually fronting it. Its key elements, though--its width , nice median (but which, if sacrificed, could allow bike lanes or some other transit improvement(s)), and empty lots all along it, which mean it could really be 'intentionally' developed, if the city paid attention--all could help make it a spectacular street in and of itself. 

When you combine that potential and physical attributes with the fact it actually connects South End to uptown to Optimist Park and NoDa, and with the recognition that major cities have more than one avenue or thoroughfare in any given direction through major areas, I think Caldwell needs to be prioritized, starting now, as Charlotte's next great street (uptown).

I can easily see that in 10 years Caldwell could be lined with good, wide sidewalks, perhaps with bike lanes, and terrific architecture in a variety of forms and functions, with all sorts of traffic--originating from it, heading to it, but also utilizing it while progressing to/from South End to the north end. It's just one and a half blocks from the Blue Line. It could be the long-desired major retail sector uptown, or just continue the type of mixed use development of the second and third wards. And, of course, the Spectrum Center is on it as well. More importantly, once the Brooklyn re-development is underway, it will serve as both the N/W end of that--but also its connection to center city--which means its even more important to Make Caldwell Happen!

⁺⁺Parkwood is such a generic name--it could be in any city, anywhere--I would argue that it should be changed to Caldwell, all the way, to the intersection with The Plaza (in accordance with my belief that the city should start trying to regularize street names (re: my Re-naming Charlotte Streets thread), although I know it's fraught with difficulties).

 

[15895]

I’m having flash backs to 2006.

 

Not sure if you’ve read, but the city has long documents on making Caldwell a happening street. There’s also an entire thread dedicated to it. It fell apart though. Especially since Nascad HoF kinda killed it with terrible street presence. 

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I’m having flash backs to 2006.

 

Not sure if you’ve read, but the city has long documents on making Caldwell a happening street. There’s also an entire thread dedicated to it. It fell apart though. Especially since Nascad HoF kinda killed it with terrible street presence. 

You are referencing Brevard. 

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Land Use Planning/BrevardStreetPlan.pdf

[Matthew.Brendan]

[ertley]

I actually did try and sort/search for a Caldwell thread, but (maybe it was my computer and not UP) it froze, so...

I wasn't paying attention back in '06, but I guess I would say now that I hope the city realizes it wasn't a bad idea, it just was impeded by...uh...a massive recession, and so CLT is back to where it was,  more or less. I *do* understand and believe that focusing primarily on wards, neighborhoods when conceptualizing development is the first means of approach. Once you get those in place/adopted, though, looking at avenues, if nothing else by encouraging a specific built environment, is important. 

I still say Caldwell should, in 10 years time, be only just secondary to Tryon--at least N/S--uptown! 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, ertley said:

I actually did try and sort/search for a Caldwell thread, but (maybe it was my computer and not UP) it froze, so...

I wasn't paying attention back in '06, but I guess I would say now that I hope the city realizes it wasn't a bad idea, it just was impeded by...uh...a massive recession, and so CLT is back to where it was,  more or less. I *do* understand and believe that focusing primarily on wards, neighborhoods when conceptualizing development is the first means of approach. Once you get those in place/adopted, though, looking at avenues, if nothing else by encouraging a specific built environment, is important. 

I still say Caldwell should, in 10 years time, be only just secondary to Tryon--at least N/S--uptown! 

I like this idea. I think there needs to be a concerted effort toward the success of Church and College first however. That said, Its incredibly important that a great overlay is put in place for Caldwell too, and all our streets. Have you ever thought about writing an OpEd and submitting it to one of our fine media companies?

[DMann]

Doen't the city plan on making Caldwell 2 way all the way to 12th street?

 

[Matthew.Brendan]

v2. Yes it's a very slow day at work

 

[King of the Queen City]

17 minutes ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

v2. Yes it's a very slow day at work

From Our State Article about Hugh McColl:

While the mayor was (at BOACC), she looked down and complained that there were too many surface parking lots uptown. “And I said, ‘Mayor, that’s what has driven me for 40 years, those parking lots,’” McColl says. “If it’s a choice between having parking lots and towers, I’d rather have towers.”

[tozmervo]

24 minutes ago, DMann said:

Doen't the city plan on making Caldwell 2 way all the way to 12th street?

 

There were plans a long time ago to make Caldwell and Brevard two-way streets again all the way through Uptown. I haven't heard any progress on that in a really long time, but it is definitely still a good idea. 

[Spartan]

It's still technically the plan, but Council de-funded the Center City transportation program which would have paid for it. So it's a matter of Council (and to some degree Center City Partners) to re-prioritize that work.

[SgtCampsalot]

While I'd love for Caldwell to replace Parkwood's name through The Plaza, it's too far gone with Parkwood Station, and the titularly-named apartments and townhomes going up. It's like Stonewall; it had to happen 5 years ago.

Regarding the opportunity to create a stellar thoroughfare, it indeed should happen. Hopefully any new developments in First Ward widen Caldwell in piecemeal fashion.