Will the University City area ever be cleaned up?

[MZT]

I lived in UC for a year. The 24 hour Harris Teeter near me was a plus... but I don't miss the area, and am glad I live closer to my job in uptown.

Although it's not University City proper, I think the area west of Sugar creek Road (Derita to 77) is chintzy, slapdash development which has not aged gracefully.

[AuLukey]

I lived in UC for a year. The 24 hour Harris Teeter near me was a plus... but I don't miss the area, and am glad I live closer to my job in uptown.

Although it's not University City proper, I think the area west of Sugar creek Road (Derita to 77) is chintzy, slapdash development which has not aged gracefully.

As much as I do like UC, and as much as I will defend it in this forum, I do plan on moving closer (if not in) to uptown in the next three years.

I agree about west of SCR. I hope there are plans to renovate that entire strip of N Tryon from 36th St to SCR, or even to Tryon. It's like saying "Howdy and welcome to the suburb ghetto."

[ellifyno]

The reason that exit ramp was initially designed that way was to prevent large trucks from coming through that back entrance and also to slow speeds using the "kink" from the 55mph on Harris to the pedestrian friendly 15mph in the complex. That entrance also saves me about five minutes in my trip to work, so I vote it stays. If it was so important to get the lane (and I still don't get why they designed the extra lane to go that far in the first place) to go all the way to the exit ramp to 49, they should curve Harris to the left on that side right after the intersection ever so slightly to allow for the extra foot or two needed to extend that lane.

The reason there are so many shopping centers that include grocery stores is to the serve the 150,000+ residents living and working in the University Area. When you think about it, 10 shopping centers make it one per 15,000 people. Kannapa-cord has 110,000+ residents; they have 12 major chain grocery stores that I can think of, probably more; making it less than 10,000 per store. I, for one, appreciate not having long lines at the register either way. With the University area growing so quickly with temporary residents (apt dwellers) there will soon be need for more groceries. They just finished a new complex on McCullough Dr. and another on Berkeley Place Dr where they have extended that road and are building both office space and more apartments. The vacancy rate stay relatively unaffected by new complexes about a year after they open. That is why they keep building new ones. The university is forecast to increase in attendance from 20000 to 30000 in the next decade. Developers know most of that influx won't be living on campus either. You also have the job market increase from the Research Institute and Univ Research Park expansions. You're right, UC needs more of an infrastructure, and it is too spread apart and too dependent on the major highways. But quality of life isn't all that bad. You have anything you could possible want to do within a ten minute drive in almost all directions and in some cases a walk away. Golf, theatres, an art gallery, high to low end shopping, golf, fitness centers, coffee houses, YMCA, ample housing and apartment market, and as stated before, ample grocery options.

I wish there were roads, but at the same time, I'm glad our traffic isn't like South Park's.

I never expected that a post I made two months ago would be quoted now, but since it was, I guess I'll respond. I had actually typed up a response the other day, but it turned out to be over 3,000 words, so I decided maybe it was just a little too long. Anyway, I'm a junior at UNC Charlotte -- which I have no problem calling it -- and still live near the University. I think there are plenty of benefits to the University area, and I don't think it's really a bad place to live. The only area I'd rather be is one of the North Meck towns, and that's just not going to happen right now. However, I do recognize the cons to this area too. I know that the roads around here could use a lot of improvement, and that more connectivity is needed. I know that there's a lot of sprawl, particularly the retail in the area. I know that while it might not be the most violent place in the city, I make sure to stay alert at all times. That in particular has escalated over the past few years, as a woman was raped in the apartment complex we were in, and several people were held up at gunpoint. The incident in which the police officer was shot the other week occurred in the neighborhood right behind our old apartment complex.

The point I was making about the apartments and grocery stores is that it seems like it's all that's being built. In the short time that I've been in Charlotte, the number of grocery stores in this area has close to doubled, even though the population hasn't. That was what I was getting at. I'm well aware of the fact that a lot of people live and work here. I used to have to drive on Harris between Mallard Creek and 49 on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day. Having driven on that stretch so much, I stand by my statement regarding the ramp to the shopping center. I still think it's unnecessary, especially compared to lengthening the lane on Harris. The sign for the Highway 49 exit off Harris was destroyed in an accident within weeks of the opening of that lane. Extending the lane past Tryon has somewhat eased congestion on Harris at Tryon and has made it easier to get into the Grand Promenade shopping center. It's probably not necessary past 49 -- and not practical since they'd have to widen the bridge over 49 -- but I still believe it should have been extended to be an exit-only lane for Highway 49 (although shifting the lanes slightly to the left to make it fit was probably not a bad idea). Then again, I also think that the interchange with 85 should have been designed with the cloverleaf portions being on-ramps rather than off-ramps, as that would slow traffic getting onto Harris, allow cars to change lanes easier, and allow traffic to get onto 85 without having to turn left. But that's another issue. At any rate, the ramp to the Commons at Chancellor Park simply says "shopping center entrance," without giving a clue as to which shopping center it goes to. There's no other signage off of Harris for the shopping center. Considering the ramp starts right in front of the second phase of the Grand Promenade, it'd be easy for an out-of-towner -- or even someone from another part of Charlotte -- to assume they could get to the Grand Promenade from there. They can't. Instead, they're taken to the back end of another shopping center. While the ramp might slow you down to "pedestrian-friendly" speeds, it's easy to speed back up and it's easy to run the stop sign at the end of it. And it certainly doesn't take you to a pedestrian-friendly area. That shopping center isn't very pedestrian-friendly to begin with, but when you reach the end of that ramp, you're confronted with trucks and dumpsters and no signs indicating where to go. I'll admit it's the fastest route to get from eastbound Harris to the shopping center, but I don't think that should've been the priority when widening Harris.

All that being said, I do like the area. I also hope that it will improve. I know that there's the possibility it will. But it'll take a lot of effort, and quite a bit of coordination. If light rail doesn't reach this area for another dozen years, too much development will have occurred along the Tryon corridor to really save it. Right now, going on Tryon between Uptown and the University isn't much fun. The road is bumpy, there are a lot of median openings and driveways, there's the weave, and there's just a bunch of abandoned buildings. The buildings that aren't abandoned seem haphazard. With the streetscape improvements that accompany light rail, I know Tryon will be a better road. And with the development that tends to follow light rail, I know it will be a better area. But right now, much of it is a wasteland. North of the weave, there are several new developments -- one directly across from the Tryon entrance to the Commons at Chancellor Park, just north of the weave, two at Mallard Creek Church and Tryon, and one at Pavilion and Tryon. There's another development north of that one, but by that point, you're right at the Cabarrus County line. While nothing's been announced in a long time about the projects at Mallard Creek Church and Tryon, they've started clearing for the project at Pavilion and Tryon, which has announced CVS as a tenant. (I assume they'll be moving from Back Creek Centre, at Pavilion and University City Boulevard, which will leave Movie Gallery as the largest tenant there since Winn-Dixie closed last year.) The developer of that project has said that it'll be a mixed-use project and that he wants to make it compatible with the light rail, even if the light rail doesn't go that far. Whether that happens is anyone's guess. The other projects, however, have made no mention of incorporating the possibility of light rail. Even if the North Tryon corridor gets redeveloped before light rail gets here, it appears as if it's going to continue to be somewhat haphazard.

If more is done to make sure that proposed developments incorporate light rail, then progress will already be made on turning this area around. Or maybe not even turning it around, but stopping it before it gets to be too far from being saved. I think the planning for the second phase of the Grand Promenade was a lot better than the first, and I think it's a decent example of what others should try for. There's the roundabout within the project, parking underneath some of the shops, a new light installed on Tryon (at times, it's a bit annoying that there's a light there, but it's better than it was when there was simply a median opening), and it redeveloped an old incinerator site. It's also helped towards connecting McCullough east of Tryon. If the Homewood Suites weren't in the way, McCullough would form a loop around the southern part of the Harris and Tryon intersection. I also think that fixing the weave will help. Right now, it can be a pain to get from Highway 49 to 85, and a bit more of a pain to get from 85 to 49. If the city can get its plan accomplished, with two at-grade intersections, the work can be done a lot quicker and City Boulevard will actually go somewhere. If they make sure the improvements allow for the light rail to run in the median -- so that they don't have to mess with that stretch of road again, whenever it comes time to start laying down the tracks -- that'll definitely be a plus. I think one of the most important things, however, is closer to campus. I know it's been discussed before, in this thread and others, but UNCC is deserted on the weekends. It also seems to often lack a real college feel. I think a lot of that is not because of its isolation from the center city, but because of its isolation from anything. It's surrounded by four-lane roads, except for the portion that borders John Kirk. I think that stretch of road is key. It's eventually supposed to be incorporated into the University's loop road and street system, and I think that's really important. It's going to be kept as a low-speed, two-lane road, and it already has several student apartments off of it. Plus the Greek Village is being built off of it. Directly across from the Greek Village, the area between 49, Mallard Creek Church, and John Kirk roughly forms a triangle. If something catering to the students were created there, I think it'd be a huge boost for not just the University, but the University area as well.

I saw in the UTimes -- and I know Luke did too -- that the land over there was supposed to be turned into something called 49er Village. This was reported a year ago, and nothing has happened yet. I haven't been able to find anything about it anywhere else. The only thing I've found shows that a portion of that land is owned by Forty Niner Development, LLC, who received permission in 2003 to build 300+ apartments and townhouses, encompassing both sides of Mallard Creek Church. While I think that would be an improvement over how that area looks now (it's mostly dying trees and dead buildings), I don't think it's the best option. Personally, I'm glad it hasn't been built, though I'm unsure why construction never started since it was approved three years ago. I think that more apartments and townhouses across the street from the school would detract from the University's push for more on-campus housing. Also, many of the apartments immediately around the University are relatively low in cost -- which helps lead to another issue in my mind, with a decent number of non-students residing in what I consider to be student housing. In order to compete, the rates would have to be low, which might end up decreasing the quality of the units. If they were more expensive, they might not be as competitive, or might be taken over entirely by non-students, which I don't think benefits the school. Also, most of the units were to be across Mallard Creek Church, which means that a good chunk of the residents would have to cross a four-lane road unless they drove.

I think a better solution would be to turn the land in that triangle into something that truly serves the needs of the campus. 49er Village, as described in the UTimes, was rumored to be similar to a mixed-use village, with apartments or condos on top of retail and offices. I think that if there were a sports bar/restaurant, similar to Picasso's, directly across the street from campus, it'd do fairly well. And considering that the nearest bookstore -- aside from the campus bookstore, which carries only a limited selection, and Gray's, which carries only textbooks -- is Borders at Northlake or Books-A-Million at Concord Mills, the area could use a bookstore, particularly a local one. A local bookstore would make the area feel more like a college area, and it's also the most likely candidate. The University bookstore is owned by Barnes & Noble, so I doubt they'd build right across the street, and Borders has its Northlake location. That, and I don't think a bookstore the size of a standard Barnes & Noble or Borders is necessarily needed there. A coffee shop would also probably do well. I think if Gray's relocated over there, it'd still do really well, and many students who cross University City Boulevard to get to Gray's would no longer have to. A CD/record store, with competitive prices, would probably do fairly well too, as would a store with a decent selection of UNC Charlotte merchandise and apparel. If a restaurant or two were included, and either gave a student discount or allowed the use of students' declining balance or 49er Card accounts, I think they'd succeed as well. Add some traffic-calming measures to John Kirk, along with sidewalks (right now the sidewalks on John Kirk are practically nonexistent), a connection to University Terrace/University Terrace North, and entrances off of both John Kirk and Mallard Creek Church (and possibly a signalized intersection off of Mallard Creek Church), and I think the area would be in much better shape. I honestly don't see anything wrong with making that area geared toward students, and I think it's the best bet as far as creating an inviting environment for the students. I hope something like that is what's in the plans for 49er Village, and that it's still in the works. The biggest problem is that a very good chunk of the undeveloped land over there is owned by the NCDOT, and I'm not sure they're looking to sell it. Also, I don't think anything can be built on the part closest to the intersection with Mallard Creek Church and University City Boulevard since they're planning on building an interchange there. Eventually. It's supposed to become part of the Eastern Circumferential and eventually go all the way to Independence, meeting up with Sardis Road North at Independence. Anyway, I have no idea if anything's still in the works for that land, but I'd love to see it.

[AuLukey]

There's no other signage off of Harris for the shopping center. Considering the ramp starts right in front of the second phase of the Grand Promenade, it'd be easy for an out-of-towner -- or even someone from another part of Charlotte -- to assume they could get to the Grand Promenade from there. They can't. Instead, they're taken to the back end of another shopping center. While the ramp might slow you down to "pedestrian-friendly" speeds, it's easy to speed back up and it's easy to run the stop sign at the end of it.

I agree, there should be a sign telling you what is in that shopping center. Or, they should link the two shopping centers together to share the GP entrance, which would mutually benefit each complex as people would drive through one or the other to get to 49 or 29.

I think a better solution would be to turn the land in that triangle into something that truly serves the needs of the campus. 49er Village, as described in the UTimes, was rumored to be similar to a mixed-use village, with apartments or condos on top of retail and offices. I think that if there were a sports bar/restaurant, similar to Picasso's, directly across the street from campus, it'd do fairly well. And considering that the nearest bookstore -- aside from the campus bookstore, which carries only a limited selection, and Gray's, which carries only textbooks -- is Borders at Northlake or Books-A-Million at Concord Mills, the area could use a bookstore, particularly a local one. A local bookstore would make the area feel more like a college area, and it's also the most likely candidate. The University bookstore is owned by Barnes & Noble, so I doubt they'd build right across the street, and Borders has its Northlake location. That, and I don't think a bookstore the size of a standard Barnes & Noble or Borders is necessarily needed there. A coffee shop would also probably do well. I think if Gray's relocated over there, it'd still do really well, and many students who cross University City Boulevard to get to Gray's would no longer have to. A CD/record store, with competitive prices, would probably do fairly well too, as would a store with a decent selection of UNC Charlotte merchandise and apparel. If a restaurant or two were included, and either gave a student discount or allowed the use of students' declining balance or 49er Card accounts, I think they'd succeed as well. Add some traffic-calming measures to John Kirk, along with sidewalks (right now the sidewalks on John Kirk are practically nonexistent), a connection to University Terrace/University Terrace North, and entrances off of both John Kirk and Mallard Creek Church (and possibly a signalized intersection off of Mallard Creek Church), and I think the area would be in much better shape. I honestly don't see anything wrong with making that area geared toward students, and I think it's the best bet as far as creating an inviting environment for the students. I hope something like that is what's in the plans for 49er Village, and that it's still in the works. The biggest problem is that a very good chunk of the undeveloped land over there is owned by the NCDOT, and I'm not sure they're looking to sell it. Also, I don't think anything can be built on the part closest to the intersection with Mallard Creek Church and University City Boulevard since they're planning on building an interchange there. Eventually. It's supposed to become part of the Eastern Circumferential and eventually go all the way to Independence, meeting up with Sardis Road North at Independence. Anyway, I have no idea if anything's still in the works for that land, but I'd love to see it.

I really wish they would go ahead and build that 49er complex on MCC or Jon Kirk, it is needed badly. I agree, I've been saying we need another (if not more than one) bookstore in the area to increase competition and variation. If build correctly it could become Franklin St of UNC or King St in Boone. Someday.

[DigitalSky]

You have a lot of good points in there, ellifyno

And considering that the nearest bookstore -- aside from the campus bookstore, which carries only a limited selection, and Gray's, which carries only textbooks -- is Borders at Northlake or Books-A-Million at Concord Mills, the area could use a bookstore, particularly a local one. A local bookstore would make the area feel more like a college area, and it's also the most likely candidate. The University bookstore is owned by Barnes & Noble, so I doubt they'd build right across the street, and Borders has its Northlake location. That, and I don't think a bookstore the size of a standard Barnes & Noble or Borders is necessarily needed there.

I think the University Area can support a Barnes & Noble, an I still think one should come to where the former Harris Teeter will be in Town Center Plaza... here at UNCG, our bookstore is also owned by Barnes & Noble, however just down the street (about a mile away) is a Barnes & Noble bookstore.

[AuLukey]

I now hear news that the construction on the new 49 entrance will start in July. I'm curious if they are going to start making clearings for the new outer loop in the front of campus as part of the construction.

[Skyline49er]

I now hear news that the construction on the new 49 entrance will start in July. I'm curious if they are going to start making clearings for the new outer loop in the front of campus as part of the construction.

Do you know if they are going to upfit the current entrance and make it more grand, or make a whole new entrance? I have been longing for a better entrance off of 49 for awhile now. Also, i have never heard of the outer loop, what is that going to be?

[AuLukey]

Do you know if they are going to upfit the current entrance and make it more grand, or make a whole new entrance? I have been longing for a better entrance off of 49 for awhile now. Also, i have never heard of the outer loop, what is that going to be?

They are building the entrance to be "grand" with columns and a NEW SIGN!! and relocating it further down 49 closer to Harris. The link I posted before now goes to the design for upgrading the baseball field because UNCC facility website is the most disorganized website I've probably ever seen. I have the design on my computer for the entrance. Anybody know a place I can share a pdf from?

[Skyline49er]

They are building the entrance to be "grand" with columns and a NEW SIGN!! and relocating it further down 49 closer to Harris. The link I posted before now goes to the design for upgrading the baseball field because UNCC facility website is the most disorganized website I've probably ever seen. I have the design on my computer for the entrance. Anybody know a place I can share a pdf from?

Thanks for the information, I never liked the current main entrance on 49, it was just to simple and plain. I am happy for a new sign too.

[AuLukey]

Here are the designs for the new entrance. I had to learn a little bit about Adobe Acrobat before I could figure out how to save these seperate from the pdf.

I think these look a hell of a lot better than the one ancient sign we have out front now. Plus, with the entrance reworked, it will be a lot safer. Hope they don't engrave that name though. Would be a lot more expensive if they end up changing the school's name.

[DigitalSky]

Ooh looks very nice!

[monsoon]

Honestly, I predict the next generation or two will say these pillars like crap as the current generation is complaining about a sign that was more than acceptable 20 years ago. They are trendy and don't make any sense.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Thanks for the renderings. Further down 49? How much further?

[AuLukey]

Honestly, I predict the next generation or two will say these pillars like crap as the current generation is complaining about a sign that was more than acceptable 20 years ago. They are trendy and don't make any sense.

honestly, I doubt that will happen. Most colleges have entrances like these and they don't get complaints. I think that, for a school on its scale back in the 70's, that may have been a suitable sized sign. However, the school's growth has far exceeded expectations and, thus, the new sign should reflect the school. Unless Charlotte becomes Ohio or Arizona State's size, I doubt very seriously that Charlotte will need anything grander for quiet awhile. These should be pretty large according to that article.

Thanks for the renderings. Further down 49? How much further?

I know the entrance will cut through the two front fields of campus, so I would imagine it would be midway between Suther Road and Mark Twain Rd possibly making an intersection with one of those small apartment complex entrances. I'm not sure if they would tear up the tennis courts, so that partially rules out them building it right at the bottom of the "dip" High Rise Road makes. I'm sure it will be fairly obvious in July though.

[ellifyno]

Thanks for the renderings. Further down 49? How much further?

Everything I've read says it'll be moved about 700 feet south on Highway 49. According to the master plan page showing the future loop road, it'll be roughly where High Rise Road and Broadrick Boulevard intersect, right by the "lake" there. The image on that page shows it as a four-way intersection. However, the article on NinerOnline.com (as posted in the UNCC Construction thread) suggests that it will be a traffic circle, which seems likely considering that they've already added two of these to campus recently. This shows roughly where the new entrance will be and where it will meet the existing roads.

According to an article on charlotte.com, the columns could incorporate artwork to portray the various academic disciplines at the University. Apparently it still hasn't decided whether this will be done or not. It's supposed to cost $3.8 million without the artwork; there's no mention of how much it would cost to include it.

Something else mentioned in the charlotte.com article, and that I'd seen before, was that a gated entrance was considered but was rejected because it'd feel uninviting. Personally, I'm glad they stayed away from a gated entrance there. The campus already feels isolated enough as it is. Hopefully this new entrance will be a step towards making the campus feel more like part of the community. I think a gated entrance would have had the exact opposite effect. I think that it'd be beneficial to somewhat redesign Highway 49 to make it a bit friendlier. Right now, the speed limit in front of campus is 45, and 50 just south of there. It's easy, and common, to go 55-65 through there though. If just the stretch from Mallard Creek Church to Harris -- the part I consider most relevant to the school -- were redesigned to keep cars going at 35-45 miles an hour, I think it'd be a huge help, and that it'd make the campus look even more inviting. Slowing traffic down over that 1.5-mile stretch of 49 would cost commuters an extra 30 seconds to a minute and a half, depending upon how they drive now and what they get slowed down to. I don't think that's unreasonable, especially with students' lives literally at stake. Right now, you could post signs with a speed limit of 25, and people would still fly. To get cars to slow down through there, you probably have to force them to. That being said, with it being a major thoroughfare, I'm not sure how much is likely to be done to slow the flow of traffic.

One interesting aspect of this new entrance, that I hadn't really considered before reading the article, is the effect it could have on visitors. The current entrance gives you literally only a few feet to decide which way you want to go. If you choose to go right, and you needed to go left, you're on your own to figure out how to get back there. Mary Alexander Road, the road to your right as you come in the main entrance, is one way until the traffic circle at Van Landingham Road, over by Fretwell. At that point, your options are to wind your way through campus, or exit onto John Kirk, then turn onto Highway 49, and come back in to try again. It's not incredibly self-explanatory, and students often get frustrated when stuck behind someone trying to figure out which way to go. The new entrance is supposed to go about 500 yards before you have to figure out which direction to go. And before you even get to the traffic circle, there's going to be a pull-out with a campus map, to help visitors find their way around easier. Also, Mary Alexander will be converted into a two-way street, making it easier for people who did get lost to get back to where they're going (and also making circulation around the campus easier in general).

Personally, I don't see much of a downside, other than dealing with the construction. But considering the amount of construction that's been going on at the University over the past few years, I'm more than used to it now. And I'm glad to see that old sign will be replaced. I can't imagine a time where it was ever more than adequate, at least aesthetically. It's still functionally adequate; however, it's just not attractive at all. While I think the new buildings on campus look nice, I can appreciate some of the older buildings -- I love that you can walk between Denny, Macy, Winningham, Barnard, and Garinger without ever going outside, and I still think Colvard is in awesome building (I really like this picture). That old sign, however, has annoyed me since I arrived on campus, before I even realized it was a common complaint. I think that as the campus is changing -- with the addition of several new buildings, the increase in the student population, and the move to make the campus a more prominent part of the area (I guarantee a lot of people on Tryon had no idea how close they were to the school before) -- a new sign is a logical addition. I don't care if it's engraved with 'UNC Charlotte,' as I firmly believe that will be the name of this school for at least several more years (I'd be fine with a name change, but I don't believe it'll be happening anytime too soon). However, I just don't want one that looks like the sign they put up recently at the intersection of University Road and Cameron Boulevard, over by the SAC and the West Deck. I think the sign itself is alright, but it's nearly impossible to see that there's anything on it until you're right at the intersection. If you're going to put up a new sign, it should at least be readable.

[AuLukey]

Something else mentioned in the charlotte.com article, and that I'd seen before, was that a gated entrance was considered but was rejected because it'd feel uninviting. Personally, I'm glad they stayed away from a gated entrance there. The campus already feels isolated enough as it is. Hopefully this new entrance will be a step towards making the campus feel more like part of the community. I think a gated entrance would have had the exact opposite effect. I think that it'd be beneficial to somewhat redesign Highway 49 to make it a bit friendlier. Right now, the speed limit in front of campus is 45, and 50 just south of there. It's easy, and common, to go 55-65 through there though. If just the stretch from Mallard Creek Church to Harris -- the part I consider most relevant to the school -- were redesigned to keep cars going at 35-45 miles an hour, I think it'd be a huge help, and that it'd make the campus look even more inviting. Slowing traffic down over that 1.5-mile stretch of 49 would cost commuters an extra 30 seconds to a minute and a half, depending upon how they drive now and what they get slowed down to. I don't think that's unreasonable, especially with students' lives literally at stake. Right now, you could post signs with a speed limit of 25, and people would still fly. To get cars to slow down through there, you probably have to force them to. That being said, with it being a major thoroughfare, I'm not sure how much is likely to be done to slow the flow of traffic.

They are planning to do the slow down on 29 when the whole "street side retail" is brought to that area. I'll believe that when I see it.

I don't care if it's engraved with 'UNC Charlotte,' as I firmly believe that will be the name of this school for at least several more years (I'd be fine with a name change, but I don't believe it'll be happening anytime too soon). However, I just don't want one that looks like the sign they put up recently at the intersection of University Road and Cameron Boulevard, over by the SAC and the West Deck. I think the sign itself is alright, but it's nearly impossible to see that there's anything on it until you're right at the intersection. If you're going to put up a new sign, it should at least be readable.

I don't recall that sign, I'll have to check it out while I'm on campus today. I agree though, I'm not sure what measures they'll take to make sure the sign is readable at all times of day. Engravings on stone aren't very noticeable from a distance, especially just at a glance while driving by.

[AuLukey]

Oh boy, even more apartments and retail coming to UC. Just what we need.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12684164/

[tiblerbrit]

thats a nice wooded area too....

[e2ksj3]

^^ Geez, what's up with all these new apartments in the area? They seem to breed like cock roaches.

I was driving down Mallard Creek Church Road near I-85 and noticed a lot of balloons and signs at some of the apartment entrances. So I'm guessing these places are having a hard time filling them, so why they would approve more for the area is beyond me.... UC is going to look like East Charlotte in a few years.

[AuLukey]

^^ Geez, what's up with all these new apartments in the area? They seem to breed like cock roaches.

I was driving down Mallard Creek Church Road near I-85 and noticed a lot of balloons and signs at some of the apartment entrances. So I'm guessing these places are having a hard time filling them, so why they would approve more for the area is beyond me.... UC is going to look like East Charlotte in a few years.

They aren't having a hard time... it's the move out season so vacancy is up in UC. The college year has just about ended so most of the graduates have already packed their bags and put their 60 notices in awhile ago The vacancy is usually much higher in the summertime with the leaving of seniors than in fall and winter with the entrance of freshmen and sophmores at Charlotte not wanting to live on campus.

Instead of sitting around waiting for summer to end, I'm sure the apt complexes would much rather see people move in that will stay for more than four years potentially.

UNCC and UC are continuing to grow in all directions, people have to live somewhere. I vote high rise condos in UC.

[monsoon]

That's very true. Try to rent a place up there in the fall and it is almost impossible to find an unrented apartment.

[Neo]

I was driving down Mallard Creek Church Road near I-85 and noticed a lot of balloons and signs at some of the apartment entrances. So I'm guessing these places are having a hard time filling them, so why they would approve more for the area is beyond me.... UC is going to look like East Charlotte in a few years.

I know someone who owns a condo behind the Harris Teeter in University and has had it on the market to sell/rent for months now. He has since moved out into a home with his fiance but he is having a very difficult time selling or renting that 2 bedroom condo. His price is average for the area yet he has only received on interested party in the months that it has been on the market.

It is a different story for the apartment complex beside of it however across from Old Concord. I lived there with my fiance for a few months (we recently purchased a home however) and they had no problem renting that 2 bedroom unit out. The lease ended on the 30th and someone was scheduled to move in on the 1st (the next day).

The area is definately in decline and I was glad to move away from the University area.

[AuLukey]

Well, it doesn't seem that the sign out front will be engraved but letters on top of stone. It's still hard to make out in this picture. This should look really nice at night too.

[AuLukey]

Sorry for the bump but here's a picture I snapped of the new Harris Teeter relocation on University City Blvd:

[monsoon]

The area is definately in decline and I was glad to move away from the University area.

I agree with you. I was over that way this weekend and decided to drive into a neighborhood where I used to own a house. I had not been there in about 5-6 years. I was shocked to see the decline of the place. Several of the houses were in such bad shape that parts of the wood trim had rotted off them. If the damage was bad enough to be seen from the street, I hate to think what was going on inside. Many of the houses were in bad need of a paint job and some of the ones that had been painted were painted garish colors. It was once a nice neighborhood so it was very sad to see it in the state of decline that it is now.

On a related note, I was in Davis Lake, a former Home A Rama neighborhood, which is off Harris, and was shocked to see it in decline as well. It wasn't as bad as my old neighborhood but it was headed in that direction. A sorry and sad situation and a sign that 20 years of bad and no planning in the University Area is leading to a new area of crime and decay for the city.