NC Music Factory / Uptown Village / Deco One

[cltbwimob]

Updated renderings here:

http://housingstudio.com/Project?id=0b4c1ab0-d488-47ff-b8ab-07e5e1da0fc9

Beige had too much color

is architecture dead? I have had bowel movements that are more inspiring than that design

[dubone]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article32991891.html

 

The O picked up the story.  

 

I can't wait to see more residents in this area.   Plus, when Graham St streetscape projects starts, it will be a much nicer walk from Uptown to NCMF.  (Even if Graham within Uptown is the lousiest BS of a street).  

Edited September 1, 2015 by dubone

[Spartan]

I think that building will be better than the vacant lot, but not by much. It completely lacks any active street frontage or anything that would make it feel safer to walk down that street.

[UrbanGossip]

is architecture dead? I have had bowel movements that are more inspiring than that design

Ouch.  I hope the pointy end came out first.

[cltbwimob]

^^^Lol...Meant to say that I have had bowel movements that look more inspiring...implying that a pile of $4!+ looks better than the design of the building.

Edited September 2, 2015 by cltbwimob

[tozmervo]

I really really want to post a specific reference to Randy Marsh on South Park (you know the episode... the one with Bono), but for the sake of board appropriateness I'm holding back

[tozmervo]

Sigh @ architecture

[ah59396]

hahahahaahahaa.  I don't even know why I get upset anymore.  I'm starting to just give up all hope that our city will ever set any sort of standard for architecture.  I was in Greenville, SC this weekend and (much like every time I'm there) I was just floored by how much more attractive and inviting their city is both as a whole and on a pedestrian (HUMAN) scale.  Buildings that provided an urban feel and actually felt like they were a "part" of the area they were in.  Urban spaces and plazas that weren't completely void of any activity.  Parks and outdoor seating for restaurants EVERYWHERE.

We are getting completely outclassed by cities that I wouldn't even consider our peer.  Charlotte just settles for cheap, boring crap.  Over and over and over again.

Edited September 14, 2015 by ah59396

[RaleighHeelsfan]

Why are they building so many buildings??? Why can't they build one large skyscraper? Sounds like an office park. Instead, we get a bunch of short rectangles. Confused

[SgtCampsalot]

We are getting completely outclassed by cities that I wouldn't even consider our peer.  Charlotte just settles for cheap, boring crap.  Over and over and over again.

If you look at the growing small towns vs. the growing cities nationwide, on average the small towns have better architecture in their new development because the people running them have no need to bow to high-end developers that are salivating at the chance to build anything, JUST, ANYTHING. Even Matthews, NC's master plan says to keep everything in the new urbanist model, "just like Jane Jacobs wrote." So they have the freedom to take their time, and sign off on new structures.

It's, apparently, the downside of being a prosperous city.

Edited September 14, 2015 by SgtCampsalot

[New Name]

Greenville, SC has a design review board

[Spartan]

To be fair, you're comparing Greenville's Main St compared to our Music Factory area. That appendage is only "uptown" by a technicality, and it will never be an urban place. Greenville doesn't get much in the way of human scale buildings outside of its downtown. I'm not excusing bland architecture here - but let's at least compare apples to smaller apples.

[Silicon Dogwoods]

Why are they building so many buildings??? Why can't they build one large skyscraper? Sounds like an office park. Instead, we get a bunch of short rectangles. Confused

Because, like Bissell in Ballantyne, they add space a drib and a drab at a time as demand indicates need.

If they built a skyscraper, much space might go unused/unleased for quite a while. You can't build a skyscraper 6 stories at a time.

salesforce.com became the anchor tenant for the Transbay Tower in San Francisco which will be the tallest building on the West Coast when completed. By signing up for so many floors, they got naming rights. But they're planning to lease only about half of it, IIRC. That tower was already underway, so salesforce and the developer had much less risk.

I love skyscrapers-well-designed skyscrapers. But they're risky without a big commitment upfront before groundbreaking. I would guess that's what's holding up Tryon Place-no major tenant.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Silicon Dogwoods

[HopHead]

It looks like they actually added some red brick in the new rendering... which is a slight improvement on what they originally proposed. Would have been much better to incorporate some exposed steel or something to that effect. On another note, the building is now 200,000 sqft as opposed to 115,000 sqft which was also part of the original scope.

Edited September 14, 2015 by HopHead

[ah59396]

To be fair, you're comparing Greenville's Main St compared to our Music Factory area. That appendage is only "uptown" by a technicality, and it will never be an urban place. Greenville doesn't get much in the way of human scale buildings outside of its downtown. I'm not excusing bland architecture here - but let's at least compare apples to smaller apples.

It definitely will never be an urban place if we allow construction like this to occur there.  But why can it not be an urban place 30 years from now?  I don't see anything standing in the way of that except our own actions.

[Silicon Dogwoods]

Greenville, SC has a design review board

'Twould be lovely in the Queen City.

[CLTProductions]

Not that it will do anything at this point, but I've been yelling at them on Twitter. @AvidAutomates

 

I encourage others to do the same. Because if nothing else it's annoying and they've annoyed us with their accepted design. 

[cltcane]

Not that it will do anything at this point, but I've been yelling at them on Twitter. @AvidAutomates

 

I encourage others to do the same. Because if nothing else it's annoying and they've annoyed us with their accepted design. 

Just re-tweeted Ely: "Yay for @AvidAutomates' growth in CLT. Boo for turning the @ncmusicfactory into an uninspired suburban office park."

[Niner National]

I tweeted to them that their designs were disgraceful.

[CLTProductions]

LOL yes. I love this

[Silicon Dogwoods]

I tweeted to them that their designs were disgraceful.

They are, indeed. Looks like anything you'd see along I-77 North to Huntersville and Cornelius.

[Miesian Corners]

Nothing says "cutting-edge technology goes on inside this building" like a red brick rectangle.  Kind of like UNC Charlotte's research campus of columns, porticoes, and cupolas.  Cutting-edge I tell you!

[11 HouseBZ]

I recently spoke  to the owner of Mattie's and apparently he's having difficulty finding a suitable location to relocate. NC Music Factory has a spot, but said it's nothing like the current lot and much smaller. He said the owner of the NCMF apparently isn't aware he's pushing out a business with the whole AvidXchange deal, going as far as inviting him to the ground breaking. I understand the money from AvidXchange is much bigger, but jeez... you'd think they'd try to make something work for both parties. 

 

Also on a positive note, I noticed dirt moving/utility relocation on the site of the apartments on Seaboard.

[15895]

Sigh @ architecture

 

great news! Glad it's in center city and not Fort Mill

[Higgs Boson]

Why does Mattie's Diner even have to go?  That lot is huge and they take up like no space.