Pearl District - Atrium/Wake Forest School of Medicine

[Desert Power]

Now that it is official with real renderings and a video, I thought it warrants its own thread. This looks beautiful and will be imposing from 277 (and the future park/river to replace it).

 

[Desert Power]

More detail from Axios here, including this tidbit:

The medical school campus will be “a collaborative home” for Wake Forest’s MBA program, which has been in Uptown Charlotte for years, Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch said. Wake will locate its new school of professional studies on the med school campus, too.

 

[Miesian Corners]

Who designed this beauty?

[cltbwimob]

And home to a future WF Law School campus 

**I have no clue whether WFU plans to add a law school in Charlotte, but it wouldn’t surprise me**

edit: ref to Desert Powers post above

Edited March 24, 2021 by cltbwimob

[Miesian Corners]

Answered my own question. Baltimore's Ayers Saint Gross designed the project. Let's hope it doesn't get VE'd to death.

[Blue_Devil]

18 minutes ago, cltbwimob said:

And home to a future WF Law School campus 

**I have no clue whether WFU plans to add a law school in Charlotte, but it wouldn’t surprise me**

edit: ref to Desert Powers post above

There actual have been rumors of Wake opening a law school here. This seems to give credence to that since they said future Professional school.  

[Desert Power]

30 minutes ago, cltbwimob said:

And home to a future WF Law School campus 

**I have no clue whether WFU plans to add a law school in Charlotte, but it wouldn’t surprise me**

edit: ref to Desert Powers post above

Makes a ton of sense to concentrate all of these on one campus. The location for bankers in the MBA program is a bit worse though. 

Would be great if Brooklyn ever gets built to further extend the Stonewall residential corridor.   

I wonder if it makes sense for Wake to sponsor a circulator along Stonewall. Probably a pipedream, but it would be great to be able to take the light rail and an easy bus right to a hospital/campus.

[Blue_Devil]

55 minutes ago, Miesian Corners said:

Answered my own question. Baltimore's Ayers Saint Gross designed the project. Let's hope it doesn't get VE'd to death.

Schools like their buildings to really stand out. Atrium/Wake will be working against Duke and UNC. They want their facility to look impressive, not a VE'ed bland box. Doesn't mean it won't happen, but I have faith a school as high caliber as Wake, who wants to compete against the big boys here, will make an impressive statement. 

[kermit]

^ It is a serious wasted opportunity that this huge new institution (which will be a foundation for Charlotte’s growth for the next 100+ years) campus is going to be about 3/4 of a mile from two different rail transit stops. Its a doable walk, but certainly not convenient.

Edited March 25, 2021 by kermit

[JacksonH]

9 minutes ago, kermit said:

^ It is a serious wasted opportunity that this campus is going to be about 3/4 of a mile from two different rail transit stops. Its a doable walk, but certainly not convenient.

The #20 bus route goes right by this property and up McDowell to the corner of McDowell  and 4th, which is one block from the McDowell Gold Line stop.  Stay on the #20 bus for a couple more stops and it ends at the CTC, so an easy connection to the Blue Line.

[Robbie Charlotte]

Impressive.  Also, interesting to contemplate what this innovation district may mean for urban infill growth?  Will we see fairly rapid infill growth in parking lots along Stonewall and should this project accelerate the timeline for redeveloping Brooklyn, or is "277" too great a barrier? 

[KJHburg]

here is the official press release from Atrium and WFU

Wake Forest School of Medicine to Be Built in Midtown Charlotte (atriumhealth.org)

[Bikeguy]

3 hours ago, kermit said:

^ It is a serious wasted opportunity that this campus is going to be about 3/4 of a mile from two different rail transit stops. Its a doable walk, but certainly not convenient.

Don't forget the newly built & nearby connector to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway and a direct connection to CMC Main.  Docs On Bikes !!!!!

[DMann]

How about the parking lot cornering S Stonewall and E McDoweii..Signage rights on both sides of I277

[Desert Power]

4 hours ago, JacksonH said:

The #20 bus route goes right by this property and up McDowell to the corner of McDowell  and 4th, which is one block from the McDowell Gold Line stop.  Stay on the #20 bus for a couple more stops and it ends at the CTC, so an easy connection to the Blue Line.

So....scooters it is.

28 minutes ago, DMann said:

How about the parking lot cornering S Stonewall and E McDoweii..Signage rights on both sides of I277

That is supposed to be part of the Brooklyn development.

[Desert Power]

1 hour ago, Bikeguy said:

Don't forget the newly built & nearby connector to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway and a direct connection to CMC Main.  Docs On Bikes !!!!!

May as well add another bike/ped crossing on Kennilworth to slow that traffic down

[Richhamleigh, DC]

17 hours ago, Miesian Corners said:

Who designed this beauty?

Please, God, please.  I promise I won't swear or drink tequila for 5 years.  Don't let them ruin this design.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Phillydog

[Vitamin_N]

25 minutes ago, Phillydog said:

Please, God, please.  I promise I won't swear or drink tequila for 5 years.  Don't let them ruin this design.

From the Charlotte Axiosgenda... does this mean that design is a placeholder?

Quote

 

Currently, Atrium and Wake are in the process of interviewing architects. It remains to be seen how the campus will be laid out, or how many buildings will comprise it.

“It’ll be a really important part of the skyline. It’ll be something that will catch people’s eyes,” Woods said.

 

 

[SentioVenia]

Interesting:  the Atrium press release says it's a 20-acre parcel, the Axios article says it's nearly 30, but the two combined parcels in question only total 5.95 acres: https://polaris3g.mecklenburgcountync.gov/#mat=197128&pid=12520155&gisid=12520155. 

Wonder what's the deal.

[KJHburg]

18 minutes ago, SentioVenia said:

Interesting:  the Atrium press release says it's a 20-acre parcel, the Axios article says it's nearly 30, but the two combined parcels in question only total 5.95 acres: https://polaris3g.mecklenburgcountync.gov/#mat=197128&pid=12520155&gisid=12520155. 

Wonder what's the deal.

I counted about 10 acres in their name or the LLC they are operating perhaps they have options on other land but most of the land across McDowell from this tract is owned by others for now. 

I stand corrected I looked again and their LLC also owns 1043 E Morehead office building, 1017 E Morehead bldg,  1051 E Morehead bldg,  those add up to about 4 acres.  So I can see about 14 acres in their control as of now but they may have options on some more.  

Edited March 25, 2021 by KJHburg

[SentioVenia]

Sure, but the med school development depicted in the renderings is only on <6 acres.  Must be some other big things afoot from Atrium.

[Blue_Devil]

34 minutes ago, SentioVenia said:

Sure, but the med school development depicted in the renderings is only on <6 acres.  Must be some other big things afoot from Atrium.

Again they mention this will be the future sight of all Wake Forest University Charlotte Professional Schools. So I imagine MBA and Law, but on top of that, tied with Atrium, you will likely have a School of Nursing, a PA school, a PT/OT school, and other medical based specialty schools. 

Wake/Atriums goal is to  compete with the full programs of UNC and Duke. They need all of the Specialty and Nursing programs to do that. 

Also to add, I assume there will be a research component to the program. It makes sense. So they will need a lot of lab space in time. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by Blue_Devil

[carolinaboy]

Sneaky move by Wake Forest to up and move to Charlotte. I guess Charlotte will now have that major prestigious university they've lacked (no disrespect intended to UNC Charlotte). If the Demon Deacons schedule a home football game or two in the Panther's stadium we'll know the "move" is legit. 

[SgtCampsalot]

On one hand I'm not excited that this huge project is in a rail-inaccessible location since Mid-Town is so congested at times... however on the other hand, with Novant gobbling up so much land in Elizabeth, I'm not super bummed that another institution will be doing so far away from the Gold Line.

And besides, everything around Midtown, 4th St, lower Dilworth are doomed due to Atrium, more Novant, and other auto-centric factors (The Metropolitan, single-family Myers Park/Dilworth expansionism, etc), anyway, so we may as well consolidate more there 

Edited March 25, 2021 by SgtCampsalot

[kermit]

Time to resurrect the Morehead Streetcar:

 

Edited March 25, 2021 by kermit