Surface Lots.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I always hear about people complaining about surface lots in Charlotte and how they disrupt the urban fabric. While this is true, there are plenty of cities where the surface lots are not ever mentioned (on this and other forums).

NOTE: I know that Charlotte may have a proportionally higher number of surface lots, but these other cities still have a whole bunch of them.

Comparisons.

Minneapolis MN

Detroit MI

Jacksonville FL

There are probably a great deal of other cities that have many surface lots but Im too lazy to find them.

[MZT]

Probably better to have surface lots ringing a rensidential/commercial core, than lots of decks in the core that don't have any street level activity...

Among the many reasons suburbanites won't visit the central city is they don't like decks. Heck, I don't particularly like them either.

In a rainy climate like Seattle I might say otherwise, though.

[f0xym0p]

I would be less opposed to surface lots if they were actually attached to businesses. Many of the ones we have downtown are ugly, gravel lots that aren't attached to anything.

[Viper]

Looks like you just clipped the outer edges of Detroit and Jacksonvilles DT's in the images.

Centralize the images for better referrencing.

Nevermind, you can't do it without cutting up the images and splicing them yourself.

[A2]

I would be less opposed to surface lots if they were actually attached to businesses. Many of the ones we have downtown are ugly, gravel lots that aren't attached to anything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am right there with you fm. I think they are hideous myself. I know other cities have them, but I think the moat of lots around CLT is a bit much. First ward is especially bad. Third wards are nasty too, but we are going to lose a lot of them and fast because of the park. On a bright note surface lots are easy to develop.

A2

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Im not saying they are good thing, Im just pointing out they are never talked about in other city discussions and are oft used a bash for Charlotte...

[Seabreeze]

I looked at detroit and jacksonville and they are centered on heavy areas of surface lots... when I slid them, I still saw lots of surface lots.... I think they are healthy, they allow room for us to grow at a steady pace... atleast when a skyscraper is annoucned we dont have to wait for them to be cleared forever like the occ..

[A2]

Im not saying they are good thing, Im just pointing out they are never talked about in other city discussions and are oft used a bash for Charlotte...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

this is true MS. I see a lot of bashing going on too regarding our SL's. But in reality, our picture is only getting brighter, and the lots are disappearing so fast, I don't think we will remember the moat of lots once they are gone. Hell, we might even miss em'. I know that my lot is expensive and it is only going to get worse as we add more people to uptown and at the same time lose the lots we currently have. We honestly need more 7-12 story decks. Allthough I hate them, there is a national trend of putting retail at the bottom of them to soften the street level appearance. One great example is 7th street station. It is a example of a great deck. If there is such a thing.

A2

[krazeeboi]

Perhaps we hear more about surface lots in Charlotte because we see more of Charlotte on this forum than other cities. Y'all know Charlotteans are quick to post a skyline picture with all of the bright, shiny 'scrapers...

[krazeeboi]

And let me add Tampa to the list:

[MZT]

I moved to Charlotte in 2002. At that time, the ImaginOn and the new Arena had not begun construction. The combination of surface parking and empty Levine properties in that area, really did strike me as strange! Dust clouds would blow all over the place.

[9yrs]

I think the biggest thing about surface lots is that they are typically not the highest and best use of the land.

[monsoon]

[krazeeboi]

What year is that pic from? Looks like it's from the 70s.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

thats a freaky picture, Downtown was a waste land back then.

[Miesian Corners]

Looks like 1984. If memory serves me right, Charlotte Plaza was completed in the year I graduated high school. Just think, somewhere in that photograph there are people listening to Culture Club and A Flock of Seagulls on WBCY.

[ilektronik]

now that contruction has begun on the Third Ward Park we are losing a couple more surface lots. While I do loathe surface lots, I never hear mention of new parking garages being built in their stead. So where is everyone going to park??

[atlrvr]

In the suburbs of course, and they are going to take mass transit in.

The tower at 300 S. Tryon that has never been built (next to Latta Arcade) was supposed to include 2,200 decked parking spaces.....this is about 1,200 more than was needed to serve the building. I have no idea if they will include that many in the reworked plan for the site.

[ilektronik]

In the suburbs of course, and they are going to take mass transit in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well this would be IDEAL. park my car at Northlake Mall, hop on the commuter rail, have time to drink a cup of coffee just as I'm arriving uptown. bada-bing bada-boom.

unfortunately I don't think this is going to happen before '08

[reverbandwhiskey]

"Among the many reasons suburbanites won't visit the central city is they don't like decks. Heck, I don't particularly like them either."

I have never seen this in print before. Do you have any sources for this?

[MZT]

"Among the many reasons suburbanites won't visit the central city is they don't like decks. Heck, I don't particularly like them either."

I have never seen this in print before.

[ilektronik]

"Among the many reasons suburbanites won't visit the central city is they don't like decks. Heck, I don't particularly like them either."

I have never seen this in print before.  Do you have any sources for this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can't be serious, can you?? By your logic then no suburbanites would ever shop at malls. Oh wait....mall are IN the suburbs! Last time I went to SouthPark Mall I parked in the deck.

[orulz]

during the hottest months of the summer, parking decks are a lifesaver! Unless you're unlucky enough to be on the roof, it's not a billion degrees.

No, it's not parking decks that most people hate, it's the concept of centralized parking where you leave your car in the deck and walk to your final destination. I suppose that for some people, if the deck isn't attached to the destination, some people will consider it too far and too inconvenient.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

And during cold weather, parking decks are super. As they are, when it is snowing, icy, stormy, or just plain rainy.

[atlrvr]

What Charlotte parking decks need is sensor that detect where the open spaces are.....the number of spaces open on each level is then displayed when you enter the deck and a green light over the open space is visible as you drive down the rows.....this is very popular in Europe though I've seen it in several cities here as well.