The Arts District / Liberty Street Projects

[twincity]

hmmm...is that port-a-john on site or in front of the New Life Center?

[JerseyBoy]

The city recently completed streetscape improvements on the northern and southern ends of Trade Street between Fourth and MLK. The area is much more pedestrian friendly; however, the road needs to repaved badly.

New activity on the old District site:

[twincity]

Jason's blog reports that work has started on the Downtown Middle School. Unfortunately, the new elevation drawings do not show any retail space fronting Trade street. I guess those plans were cut out?

http://downtownwinstonsalem.blogspot.com/2...-7th-trade.html

[beyonce245]

Jason's blog reports that work has started on the Downtown Middle School. Unfortunately, the new elevations drawings do not show any retail space fronting Trade street. I guess those plans were cut out?

http://downtownwinstonsalem.blogspot.com/2...-7th-trade.html

The loss of retail space is disappointing. But this expansion will nevertheless be a great addition to downtown Winston. On a side note, I looked at the pictures Jersey posted back in May. The overhead power lines are so ugly. They're bad in parts of downtown GSO too. I wish both cities would just bury them already. They totally detract from the great streetscape improvements.

[twincity]

The property on the left of this picture is up for rezoning next month.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Those heinous power lines must go.

[JerseyBoy]

Downtown Elementary Expansion

Update 10-25-09

[twincity]

Thanks for the photo update. Im really impressed with WS/FCS's investment in the core.

[winston's finest]

This is great that the school system is interested in the downtown area. I would just love a downtown high school..probably a magnet school. It would add traffic to the area.

anyways....what the heck is going on at the end of the arts district near 8th street. There is alot of construction and dirt...but no signs

[twincity]

^Ive been asking that for the longest but no one knows.

[davieguy]

I had Sunday Brunch two Sunday's ago at Mary's Of Course. Spoke with Mary and she said they are going to open a second restaurant at the 8th and Trade site. I am sure there will be other shops as well but that is what I know for sure at this point.

[twincity]

Interesting. Is this the site?

[krazeeboi]

Good Lord @ all the power lines!

[davieguy]

That is the site which includes the dirt being moved just south of the building. I didn't get a real sense however of whether the developer was renovating the old garage building or any idea on the site plan. I just know that Mary decided to do the new restaurant in part because she was guaranteed some parking at the site. Anyway, I hope she does well with the new restaurant concept which if I remember right was more of a lunch focus.

[JerseyBoy]

She'll have plenty of parking if I'm right in my observations. I drove by the site yesterday afternoon and saw curbs recently poured that appear to be in a shape of a parking lot. Basically, all the vacant land in that area will become a giant parking lot. The land that will be paved over is owned by Liberty Street Partners LLC, while Chad Davis' legal entity, District Holdings, owns the buildings pictured in Twincity's latest post. I don't have any information as to whether these two groups are related/same, but I would tend to believe they are given what was recently constructed on the banks of Salem Creek on S. Main. The buildings on Eighth Street are currently being renovated (presumably by East Coast Capital). Mary's of Course is located in the same building that ECC once was, so they probably have a relationship with each other and this is a result of that.

IMO, this sucks. Not because it has Chad's name attached to it, but the urban fabric will be ruined by this asphalt paradise and suburban-like site plan.

What do you think? Win or loss for the Arts District?

[twincity]

Well, its far enough from the core of downtown that I can ignore it. As long as its a temporary parking fix instead of a permanent lot, I'm not TOO bothered by it. But still, I thought DWSP's downtown master plan put an end to adding new surface lots.

[beyonce245]

How many spaces are we talking about?

[twincity]

^^^Today's journal reports whats to come for this site. Mary's Too (as reported earlier), a bunch of parking, and a possible new use for the small building near the MLK and Liberty intersection. A youtube video says that building could possibly become condos. The journal found building permits for a deck on the rear.

11-25 update

The article also mentions the Downtown Elementary expansion adding a greenhouse, and retail to the corner of Trade & 7th selling WS/FCS student artwork.

11-25 update:

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/nov/30/300120/busier-blocks-new-school-restaurant-are-likely-to-/news/

[JerseyBoy]

Great pictures, man! And, thanks for the link!

[twincity]

Thanks.

[twincity]

More exciting news for the Arts District. Coe Plaza has officially been sold to US Development of Columbia, SC! The firm is ready to start renovating the 50,000 sf building into a mix of uses. The $9 million project consists of 60 1-bedroom and studio apartments on the top 3 floors, and retail and restaurant space planned for the ground floor. A completion date is set for late 2011 so Im assuming work should be starting pretty soon? If this project is successful, US development is interested in other downtown investment opportunities...(Pepper Building).

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/jun/11/110055/downtown-property-sold/

[winston's finest]

So glad to see this project moving forward. Some renewed energy in the area will help greatly. Although the financial crisis has threatened development greatly there are many opportunities for developers and business oweners to get available government funding. This should be successful because downtown living, especiallly renting is very HOTT and the places currently available are filling or filled up. This is extra perferct because this place is right in the midst of the arts district and renters can easily get to work, restaurants, shops and night spots in shorter walks than people renting several blocks away at the factories.

Much Good Luck and well wishes to the developer that I really hope gets that damn Pepper Building moving.

I am however interested in why the Downtown Partnership didn't just pick another developer from the Pepper Building competition to work on the building right now instead of doing another building first. I know there had to of been some other really interesting proposals. Weird

[twincity]

Read the official Ziggy's press release.

The new downtown Ziggy's will be the northern anchor of the Arts District.

-14,000 sf music hall with a cap. of 1000.

-tavern style bar

-decks

-2 outdoor courtyards

http://www.yesweekly.com/article-10176-ziggys-press-release.html

[twincity]

Aug 3. update

Downtown Middle School expansion

[sean]

really happy to hear ziggy's is coming back, i saw lots of fantastic artists there over the years.