NoDa (N Davidson St Arts District) Projects

[monsoon]

Ahh yeah, I know the place that you are talking about now. I think it takes involvement from the community to make places such as this better for the people. Obviously this isn't going to happen when the residents of Noda choose to drive to other communities to shop at Harris Teeter.

[New Name]

Ahh yeah, I know the place that you are talking about now. I think it takes involvement from the community to make places such as this better for the people. Obviously this isn't going to happen when the residents of Noda choose to drive to other communities to shop at Harris Teeter.

The whole point of this was to commend the developer of Mercury in seeking out a home-grown, organic grocer for his project. Now, if the grocer who opens up in Mercury is shady, then I will suggest that I, and my family should stick to more reputable business. It should be said that corporate grocers maintain their quality of retail to regulated degrees (for reflection on their trademarked name). So in the case of, say, the Food Lion on Plaza: If the company of Food Lion were to pull out of that location for crime concerns, but it were to remain a grocery store owned by Joe Schmoe, and Joe Schmoe is not a reputable or accountable business owner and the store were to become undesirable, I would stop shopping there. But as long as Food Lion owns and runs it, I can be sure they are at least held responsible up to their own standards. Now flip this scenario into that of the former A&P.

[voyager12]

How about a co-op? The Weaver Street Market in Carrboro is a great example of a successful venture that has defined that town's ethos and doubles as a town square. Carrboro is not much bigger than NoDa Perhaps Mercury owners could have guaranteed ownership through their condos and it would also be open to the public. Total pie in the sky brainstorming of course, it does sound like if any grocer is recruited into Mercury they will fit into the neighborhood's vibe which is a good thing.

Edited April 4, 2008 by voyager12

[monsoon]

....Now flip this scenario into that of the former A&P.

Not sure of the analogy, but A&P hasn't been a viable grocer in CLT for at least 2 decades or more. However their buildings remain and have been converted to something else. The Foodlion that you mention BTW was once a Winn Dixie.

If you are saying that you will only shop in corporate chain stores then I can understand that I guess, but it misses completely the point of the urban locally owned grocery store. I guess the concept is really too much for CLT to handle.

[Vitamin_N]

Not sure of the analogy, but A&P hasn't been a viable grocer in CLT for at least 2 decades or more. However their buildings remain and have been converted to something else. The Foodlion that you mention BTW was once a Winn Dixie.

If you are saying that you will only shop in corporate chain stores then I can understand that I guess, but it misses completely the point of the urban locally owned grocery store. I guess the concept is really too much for CLT to handle.

If there were a good locally owned grocery store in Noda, I'd certainly go. So would lots of others. But there isn't one. I think some of the folks from the neighborhood watch committee have worked with Food Lion to improve their store at 34th and the Plaza though, and some improvements have happened there.

[tozmervo]

The point, if I'm not mistaken, is that a crappy store is a crappy store, no matter who owns it. Even if its locally owned, if a store sucks no one is going to shop at it. This is why I pass up Sedgefield Drugs in favor of (gasp) Walgreens.

I would also suggest that instead of locally owned (Food Lion, Teeter, Lowe's, Bojangles..) that this argument is about Independent retailers. Where does Home Economist fall in this spectrum? Is it a chain? If they opened in NoDa would they be accepted as an "urban locally owned grocery store?"

[monsoon]

I am thinking the Home Economist is a locally owned store.

[New Name]

I am thinking the Home Economist is a locally owned store.

FWI, Harris Teeter, Food Lion/Bloom are locally owned too. At what point do we draw the proverbial judgmental line?

[dubone]

I've always been very surprised that Home Economist hasn't gone into NoDa. They seem like a NoDa kind of place.

[Raintree21]

FWI, Harris Teeter, Food Lion/Bloom are locally owned too. At what point do we draw the proverbial judgmental line?

Yes, they are locally owned (Matthews and Salisbury) but they are GIANT corporations now and would no way fit into the "mom and pop" locally owned grocery store idea that they are looking for here. Is Starbucks considered a "locally owned" store in Seattle?

[KickinChicken23]

NoDa was great last night...and has been all weekend. Moe Down

[New Name]

Yes, they are locally owned (Matthews and Salisbury) but they are GIANT corporations now and would no way fit into the "mom and pop" locally owned grocery store idea that they are looking for here. Is Starbucks considered a "locally owned" store in Seattle?

Nah, I was just being argumentative. Mercury's developer seemed most keen on Home Economist, but that is phase 2, so I am sure he is just throwing out ideas now.

I think the co-op idea is the best one out there. Especially since there is talk of a Noda farmers market too.

Edited April 5, 2008 by The Escapists

[UrbanFuture]

NoDa was great last night...and has been all weekend. Moe Down

Indeed. We went to Dolce for drinks and people watching and then ate at a packed Cabo Fish Taco before hitting some of the galleries. It was a lively and mixed crowd, even in the pouring rain. Fat City Lofts was certainly imposing (for NoDa) in the car coming up N. Davidson, but interestingly enough once on foot it wasn't too big. I am curious how well it will tie in at street level with the rest of the neighborhood. I think once Mercury gets moving, it will offset Fat City Loft's height and make the strip in NoDa a little more balanced in terms of density and height.

[Andyc545]

Mercury NoDa images and site plans are up...

http://www.mercurynoda.com/images.htm

[New Name]

There is a new apparel store in Noda called Niche Mkt. Looks like something you would see on Camden Rd. in South End. I haven't been inside yet or anything, but it looks "edgy" and "urban."

[Charlotte_native]

There is a new apparel store in Noda called Niche Mkt. Looks like something you would see on Camden Rd. in South End. I haven't been inside yet or anything, but it looks "edgy" and "urban."

Hmmmm...there is a Niche Market in Southend -- my guess would be same folks. I LOVE the store -- great shoes and t-shirts...

[fulcrumsf]

Hmmmm...there is a Niche Market in Southend -- my guess would be same folks. I LOVE the store -- great shoes and t-shirts...

Yeah it's the same folks.

[Vitamin_N]

There's a rezoning permit for the pocket of land bounded by Matheson, Little Sugar Creek, and the railroad. I'm not the best judge of these things, but the site plan looks like it's suburban style multifamily housing, which is about the last thing I'd want to see in or around Noda. On the other hand, given that it's walled off on almost all sides, it seems like it's a tough piece of land to integrate into its surroundings, so I'm not sure what could be done with it. Anybody with more expertise care to comment?

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Planni...ns/2008-082.htm

[New Name]

Why do developers find it SO HARD to work within the existing street grids?! Why must everyone abandon the grid and rearrange the paved areas to fit with THEIR CRAPPY VISION? I would be less offended if we had a crappy suburban development WITHIN the existing grid. It would then be easier to just walk on by... instead of getting stuck within their development purgatory.

Sorry to rave.

But...

[rooster8]

This looks like a developer trying to make undesirable property desirable. The land is between a rock (busy rail line) and a hard place (Little Sugar Creek and its floodplain). There are so many issues with this property, I'm surprised that the proposed use is residential.

[voyager12]

A fun addition to "downtown" NoDa to announce...I went to dinner at Addie's Jamaican again tonight...hmmm chicken with roti Anyhow, I noticed a sign at 34 St and North Davidson ( just past Elite Realty) "Jack and Chill" opening this summer. Seems to be a hybrid Ice Cream and Music store. JackandChill.com is still under construction. The idea sounds like a cool concept for a cool neighborhood. Anyone have more info on it? Also an ad agency has opened and a barber shop is coming soon on the same block. With the new Niche MKT a little further up....NoDa seems to be on a little roll

[New Name]

We had our monthly Noda Neighborhood Association meeting tonight. CATS came and did a presentation on the NE extension. Mostly it was about the placement of the actual station in Noda (their first choice is behind Johnston and Mecklenburg Mills, but realistically they may have to put it on the other side of 36th as a middle-of-the-track station). A few things they told us was that there will be a flyover to cross the freight tracks at Matheson, and another flyover at Craighead to bring the Lynx back to the Tryon side of the freight line. They have made no strides as to the alignment around the Asian Mall. Like I said, this was mostly about the Noda station. ALSO: I think many of you will be excited to hear about a prototype for community involvement that is being tried out for this project - Wikiplanning.org. It's for all the armchair urban planners who want their voices to be heard. (the log-in for this project will be NODA - although the site wont be active for a week or two). But I would hope everyone on this board who has ideas to share will do so and use this for the best of my neighborhood and for future projects.

Other than that, we had a presentation from The Comedy Zone about their "megaplex" in Highland Mills. They are opening a live venue for music and comedy (if I heard correct he said 1000 person venue - and likened it to a House of Blues). There will also be a coffee shop + wifi lounge, deli, restaurant, and *NOW HEAR THIS* late-night-drank-too-much-left-the-bar-and-now-I-want-something-like-Pita-Pit-kind-of-place.

There's my report. Hope you enjoyed.

[voyager12]

From Doug Smith : Fat City Lofts developers are sponsoring "The Graffiti Exhibition" on Friday from 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at 3100 N. Davidson St., Suite 104.

Visitors can examine graffiti artists' conceptual ideas for covering a wall of the residential-retail building and vote on their preferences.

Five participating artists plan to paint a 70-foot-tall building wall that faces the uptown skyline.

[lukedog]

We had our monthly Noda Neighborhood Association meeting tonight. CATS came and did a presentation on the NE extension. Mostly it was about the placement of the actual station in Noda (their first choice is behind Johnston and Mecklenburg Mills, but realistically they may have to put it on the other side of 36th as a middle-of-the-track station). A few things they told us was that there will be a flyover to cross the freight tracks at Matheson, and another flyover at Craighead to bring the Lynx back to the Tryon side of the freight line. They have made no strides as to the alignment around the Asian Mall. Like I said, this was mostly about the Noda station. ALSO: I think many of you will be excited to hear about a prototype for community involvement that is being tried out for this project - Wikiplanning.org. It's for all the armchair urban planners who want their voices to be heard. (the log-in for this project will be NODA - although the site wont be active for a week or two). But I would hope everyone on this board who has ideas to share will do so and use this for the best of my neighborhood and for future projects.

Other than that, we had a presentation from The Comedy Zone about their "megaplex" in Highland Mills. They are opening a live venue for music and comedy (if I heard correct he said 1000 person venue - and likened it to a House of Blues). There will also be a coffee shop + wifi lounge, deli, restaurant, and *NOW HEAR THIS* late-night-drank-too-much-left-the-bar-and-now-I-want-something-like-Pita-Pit-kind-of-place.

There's my report. Hope you enjoyed.

Wow....the megaplex sounds pretty cool! Any idea on when these venues will start opening...or when they will all be open? Also, is all of this going to be placed inside Highland Mills?

[marriotthill]

Hi, I have a question. I'm in the part of NoDa which hasn't experienced the housing appreciation like the heart of NoDa has had. We live three houses away from the 28thRow project. Will that help very much or will it be a little while for homes in the neighborhood to be affected? I've read of the other project near 27th street which is a block away also and of course the light rail station if it is approved.

Also, to the person who mentioned the grocer near us, well the prices really suck there(I can't remember the name). As far as the Food Lion, well if you like luke warm milk that goes bad before the expiration date or the awful re-frozen ice cream which I purchased at least 3 different times and 2 different brands, then by all means shop at that Food Lion. The Bi-Lo isn't much better. We need a real grocer like Lowe's Foods, a real Harris Teeter, or of course I'm reaching.... a Whole Foods. If you don't like big corporate owned companies then you're almost out of luck if you want decent selection w/ decent prices. Hey it's better than a Wal-Mart.