One Park Vista

[Metropolitan's]

This is great but I would like to see a highrise condo down-town soon

[intcvlcphlga]

Here's the Journal article on the project: http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellit...d=1137835206943

[ncbrian]

This is great but I would like to see a highrise condo down-town soon

Well this development is going to 6 stories of residential along with two stories of commerical space above street level facing 4th St which I think is high enough considering the amount of setback available facing 4th St. High rise development will look out of place in Winston. As there are no boulevards in the downtown area, there are always the problems of the "canyon effect". Mid-rise density is always preferable especially given the amount of infill area available in the downtown core. I was looking at a photography book of Winston last night and the images of Winston in the early to mid 20th century showed an incredibility densely populated city with office buildings and factories everywhere. An aerial view of Winston today shows an awfully lot of open space, mostly parking lots, in the downtown area. With increased density through mid-rise development, things like street-car or light rail transit becomes more practical and the cost of delivering services becomes less.

[twincity]

^i thought the elevation drawing showed 8 facing 4th and 9 facing 3rd.

true, winston does lack a blvd through downtown..something ral, clt and gso all have. Liberty, Main and 1st are the closest to resemble a thoroughfare but theyre all one-way.

[ncbrian]

^i thought the elevation drawing showed 8 facing 4th and 9 facing 3rd.

Actually that is correct. It is 6 stories of residential floors atop two stories of retail/office space for 8 stories on 4th Street

true, winston does lack a blvd through downtown..something ral, clt and gso all have. Liberty, Main and 1st are the closest to resemble a thoroughfare but theyre all one-way.

1st street has a start on a boulevard starting at the Piedmont Triad park and it does go past the Wachovia and BB&T towers but after that it really needs some work though through some planning, it can be a grand boulevardthat links up the West End through Brookstown Rd all the to 4th Street to the new West End condo developments.

[intcvlcphlga]

Actually that is correct. It is 6 stories of residential floors atop two stories of retail/office space for 8 stories on 4th Street

1st street has a start on a boulevard starting at the Piedmont Triad park and it does go past the Wachovia and BB&T towers but after that it really needs some work though through some planning, it can be a grand boulevardthat links up the West End through Brookstown Rd all the to 4th Street to the new West End condo developments.

The city has a plan to turn Broad Street into a boulevard. With the recent investments/developments (West End Village, Christopher's New Global Cuisine, etc) and if the baseball stadium moves forward, I could see Broad Street from 5th to 40 becoming a localized mixed-use center for downtown pulling the Burke St / West End area w/ the stadium more into everyone's notion of what defines downtown. This could be the catalyst to redevelop the Holly Avenue neighborhood as well as West Salem/Green St neighborhoods. Then downtown would have multiple vibrant cores - CBD, PTRP, Trade St/Arts District and Broad Street environs with 4th Street and the new streetcar line tying it all together.

[ncbrian]

So there are plans and apparently money as West End Village is moving forward so why the lack of progress or motivation in realising these plans? In partially answering my question, I think part of the problem is that when Unity Place fell through, civic and business leaders may be a bit hesitant in coming up with big re-development schemes and favor a more incremental approach. Nothing wrong with that approach but I hate to see downtown redevelopment going forth in a disjointed manner where there is no sense of community and lack of identity.

As for Holly Avenue, I actually walked down that street yesterday. It needs some work but I can see potential centered around Calvary Moravian Church. Like I commented before, we have to get rid of these surface parking lots because they create too many dead areas. Yet from the comments from the Journal story on the baseball field, people are only willing to go the games if there is enough parking available but somewhat people do not like parking garages. Enough to make you wonder.

[intcvlcphlga]

So there are plans and apparently money as West End Village is moving forward so why the lack of progress or motivation in realising these plans? In partially answering my question, I think part of the problem is that when Unity Place fell through, civic and business leaders may be a bit hesitant in coming up with big re-development schemes and favor a more incremental approach. Nothing wrong with that approach but I hate to see downtown redevelopment going forth in a disjointed manner where there is no sense of community and lack of identity.

As for Holly Avenue, I actually walked down that street yesterday. It needs some work but I can see potential centered around Calvary Moravian Church. Like I commented before, we have to get rid of these surface parking lots because they create too many dead areas. Yet from the comments from the Journal story on the baseball field, people are only willing to go the games if there is enough parking available but somewhat people do not like parking garages. Enough to make you wonder.

My understanding is that Calvary Moravian owns those surface lots around their building and seem to think that big empty parking lots perceptually are safer than having buildings on those lots.

[twincity]

So there are plans and apparently money as West End Village is moving forward so why the lack of progress or motivation in realising these plans? In partially answering my question, I think part of the problem is that when Unity Place fell through, civic and business leaders may be a bit hesitant in coming up with big re-development schemes and favor a more incremental approach. Nothing wrong with that approach but I hate to see downtown redevelopment going forth in a disjointed manner where there is no sense of community and lack of identity.

As for Holly Avenue, I actually walked down that street yesterday. It needs some work but I can see potential centered around Calvary Moravian Church. Like I commented before, we have to get rid of these surface parking lots because they create too many dead areas. Yet from the comments from the Journal story on the baseball field, people are only willing to go the games if there is enough parking available but somewhat people do not like parking garages. Enough to make you wonder.

this rendering of WEV shows a tree lined median on broad. i think a third lane will be added going southbound in front of the Towns and 4th and Broad?

[DCMetroRaleigh]

What is going on with construction at West Village now?

[triadguy37]

What is going on with construction at West Village now?

The studs are up for the first 12 three story townhomes and they have the fountation around the parking garage for 4th and Broad. I just rode by there today.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Hopefully, I will get down from DC to Winston this upcoming weekend to snap some pics.

[ncbrian]

Walking along Fourth st today and I see that they have placed barriers around the construction zone for the One Vista Place development and there are crews doing inspections of the buildings. Probably will see loaders and dump trucks downtown starting in a week or two. They have cut Strollway access obviously which means walking around the block if you are going to the Post Office. That is one place I wish they actually build up into something more grand. Downtown post offices were usually the centres of federal presence in cities and were build accordingly. I have seen suburban post offices more attractive than the downtown post office.

[twincity]

cool. i cant wait to see those empty buildings fall. any info on the pre-sales. im pretty sure avant wanted to sell a certain amount before ground broke?

at one time, that post office was supposed to be replaced with either an office or residential tower? im not sure. if civic plaza goes as planned, then that building's days are numbered.

in a way, i wish it was still at its original spot on 5th street. the now "millenium center" is the perfect example of what you posted on.

[don julio]

Just a FYI

Demolition started today along 4th St. to make way for the Civic Plaza Projects. I believe it is DH Griffin who is knocking down the buidling.

[ncbrian]

Just a FYI

Demolition started today along 4th St. to make way for the Civic Plaza Projects. I believe it is DH Griffin who is knocking down the buidling.

Walked past the demolition site today and I think it is more of the crew for the One Vista Park, not the Civic Plaza project, that is clearing the area for their construction equipment. When the Civic Plaza development gets started, they will use the space for the same purpose.

[twincity]

One Park Vista is now part of civic plaza according to the last article. it wasnt part of the initial proposal but the overall vision for this area evolved...a park surrounded by towers with 500-700 residents.

quote from the ws journal:

One Park Vista is the first phase of the Civic Plaza redevelopment, which would put a park, retail, offices and additional housing in areas starting around the old county courthouse and the Pepper Building on West Fourth Street and running west to the Davis Building and south just past Third Street.

[ncbrian]

One Park Vista is now part of civic plaza according to the last article. it wasnt part of the initial proposal but the overall vision for this area evolved...a park surrounded by towers with 500-700 residents.

quote from the ws journal:

One Park Vista is the first phase of the Civic Plaza redevelopment, which would put a park, retail, offices and additional housing in areas starting around the old county courthouse and the Pepper Building on West Fourth Street and running west to the Davis Building and south just past Third Street.

Okay, if the whole area is considered to be the Civic Plaza development, then what are we calling the construction of the towers at Liberty and Fourth St as up to now, that section has been called Civic Plaza while One Park Vista was considered as a standalone project.

[JerseyBoy]

Okay, if the whole area is considered to be the Civic Plaza development, then what are we calling the construction of the towers at Liberty and Fourth St as up to now, that section has been called Civic Plaza while One Park Vista was considered as a standalone project.

I guess Civic Plaza?

[twincity]

New video from WFMY.com of demolition for one park vista/civic plaza!

link

[ncbrian]

Well, I have a few pictures from last week when they just started to tear down the old Davis building:

For good measure here is a progress update on the Presberytarin church building being constructed on Cherry and Second:

[suburban george3]

Well, I have a few pictures from last week when they just started to tear down the old Davis building:

That actually isn't the old Davis Bldg their tearing down. The old Davis building is the White bricked building on the extreme left of the photograph. I'm not quite sure what the building they're tearing down used to be...

[twincity]

^ the mothers and daughters building

[ncbrian]

^ the mothers and daughters building

Ah ha... Anyways the Davis building will be the next to go if not already. I will see if I can take another photo this Friday to show the demolition progress. I may make this a weekly series of the construction of this project. In fact, we should start a thread that highlights new construction photo updates every week or two like West End Village or the Gateway.

[ncbrian]

Journal article

A wrecking crane razed several buildings this week between Third and Fourth streets, including the former Mother and Daughter store, to make room for the construction of a public-parking lot with 61 spaces.

The Winston-Salem City Council agreed in April to spend up to $860,000 to tear down the city-owned buildings at 122, 125 and 126 W. Third St., and build the parking lot. City officials used the lot to lure developers to build two separate high-end condo projects along Fourth Street, from Liberty Street to the former Davis Department Store.

I was under the impression that this demolition was the initial start of the One Park Vista development. I also thought that parking for the residents will be underground of the buildings with some capacity for visitors. So now we have another surface lot downtown which I did not think was part of the Civic Plaza project.But that project will remove that large lot at Liberty and Third.

I am not fond of surface parking lots but I can see an advantage here for one. One of the biggest complaints of merchants downtown, few as they are, was that the removal of street level parking took away a lot of business as people are generally not inclined to park in a garage and then walk a block or two. If street-level retail and restaurants are going to happen as part of these developments, then an easily accessible parking may be required. Other businesses in the area like Contempo furniture will also benefit. The one problem I see is that people who work in the area may use this lot for convience no matter what the cost and reducing the number of available spaces for shoppers and visitors and thus reducing the benefit of the lot.